Search results for 'tag:English grammar tag:Present continuous' matching tags 'English grammar' and 'Present continuous'

[EDITED] The subject names the person, place, or thing (that is)/...

Jackson6612 — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 08:59:53 GMT

Jackson6612 wrote:

The following is one of those sentences which always seem obscure to me.

The subject names the person, place, or thing being talked about.

What tense are we using in that sentence? I don't know such a construction of any tense which uses being+past participle. Suppose, if the sentence is ''the subject names the person, place, or thing being talked about'', then this is passive construction of Present Continuous tense. I think being is used as a verb and talked as an adjective in the above sentence. If it were up to me, then I would write that sentence as follows:

The subject names the person, place, or thing (that is)/(which is) being talked about.

Please give your answer in the light of English grammar.

Please read my original post once again. Perhaps, Yankee has misunderstood my question.

Re: correct sentences 24/11

Diamondrg — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 15:58:48 GMT

Hi Hela,

I don't know what Yankee knows but I hope this might help..

13 present perfect and present tense

To say how long something has continued, we can use the present perfect, but not the present continuous or present simple.

She has been waiting for an hour. (Not: She is waiting for an hour.)

I've lived here since last year. (Not: I live here since last year.)

The Heineman English Grammar

My grammar

Samaka — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 18:39:03 GMT

Hi,

I want to improve my English grammar.How to ?How much that must take me?
In fact, I learn rules.but, In practice (Speaking or writnig), I could'nt make difference between the moment when must use, for instance, Present or Present Continuous.How to dela with this problem?

Thanks for all your advance.

all the general forms of English tenses >> pleas help me.

Voltaire101 — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 11:05:10 GMT

hello all

I will put (write) here all the general forms of the English grammar tenses as I know (understand ) it, I want you to chek it and correct me. Sometimes there is no form (just a speace), I want you to write the general form of the kind of the tense that is detected.

I'm so sorry If my grammar or idea not clear for you in the last paragraph; I hope the idea is received.

In English grammar there are 12 tenses consists of (present,past and future)
each on of them consists of 4 parts
1- simple.
2- continuous.
3- perfect.
4- perfect continuous.

add to that 4 parts of the future :

1- future simple in the past or present conditional.
2- continuous future in the past or present continuous conditional.
3- perfect future in the past or past conditional.
4- perfect continuous in the past or past continuous conditonal.
.........

I will put the general forms , pleas check it.

these are the shorten words that I used in the forms:

this color is for He, She, It.

this color is for I, You, We, They.

without any clor for all pronouns : He, She, It, I, You, We, They.

v~s = verb end by ''s'' like "He writes to them".

v~ing = verb end by "ing" like "He is writting to them".

v(P.P) = verp in past participle.

v(base) = verb in base case.

------------------------------------------------------------

1- Present simple:
Affirmative
subject + v(~s/base) + object. (active voice)
object + (is/are) + v(P.P) + by subject. (passive voice)

Negative
subject + (does/do) + not + v(base) + object. (active voice)
object + (is/are) + not + v(P.P) + by subject. (passive voice)

Interrogative
(does/do) + subject + v(base) + object ? (active voice)
(is/are) + object + v(P.P) + by subject ? (passive voice)

2- Present continuous:
Affirmative
subject + (is/are) + v~ing + object. (active voice)
object + (is/are) + being + v(P.P) + by subject. (passive voice)

Negative
subject (is/are) + not + v~ing + object. (active voice)
object + (is/are) + not + being + v(P.P) + by subject. (passive voice

Interrogative
(is/are) + subject + v~ing + object ? (active voice)
(is/are)+ object being + v(P.P) + by subject ? (passive voice)

3- Present perfect:
Affirmative
subject + (has/have) + v(P.P) + object. (active voice)
object + (has/have) + been + v(P.P) + by subject. (passive voice)

Negative
subject + (has/have) + not + v(P.P) + object. (active voice)
object + (has/have) + not + been + v(P.P) + by subject. (passive voice)

Interrogative
(has/have) + subject + v(P.P) + object ? (active voice)
(has/have) + object + been + v(P.P) + by subject ? (passive voice)

4- Present perfect continuous:
Affirmative
subject + (has/have) + been + v~ing + object. (active voice)
### ..............I don't konw, pleas write it ................### . (passive voice)

Negative
subject + (has/have) + not + been + v~ing + object. (active voice)
### .............I don't konw, pleas write it ................### . (passive voice)

Interrogative
(has/have) + subject + been + v~ing + object ? (active voice)
### .............I don't konw, pleas write it ...............### ? (passive voice)

