Example: You are taking the train tomorrow at 8.00.
Present Simple for Future
Usage: Official schedules and timetables (Horarios).
Future Perfect
Structure: WILL HAVE + Past Participle.
Keywords: BY NEXT WEEK, BY THE END OF…
Example: I WILL HAVE EATEN FISH BY FRIDAY (Yo habré comido).
Future Continuous
Structure: WILL BE + -ING.
Keyword: THIS TIME NEXT WEEK.
Example: I WILL BE SUNBATHING THIS TIME NEXT WEEK (Yo estaré tomando el sol).
Major Verb Tenses and Key Words
Present Simple
Structure: S + V (+ s/es for 3rd person).
Questions/Negative: Use Do/Does/Don't/Doesn't.
Key Words: Every day/year/month/Wednesday, Always, Usually, Sometimes, Hardly ever, How often?, Never, On Sundays.
Present Continuous
Structure: AM/ARE/IS + -ING.
Key Words: Now, At the moment, Right now, Today, Later, Tomorrow.
Past Simple
Structure: S + V-ed / 2nd Column.
Questions/Negative: Use Did / Didn't.
Key Words: Last year/month/Monday/week, Yesterday, In 1990, When/then, Ago, Until.
Past Continuous
Structure: WAS/WERE + -ING.
Key Words: As, While, Whereas.
Present Perfect
Structure: HAVE/HAS + 3rd Column.
Key Words:
For / Since: Duration/Beginning.
Just: Acabar de.
Already: Ya.
Yet: Todavía (End of phrase, negative/interrogative).
Ever / Never: Questions / Negative experiences.
Recently, This…
Example: I have been in Paris for 1 year.
Past Perfect
Structure: HAD + 3rd Column.
Key Words: (Never) before.
Advanced Grammar: Modals, Wish, and Tags
Modal Verbs
Certainty and Possibility:
MUST: Obviousness; logically sure.
CAN'T: Impossibility; firm belief that something is not true.
MAY / MIGHT: Possibility. (Clues: Maybe, Perhaps, I'm not sure, I don't know).
Obligation, Advice, and Permission:
HAVE TO: External inescapable obligation (laws/rules).
MUST / MUSTN'T: Personal obligation or flexible norms.
DON'T HAVE TO / DON'T NEED TO: Absence of obligation (not necessary).
SHOULD / OUGHT TO: Personal advice/recommendation ("meterse en la vida de alguien").
CAN / COULD: Polite requests and questions.
Dominando el Uso de "WISH" (Ojalá)
WISH + Pasado Simple: Present wishes or missing abilities. (Example: I wish I were rich - Ojalá fuera rico/a).
WISH + Pasado Perfecto: Regrets about the past. (Example: I wish you had played the match - Ojalá hubieras jugado el partido).
WISH + WOULD: Complaints about current situations or desiring behavior change. (Example: I wish you would stop smoking - Me molesta que fumes y quiero que pares).
Comparison: "I wish you would stop" (Complaint/Annoyance) vs. "I wish you stopped" (General concern for health).
Question Tags
Oración Afirmativa: Tag Negativa (You LIKE reading, DON'T you?).
Oración Negativa: Tag Afirmativa (You DON'T LIKE reading, DO you?).
Auxiliary Selection:
Verbo "To Be": This book IS interesting, ISN'T it?
Present Simple: Sally LIVES in a big house, DOESN'T she?
Past Simple: Sally LIVED in a big house, DIDN'T she?
Future: She WILL bring the children, WON'T she?
Modal: Simon CAN swim well, CAN'T he?
Verb Patterns: -ING vs. TO
Rule: Follow the "second verb in -ING" rule for most verbs.
Exceptions (Require 'TO'):
WANT TO
NEED TO
DECIDE TO
TRY TO
PROMISE TO
HELP (can use TO or normal verb)
GO TO
LISTEN TO
HAVE TO
IMPORTANT TO (THAT)
DIFFICULT TO
BE CAREFUL TO
OUGHT TO
FINISH TO
ADVISE TO
ENCOURAGE TO
Common Collocations
MAIDEN-NAME / VOYAGE: nombre de soltera / viaje inaugural
FRANTIC / COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS: sobre esfuerzo / trabajo en grupo
CONGESTED ROADS / TRAFFIC JAM / HEAVY TRAFFIC: atasco
FIERCE COMPETITION: competición reñida
FURTHER INFORMATION: para más información
SENTIMENTAL / NOVELTY VALUE: valor sentimental / valor nuevo