In Expressions^x, Past tenses^x

"I didn't use to like it". Don't think "use to" as something so different and strange. Negate it in the same way how you negate a verb in past tense. I went there--- I didn't go there I liked it----I didn't like it I used to do it--- I didn't use to do it. And, such...

.The use of the past tense adds "distance" and that makes expressions such as "I was hoping" sound a bit more tentative and polite.I would not say that it is necessarily only "formal" since I think this sort of usage of past tense forms occurs even in very informal conversation.

Kilimanjaro wrote: Hello Cool Breeze, This sentence is taken from Michael SWAN's Practical English Usage. He says "might" can be used in such contextsHi KilimanjaroYes, I know it's from that book. You mentioned it in a previous post. I didn't say it was right or wrong in my opinion. I said I...

why can't we expect the third sentence ...? Be patient. The real answer to this doesn't come until the end of this post. Because modals don't work the same way as other verbs, especially in the perfect tenses. A modal perfect tense is in many ways equivalent to a past tense. The simple...

Let's spread out the issue a little bit: ____ O ____ Type 2. Basic forms. a. If we caught the 10 o'clock train, we would (could, might, etc.) get there by lunch-time. b. If I came into a fortune, I would give up smoking. c. If I knew how it worked, I could tell...

---------- After a past indicative tense form the distinction of meaning between present and past tense forms usually disappears entirely: She desired that he might come at once. We demanded that the burden should be removed. In recent literature and present colloquial usage,...

CalifJim wrote: -- Can you give me the Bronson report? -- Here. (Gives the wrong report.) -- You gave me the Klinglurch report. I need the Bronson report. -- OK. Here. (Gives another wrong report.) -- Geez! Now you gave me the Dormbrinkler report! -- Sorry. Here. (Gives the right...

Hi everyone, I'm back. Thank you for all your relplies. Grammar Geek wrote:The "now" says that there has been some change of state in understanding. You went from a state of "not understanding" to a state of "understanding" and that's what's different NOW. So to use a past tense to show a change...

Trex wrote: Taka wrote:Just out of curiosity. I've seen many times in movies soldiers communicating like this:"As soon as we've got all the survivors transferred, we'll destroy the wreck by fire." "Yes, Sir. Understood." Why 'understood'? short for understood.So it's the past tense, which is...

Yankee wrote:Well, in American English people probably wouldn't have much of a problem putting now together with the simple past tense. For example, if you were trying to pay for some things in a store and the cashier had made a string of errors (rang up wrong prices, dropped and broke one of...