English grammar

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English tenses rules PDF

Grammar rules with examples on all English tenses:

• Present simple and present continuous
• Past simple and past continuous
• Future simple and future continuous
• Present perfect simple and continuous
• Past perfect simple and continuous
• Future perfect simple and continuous

Modal verbs - PDF rules

Can, may, must, have to in positive and negative forms:

• I can swim very well (abilities). We can help you (possibilities). It can be John (probabilities). You can take it (permissions).
• May I smoke here (permissions)? They may come tomorrow (probabilities or predictions).
• You must go there (strong obligations). You must see the film (strong recommendations). It must be John (certainties).
• British students have to wear uniforms (obligations based on a rule). Mum says you have to do your homework first (obligations based on the authority of another person).

Passive voice - PDF rules

All passive forms compared to active forms:

• Present simple passive (The car is repaired).
• Present continuous passive (The houses are being built).
• Past simple passive (My laptop was broken).
• Past continuous passive (The road was being cleared).
• Future simple passive (The parcel will be sent in time).
• Present perfect passive (The report has been finished).
• Past perfect passive (The painting had been stolen).
• Present conditional passive (I would be tired).
• Past conditional passive (The film would have been made).

Imperative - PDF rules

The first, second and third person imperative sentences and emphatic imperatives.

• Let me do it. Let's stay here. (the first person imperative)
• Open your books. Don't sit down. (the second person imperative)
• Let him go. Let them join us. (the third person imperative)
• Do be quiet. (emphatic imperative)

Gerunds and infinitives - PDF rules

Gerunds, infinitives with 'to' and bare infinitives.

• We hope to come on time. (infinitive with 'to')
• They made me stand up. (bare infinitive - without 'to')
• He admitted smashing the window. (gerund)
• I stopped to smoke. I stopped smoking. (infinitive and gerund with different meanings)

Conditional tense - PDF rules

Present and perfect conditionals (would, should, ought to, could, might).

• It would help me. You should do it. You ought to do it. Dan could | might come tonight. (present conditional)
• It would have helped me. You should have done it. You ought to have done it. Dan could | might have come yesterday night. (perfect conditional)

If-conditionals - PDF rules

Zero, first, second, third, mixed and inverted conditional sentences:

• If I go to school, I get up at seven. (zero conditional)
• If he studies hard, he'll pass the exams. (the first conditional)
• If I had more time, I would help you. (the second conditional)
• If he had met her, he would have told her. (the third conditional)
• If he had left immediately, he would be here now. (mixed conditionals)
• Were I in your position, I would accept it. (inverted conditional)

Time clauses - PDF rules

Future time clauses:

• I'll do it when I come back home.
• While we are cutting the grass you'll pick the apples.
• As soon as they have repaired our car we will go for a trip.

Relative clauses - PDF rules

Defining, non-defining and connective relative clauses (who, which, that, whose, whom):

• The man who called you has just arrived. This is the book which I wanted. Are you the boy that lives next door? The river whose bridge is in front of us is called the Cam. The man whom I met yesterday... (defining relative clauses)
• My father, who is 65 now, still works. His car, which cost nearly 20,000 dollars, is broken. (non-defining relative clauses)
• I gave the letter to James, who sent it to London. She passed me the salt, which fell on the floor. (connective relative clauses)

Direct and indirect object - PDF rules

Direct and indirect objects in English sentences:

• Sarah never eats meat. (direct object)
• Please, call me tomorrow. (indirect object)
• They gave Harold a new car. They gave him a new car. (indirect and direct objects)
• They gave a new car to Harold. They gave it to him. (direct and indirect objects)

Indirect questions - PDF rules

Direct versus indirect questions:

• What did she want? Where was it? (direct questions)
• Can you tell me what she wanted? Do you remember where it was? (indirect questions)

Reported speech - PDF rules

Direct and indirect speech, reported questions, commands and requests.

• "I never understand you," she told me. (direct speech) - She told me she never understood me. (reported speech)
• Mary: "Greg came yesterday." (direct speech) - Mary said that Greg had come the day before. (reported speech)
• "What time did it start?" he said. (direct question) - He wanted to know what time it had started. (reported question)
• "Get up!" he said. (command) - He told me to get up. (reported command)
• "Make coffee, please," he said. (request) - He asked me to make coffee. (reported request)

All these English grammar lessons are written for self-study learners who want to learn basic English grammar for free. They are suitable for beginners, elementary, pre-intermediate, intermediate and advanced students of English as a foreign language.