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donoenglish
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101531
Fri, 20 May 05 06:01 PM
i need help on differentiating between perfect tenses and simple tenses i cant seem to find any differences in them
and for the helping words like would,should,could are these specifically for the past? or we can use it in present tense help me thx
Joined on
Wed, May 11 2005
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Mister Micawber
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101641
Sat, 21 May 05 01:41 AM
Perfect tenses relate two areas of time in some way, where simple tenses are primarily isolated in a single time zone:
I haven't seen Saddam. (I did not see him before, though I still have a possibility of seeing him -- this idea connects the past with the present and future.)
I didn't see Saddam. (At some undefined but specific instance(s) isolated in the past, I missed him. This statement makes no reference to future possibility in other time zones.)
Would /should / could can appear as past forms of will / shall / can, but are more often used in ameliorative ways, to express emotional distance, euphemism, diffidence, courtesy, condition.
I can hear you sing in the shower. (present-- or actually, timeless-- it refers to any time in the present or future)
I could hear you sing in the shower. (past)
I could scrub your back if you would like me to. ('could' is timeless; it offers a possibility not a fact, and is more polite than 'can'.)
If you will search our threads, Dono, you will find many discussions on modals.
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'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'
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