In Tenses^x, Auxiliaries^x

Anonymous wrote: WHICH SENTENCE IS CORRECT DID YOU FLY IN? OR DID YOU FLEW IN? When you use an auxiliary verb in the simple past tense, that is in negatives and questions, you better use bare infinitive.

Hi, Could you help me to distinguish (what is the difference between these...?) these two confused sentences? Before you do, please explain clearly. Thank you. 1. I did play. 2. I played. Both are OK, although you would usually say #2 instead of #1. Various tenses involve both main and...

Clive wrote:I decided . . wouldn't sound particularly odd, but what I'd hear in my head is I've decided . . LOL! Yes, that's a good point, that's a problem I have! The problem is that I find it difficult to learn verbal tenses just by listening. So I end up asking here... Everything is so...

MrPedantic wrote: On reflection, there is a possible ambiguity, which the past tense brings out a little better than the present: 1. I went fishing along the Thames. — gerund; = I went on a fishing trip along the Thames. 2. I went fishing along the Thames. — participle; = I went along the...

Clive wrote: Hi, You didn't let me know about the address. I think, here, did is a main verb and "let me know about the address" is a object of the verb "did". Consider the sentence if you make it positive. You let me know about the address. The main verb is 'let'. 'Did' is just an auxiliary...

Cinderella Boy wrote:I Need a brief explanation on this sentence: I will have arrived at his house by next week. My question is what is the position of "Will" and "Have" at the above sentence? Are they all modals or auxiliary verbs?If so, then two modals in a sentence is fine?!Cheers! 'will...

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...

Let's not forget that much formality in English is not based on word meanings. We also create fomality by using the past tense of verbs and what are traditionally called the past tense of modal auxiliaries.

Milky wrote:He has to go and He must go.> Well, I guess that would be part of the mastering part of the language - i.e. the complex part. It's easy for anyone to claim that English is not complex, or is much simpler than many other languages, if he/she avoids talking about mastering the...

I think the following would be considered a typical Type 3 Conditional. If I had studied hard in college, I would have become a successful person. Yes. This is a typical Type 3 conditional. If ... had ..., would have .... Here, I think would is a modal verb for a clause that...