5- Past simple:
Affirmative
subject + v(p) + object. (active voice)
object + (was/were) + v(P.P) + by subject. (passive voice)

Negative
subject + did + not + v(base) + object. (active vice)
object + (was/were) + not + v(P.P) + by subject. (passive voice)

Interrogative
did + subject + v(base) + object ? (active voice)
(was/were) + object + v(P.P) + by subject ? (passive voice)

6- Past continuous:
Affrmative
subject (was/were) + v~ing +object. (active voice)
object + (was/were) + being + v(P.P) +by subject. (passive voice)

Negative
subject + (was/were) + not + v~ing + object. (active voice)
object + (was/were) + not + being + v(P.P) + by subject. (passive voice)

Interrogative
(was/were) + subject +v~ing + object ? (active voice)
(was/were) + object + being + v(P.P) by subject ? (passive voice)

7- Past perfect:
Affirmative
subject + had + v(P.P) + object. (active voice)
object + had + been + v(P.P) + by subject. (passive voice)

Negative
subject + had + not + v(P.P) + object. (active voice)
object + had + not + been + v(P.P) + by subject. (passive voice)

Interrogative
had + subject + v(P.P) + object ? (active voice)
had + object + been + v(P.P) ? (passive voice)

8- Past perfect cotinuous:
Affirmative
subject + had + been + v~ing +object. (active voice)
### .............I don't konw, pleas write it ...............### ? (passive voice)

Negative
suject + had + not + been + v~ing + object. (active voice)
### .............I don't konw, pleas write it ...............### ? (passive voice)

Interrogative
had + subject + been + v~ing + object. (active voice)
### .............I don't konw, pleas write it ...............### ? (passive voice)

9- Future simple:
Affirmative
subject + will + v(base) + object. (active voice)
object + will + be + v(P.P) + by + subject. (passive voice)

Negative
subject + will + not + v(base) + object. (active voice)
object +will + not + be + v(P.P) + by subject. (passive voice)

Interrogative
will + suject + v(base) + object ? (active voice)
will + object + be + v(P.P) + by subject ? (passive voice)

10- Future continuous:
Affirmative
subjec + will + be + v~ing + object. (active voice)
object + will + be + being + v(P.P) + by subject. (passive voice)

Negative
subject + will + not + be + v~ing + object. (active voice)
object + will + not + be + being + v(P.P) + by subject. (passive voice)

Interrogative
will + subject + be + v~ing + object ?(active voice)
will + object + be + being + v(P.P) + by subject ? (passive voice)

11- Future perfect:
Affirmative
subject + will + have + v(P.P) + object. (active voice)
object + will + be + have + v(P.P) + by subject. (passive voice)

Negative
subject + will + not + have + v(P.P) + object. (active voice)
object + will + not + be + have + v(P.P) + by suject. (passive voice)

Interrogative
will + sbject + have + v(P.P) + object ? (active voice)
will + object + be+ have + v(P.P) + by subject ? (passive voice)

12- Future perfect continuous
Affirmative
subject + will + have + been + v~ing + object. (active voice)
object + will + have + been + v(P.P) + by subject. (passive voice)

Negative
subject + will + not + have + been + v~ing + object. (active voice)
object + will + not + have + been + v(P.P) + by subject. (passive voice)

Interrogative
will + subject + have + been + v~ing + object ? (active voice)
will + object + have + been + v(P.P) + by subject ? (passive voice)

------------------------------------------------------------------

The four other kinds of future ; I do't know about its certain forms pleas write me the certain forms about its affirmative, negative and interrogative ... pleas

don't forget the acive voice and passive voice of its forms,

Everybodies favourite songs to help English students!!!

EnglishDVD.com — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 22:36:44 GMT

Ok guys, let's pull together and make a compilation of great english grammar songs.

Present Simple - Help, Wonderful tonight.

Present continuous - Sailing.

Past Simple - Yesterday, Yellow Submarine,

Present Perfect - I still haven't found what i'm looking for, Lady in Red, We are the Champions

your turn.......

Re: if-clause (future)

Philip — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 16:48:03 GMT

Paco2004 wrote:
Philip wrote:
My ear prefers "If you promise to leave tomorrow, I'll tell you the truth now", just because I don't like the future in the if-clause. I've never looked for an authoritative source to back me up....and there may well not be one.
Thanks for the reply, Philip.

