Verb List by Topic - English Grammar & Auxiliary Review

Comprehensive review flashcards covering English auxiliary patterns, verb tenses, passive voice, conditionals, phrasal verbs, prepositional verbs, and reported speech based on the Verb List by Topic guide.

Regla de oro (Golden Rule of Auxiliaries)

The auxiliary verb decides the form of the main verb that follows: did / will / would / might / can / to are followed by base form; have / has / had by past participle; am / is / are / was / were / been by -ing; and be + participle forms the passive voice.

Auxiliary: do / does / don't / doesn't

Auxiliary verbs used in the present simple tense that are always followed by the base form of the verb (e.g., She doesn't eat meat).

Auxiliary: did / didn't

Auxiliary verbs used in the past simple tense that are always followed by the base form of the verb, never by past simple or past participle (e.g., He didn't eat breakfast. / Did you eat?).

Auxiliary: will / won't

Auxiliary verbs used to express the future tense, followed by the base form of the verb (e.g., I won't eat now).

Auxiliary: would / wouldn't

Auxiliary verbs used in the second conditional, followed by the base form of the verb (e.g., I would eat more if I were hungry).

Auxiliary: might / might not

Modal auxiliary verbs indicating possibility, followed by the base form of the verb (e.g., He might eat later).

Auxiliaries: can / could / must / should

Modal auxiliary verbs that are always followed by the base form of the verb (e.g., You must eat something).

used to / didn't use to

A past habit structure followed by the base form of the verb (e.g., I used to eat meat). In negative and question forms, it is written 'use' without the -d.

to (infinitive marker)

Grammatical marker followed by the base form of the verb to express purpose or complement an adjective/verb (e.g., I went out to eat. / It's easy to eat here).

Auxiliaries: am / is / are

Present continuous auxiliary forms of 'be' that must be followed by the -ing form of the verb (e.g., She is eating).

Auxiliaries: was / were

Past continuous auxiliary forms of 'be' that must be followed by the -ing form of the verb (e.g., They were eating).

Auxiliaries: have / has / haven't / hasn't

Present perfect auxiliary verbs that must be followed by the past participle form of the verb (e.g., I have eaten. / Have you ever eaten…?).

Auxiliaries: had / hadn't

Past perfect auxiliary verbs that must be followed by the past participle form of the verb (e.g., He hadn't eaten breakfast).

have been / has been (Continuous)

Present perfect continuous auxiliary structure that is followed by the -ing form of the verb in active sentences (e.g., I have been eating healthy food).

Passive voice auxiliaries (is / was / has been / will be)

Forms of the auxiliary verb 'be' that, when followed by a past participle, form the passive voice (e.g., The cake was eaten).

Common Error: didn't eaten / didn't ate

Incorrect verb combinations; the correct structure is 'didn't eat' because 'did / didn't' must always be followed by the base form.

Common Error: hadn't ate

An incorrect past perfect construction; the correct form is 'hadn't eaten' because 'had / hadn't' requires a past participle.

Common Error: would ate / will eats

Incorrect modal combinations; the correct forms are 'would eat' and 'will eat' because modal auxiliaries must be followed strictly by the bare base form.

Common Error: might to go / he mights go

Incorrect uses of 'might'; the correct form is 'might go' because 'might' is never followed by 'to' and never takes an third-person '-s'.

Common Error: has been eat

An ungrammatical structure; it must be 'has been eating' in active voice (present perfect continuous) or 'has been eaten' in passive voice.

Common Error: Did you used to…?

An incorrect question form; the correct question is 'Did you use to…?' without the -d because the auxiliary 'did' takes the base form.

Common Error: Have you ever went…?

An incorrect question about life experience; the correct form is 'Have you ever been…?' because questions about visiting places require 'been'.

Verb Pattern: try

Means 'intentar / probar' (past: tried); followed by 'to + verb' to mean making an effort (esforzarse, e.g., I tried to open it) or '-ing' to mean testing something (probar algo, e.g., Try drinking tea). Negative: I didn't try to call.

Verb Pattern: prefer

Means 'preferir' (past: preferred); can be followed by either 'to + verb' or '-ing' (e.g., I prefer walking / to walk). Negative: I don't prefer driving.

Verb Pattern: refuse

Means 'negarse' (past: refused); followed by 'to + verb' (e.g., She refused to help). Negative: She didn't refuse to help.

Verb Pattern: stop

Means 'dejar de / detenerse' (past: stopped); followed by '-ing' to mean quitting an action (dejar de, e.g., He stopped smoking) or by 'to + verb' to mean pausing in order to do something (parar para, e.g., He stopped to rest). Negative: He didn't stop smoking.

Verb Pattern: finish

Means 'terminar' (past: finished); followed strictly by '-ing' (e.g., I finished writing). Negative: I haven't finished writing.

Verb Pattern: help

Means 'ayudar' (past: helped); followed by '(person) + (to) verb' (e.g., She helped me (to) carry it). Negative: She didn't help me carry it.

Verb Pattern: invite

Means 'invitar' (past: invited); followed by 'person + to + verb' (e.g., They invited us to stay). Negative: They didn't invite us to stay.

