Gramática inglesa: tiempos verbales, estilo indirecto, modales y gerundio vs. infinitivo

Tiempos verbales en inglés

Presente simple (S): juego → play (every day, how often?)

Presente continuo (C): estoy jugando → am/is/are playing (now, right now, at the moment, look!)

Pasado simple (S): jugué / jugaba → played (ago, in...)

Pasado continuo (C): estaba jugando → was/were playing

Presente perfecto (P): he jugado → have/has played (before, after, as soon as)

Pasado perfecto (P): había jugado → had played (before, after, as soon as)

Futuro

Futuro con will: jugaré → will play (think, maybe, perhaps)

Futuro con going to: voy a jugar → am/is/are going to play (next..., soon)

Futuro perfecto: habré jugado → will have played (by...)

Futuro continuo: estaré jugando → will be playing (en progreso...)

Nota (F.T.C.): en oraciones temporales con when, before, after, while, as soon as se usa presente, no will ni going to.

Voz pasiva

Estructura: to be + past participle (3.ª columna / -ed)

• Presente simple: is/are
• Presente continuo: is/are being
• Pasado simple: was/were
• Pasado continuo: was/were being
• Presente perfecto: has/have been
• Pasado perfecto: had been
• Will: will be
• Going to: is/are going to be
• Modales: modal + be

Estilo indirecto (Reported Speech)

Cambios de tiempo verbal al pasar del estilo directo al indirecto:

• Presente simple → Pasado simple
• Presente continuo → Pasado continuo
• Presente perfecto → Pasado perfecto
• Pasado simple → Pasado perfecto
• Pasado continuo → Pasado perfecto
• Pasado perfecto → Pasado perfecto
• Will → would
• Going to → was/were going to
• Can → could
• Must → had to

Cambios de demostrativos y expresiones de tiempo:

• This → that
• These → those
• Here → there
• Now → then
• Today / tonight → that day / that night
• Last → the previous
• Ago → earlier / before
• Tomorrow → the following day
• Yesterday → the day before

Estructuras: said that / told him/me/her (no uses that tras told). Para órdenes: told + object + to + infinitivo; en negativo: told + object + not to + infinitivo.

Gerundio (-ing)

Se usa:

• Después de una preposición.
• Como sujeto del verbo.
• Tras los verbos: admit, avoid, advise, can't help / imagine / stand, complete, consider, discuss, dislike, don't mind, enjoy, finish, give up, imagine, keep, mention, mind, miss, practise, recommend, regret, report, resist, risk, suggest, stand.

Gerundio o infinitivo

Verbos que admiten ambos (-ing / to): begin, hate, like, love, prefer, start.

Verbos seguidos de infinitivo (to):

• Después de un adjetivo.
• Para expresar finalidad.
• Verbos: afford, agree, appear, arrange, ask, attempt, beg, choose, dare, decide, demand, deserve, expect, fail, hesitate, hope, intend, learn, manage, mean, need, offer, prepare, pretend, promise, refuse, seem, threaten, wait, want, wish, would like, plan.

Verbos modales

• Isn't necessary → don't have to
• Possible → can
• Not permitted → cannot
• Perhaps / maybe → may / might
• Compulsory → must (obligación personal); have to (obligación impuesta desde fuera)
• Prohibited / allowed / forbidden → mustn't
• A good idea → ought to (consejo formal)
• Recommend / important / a bad idea → should (consejo)
• Sure → must
• Imposible → can't
• Podría... → may / might (presente/futuro)

Estructuras de referencia rápida

0. present / present

1. present / will

2. past / would

3. past perfect / would have + past participle