One of my English grammar books in Japanese explains the use of "will" in if clauses as follows:

Commonly "will" is not used in if-clauses even when the statement is about a future event. But there are some instances the use of "will" in if clauses does not sound unnatural.
    [1] If you'll help us, we can finish early. [Quirk, 1985]
    [2] If drugs will cure him, this drug should do the job. [Quirk, 1985]
    [3] If he will go to China next week, we should publish his book now. [Declerck, 1984]
    [4] If you won't arrive before six, I can't meet you [Quirk, 1985]
    [5] If it will make you happier, I'll stop smoking. [Swan, 1980]

Do you agree?

paco

(Sorry, but I thought I had posted something about the "command" or "desperation" idea on this thread. These certainly are examples of when future in if-clause sounds o.k. to me.

1. This is much like the implied command I saw posted somewhere recently: "If you will sit down(!) we will have dessert".

2. Sounds fine to me, but I'm not sure why.

3. I'd put it in the present continuous: "if he is going to China" (funny you should come up with this example, as I am going to China next week.

4. I'd prefer "don't arrive": again, the implication of a command with "won't"

5. Not a command, but an expression of desperation: o.k. here

And, thanks for your source.

Discussion about these questions

Goodman — Thu, 02 Feb 2006 01:33:36 GMT

These examples I think are tricky.

1) Do you drive to work?

I am pretty certain - B) No, I take the train now- is the correct answer because the question was asked in a simple present form and thus the answer should be given accordingly in present form.

2) Do you go out to restaurants for dinner after work? This question seems to be misleading. It would seem to me, neither A or B is correct because of the tense in which the question was formed with was âpresentâ. A- is present progressive which does not seems right. Whereas in B, the ânowâ seems to suggest present progressive and therefore should be âcookingâ. IN either case, the question does not match the answers given.
A) No, I am cooking now.
B) No, I cook now.

3) I am sorry for calling so late, but I have something important to discuss. Are you busy now? A is the correct answer.
A) No, I am just reading a book.
B) No, I read (a book, books).

Often times, a simple English question may not be that simple. It all depends in the context in which the question is formed.

Forum: General English grammar questions (EFL / ESL)
Posted: Jan 24, 12:37 PM [GMT 1]
Post Subject: Present Continuous or Infinitive?
Post author: Wwwdotcom

Below, I have 3 examples which may or may not make sense depending on the context. I was curious what other people thought of these sentences. Which of the following are interchangeable and which are obviously different?

1) Do you drive to work?

A) No, I am taking the train now.
B) No, I take the train now.

2) Do you go out to restaurants for dinner after work?

A) No, I am cooking now.
B) No, I cook now.

3) I am sorry for calling so late, but I have something important to discuss. Are you busy now?

A) No, I am just reading a book.
B) No, I read (a book, books).

Re: Would

Pinenut — Mon, 31 Oct 2005 17:35:38 GMT

When we talk about a subjunctive construction, I think it is easier to understand it without the 'inserted clause, I would think' becasue that way one can clearly see the cause-and-effect relationship beteween the conditional clause and the main clasue.

1. If someone tells you that you may park a vehicle, parking either a car or a bicycle will be okay.
2. If someone tells you that you may park a vehicle, parking either a car or a bicycle is okay.

According to Collins Cobuild English Grammar, 1. describe a possible future occurence.
8.32 When you are talking about a possible future occurence, you use the simple present tense in the conditional clause and the simple future tense in the mani clause.

On the other hand, 2. describes a common occurence.
8.28 When you are talking about a common occurence, you use the simple present tense or simple present continuous tense in the conditional clause and in the main clause.

The inserted clause, I would think, describes the speaker's state of mind and the modal verb would conveys his politeness in expressing his thought. Therefore, the answer to the original question is this: Both sentences have different meanings and both are the same in the degree of politeness.

Re: I am going to go??

Anonymous — Tue, 11 Oct 2005 18:12:40 GMT

1) We use "will" for solutions which are being decided. Example: Do you have coffee or tea? I will have tea;
2) We use "I am flying" (present continuous) for our plans. Example: I am playing tennis tomorrow;
3) We use "I am going to" for solutions which have decided. Example: I am going to buy new computer (But I don't know when it will be);
4) We I do (present simple) for time-table
example: train leaves station at 2:00 pm.
English Grammar in USE for Intermediate students Raymond Murphy!

A new point of view of "Tense"???

Aeolus29 — Tue, 29 Mar 2005 12:08:20 GMT

Hi guys, I've heard of a new point of view of the term "tense". Some people say there're only 2 kinds of tenses in modern English grammar: Present and past tense. It's something odd to me because I've been taught that there're 12 tenses in English (Present simple, Present continuous, Present perfect and so on). So can anyone explain this to me? Or if you have any document or article on this issue, please post them here. Thank you very much!!