Verb Pattern: begin

Means 'comenzar' (past: began); can be followed by either 'to + verb' or '-ing' (e.g., It began to rain / raining). Negative: It didn't begin to rain.

Verb Pattern: start

Means 'empezar' (past: started); can be followed by either 'to + verb' or '-ing' (e.g., She started to cry / crying). Negative: She didn't start crying.

Used to (affirmative)

Pattern expressing past habits or states followed always by the base form of the verb (e.g., I used to live, I used to play, I used to have).

Used to (negative and question)

Negative: 'didn't use to + base' (e.g., I didn't use to live); Question: 'Did you use to + base?' (e.g., Did you use to live?). Spelled 'use' without -d because of 'did'.

Infinitives of purpose

Formed using 'to + base verb' to express a purpose or goal (e.g., to buy, to get, to learn, to book), never with 'for + verb'.

Negative infinitives of purpose

Formed using 'in order not to + base' or 'so as not to + base' (e.g., in order not to buy, in order not to get, in order not to make).

Infinitives after adjectives

Structure following the pattern 'adjective + to + base verb' (e.g., It's difficult to understand, I'm pleased to meet you, It isn't easy to speak in public).

-ed adjectives

Adjectives ending in -ed that describe how a person feels (e.g., bored, interested, tired, excited).

-ing adjectives

Adjectives ending in -ing that describe the thing or situation causing the feeling (e.g., boring, interesting, tiring, exciting).

bore (bored / boring)

Verb meaning 'aburrir'; person feeling: 'bored' (I'm bored); thing causing feeling: 'boring' (The film is boring).

interest (interested / interesting)

Verb meaning 'interesar'; person feeling: 'interested'; thing causing feeling: 'interesting'.

tire (tired / tiring)

Verb meaning 'cansar'; person feeling: 'tired'; thing causing feeling: 'tiring'.

excite (excited / exciting)

Verb meaning 'emocionar'; person feeling: 'excited'; thing causing feeling: 'exciting'.

surprise (surprised / surprising)

Verb meaning 'sorprender'; person feeling: 'surprised'; thing causing feeling: 'surprising'.

frighten (frightened / frightening)

Verb meaning 'asustar'; person feeling: 'frightened'; thing causing feeling: 'frightening'.

embarrass (embarrassed / embarrassing)

Verb meaning 'avergonzar'; person feeling: 'embarrassed'; thing causing feeling: 'embarrassing'.

disappoint (disappointed / disappointing)

Verb meaning 'decepcionar'; person feeling: 'disappointed'; thing causing feeling: 'disappointing'.

confuse (confused / confusing)

Verb meaning 'confundir'; person feeling: 'confused'; thing causing feeling: 'confusing'.

relax (relaxed / relaxing)

Verb meaning 'relajar'; person feeling: 'relaxed'; thing causing feeling: 'relaxing'.

annoy (annoyed / annoying)

Verb meaning 'molestar'; person feeling: 'annoyed'; thing causing feeling: 'annoying'.

amaze (amazed / amazing)

Verb meaning 'asombrar'; person feeling: 'amazed'; thing causing feeling: 'amazing'.

worry (worried / worrying)

Verb meaning 'preocupar'; person feeling: 'worried'; thing causing feeling: 'worrying'.

shock (shocked / shocking)

Verb meaning 'impactar'; person feeling: 'shocked'; thing causing feeling: 'shocking'.

Passive voice: affirmative construction

Constructed using the appropriate tense of 'be' + past participle (is/are + pp, was/were + pp, has/have been + pp, will be + pp).

Passive voice: negative and question rules

In negatives, 'not' goes immediately after the first auxiliary; in questions, the first auxiliary moves before the subject. The past participle never changes.

Passive voice: write

Forms: is written, was written, has been written, will be written. Past negative: wasn't written; Past question: Was it written?; Present perfect negative: hasn't been written; Question: Has it been written?

Passive voice: build

Forms: is built, was built, has been built, will be built. Past negative: wasn't built; Past question: Was it built?; Present perfect negative: hasn't been built; Question: Has it been built?

Passive voice: make

Forms: is made, was made, has been made, will be made. Past negative: wasn't made; Past question: Was it made?; Present perfect negative: hasn't been made; Question: Has it been made?

Passive voice: speak

Forms: is spoken, was spoken, has been spoken, will be spoken. Past negative: wasn't spoken; Past question: Was it spoken?; Present perfect negative: hasn't been spoken; Question: Has it been spoken?

Passive voice: steal

Forms: is stolen, was stolen, has been stolen, will be stolen. Past negative: wasn't stolen; Past question: Was it stolen?; Present perfect negative: hasn't been stolen; Question: Has it been stolen?

Passive voice: grow

Forms: is grown, was grown, has been grown, will be grown. Past negative: wasn't grown; Past question: Was it grown?; Present perfect negative: hasn't been grown; Question: Has it been grown?

Passive voice: send

Forms: is sent, was sent, has been sent, will be sent. Past negative: wasn't sent; Past question: Was it sent?; Present perfect negative: hasn't been sent; Question: Has it been sent?

Passive voice: sell

Forms: is sold, was sold, has been sold, will be sold. Past negative: wasn't sold; Past question: Was it sold?; Present perfect negative: hasn't been sold; Question: Has it been sold?

Passive voice: teach

Forms: is taught, was taught, has been taught, will be taught. Past negative: wasn't taught; Past question: Was it taught?; Present perfect negative: hasn't been taught; Question: Has it been taught?

Passive voice: catch

Forms: is caught, was caught, has been caught, will be caught. Past negative: wasn't caught; Past question: Was it caught?; Present perfect negative: hasn't been caught; Question: Has it been caught?

Passive voice: take

Forms: is taken, was taken, has been taken, will be taken. Past negative: wasn't taken; Past question: Was it taken?; Present perfect negative: hasn't been taken; Question: Has it been taken?

Passive voice: find

Forms: is found, was found, has been found, will be found. Past negative: wasn't found; Past question: Was it found?; Present perfect negative: hasn't been found; Question: Has it been found?

Passive voice: regular verbs (paint, clean, deliver, cancel, invite, open, repair)

Follow regular past participle forms (-ed): is/was/has been/will be painted, cleaned, delivered, cancelled, invited, opened, repaired.

Second conditional: structure

Formed with 'If + past simple, would + base verb' (e.g., If I had… I would have). Negative: wouldn't + base; Question: Would you + base?

Second conditional: 'be' rule

With the verb 'be', 'were' is used for all subjects in the if-clause (e.g., 'If I were you…', 'If I were… I would be').

Second conditional: can

Transforms into 'If I could… I could (would be able to)'; Negative: 'I couldn't'; Question: 'Could you…?'

Second conditional: win

If clause: 'If I won…'; Affirmative main clause: 'I would win'; Negative: 'I wouldn't win'; Question: 'Would you win?'

Second conditional: know

If clause: 'If I knew…'; Affirmative main clause: 'I would know'; Negative: 'I wouldn't know'; Question: 'Would you know?'

Second conditional: buy

If clause: 'If I bought…'; Affirmative main clause: 'I would buy'; Negative: 'I wouldn't buy'; Question: 'Would you buy?'

Second conditional: travel

If clause: 'If I travelled…'; Affirmative main clause: 'I would travel'; Negative: 'I wouldn't travel'; Question: 'Would you travel?'

Might: syntax rules

Always followed by the base form of the verb: 'might / might not + base'. Never takes an -s ('mights') and never takes 'to' ('might to').

Might: rain, come, go

Affirmative: It might rain / It might come / It might go; Negative: It might not rain / It might not come / It might not go.

Might: be, win, buy

Affirmative: It might be / It might win / It might buy; Negative: It might not be / It might not win / It might not buy.

Phrasal verbs: auxiliary conjugation rule

Phrasal verbs use their base form with did / will / would / might (e.g., He didn't give up), and their participle form with have / has / had (e.g., He has given up).

Phrasal verb: get up

Meaning: levantarse. Past: got up; Participle: got up.

Phrasal verb: wake up

Meaning: despertarse. Past: woke up; Participle: woken up.

Phrasal verb: look for

Meaning: buscar. Past: looked for; Participle: looked for.

Phrasal verb: look after

Meaning: cuidar. Past: looked after; Participle: looked after.

Phrasal verb: give up

Meaning: rendirse / dejar (un hábito). Past: gave up; Participle: given up.

Phrasal verb: turn on

Meaning: encender. Past: turned on; Participle: turned on.

Phrasal verb: turn off

Meaning: apagar. Past: turned off; Participle: turned off.

Phrasal verb: put on

Meaning: ponerse (ropa). Past: put on; Participle: put on.

Phrasal verb: take off

Meaning: quitarse (ropa) / despegar. Past: took off; Participle: taken off.

Phrasal verb: find out

Meaning: averiguar. Past: found out; Participle: found out.

Phrasal verb: get on with

Meaning: llevarse bien con. Past: got on with; Participle: got on with.

Phrasal verb: run out of

Meaning: quedarse sin. Past: ran out of; Participle: run out of.

Phrasal verb: pick up

Meaning: recoger. Past: picked up; Participle: picked up.

Phrasal verb: fill in

Meaning: llenar (formulario). Past: filled in; Participle: filled in.

Phrasal verb: come back

Meaning: regresar. Past: came back; Participle: come back.

Phrasal verb: break down

Meaning: descomponerse. Past: broke down; Participle: broken down.

Phrasal verb: look forward to

Meaning: esperar con ilusión. Past: looked forward to; Participle: looked forward to.

Phrasal verb: set off

Meaning: salir de viaje. Past: set off; Participle: set off.

Phrasal verb: carry on

Meaning: continuar. Past: carried on; Participle: carried on.

Phrasal verb: turn down

Meaning: rechazar / bajar volumen. Past: turned down; Participle: turned down.

Prepositional verb: listen to

Meaning: escuchar. Past: listened to.

Prepositional verb: wait for

Meaning: esperar a. Past: waited for.