Search results for 'tag:Grammar tag:Simple past' matching tags 'Grammar' and 'Simple past'

Re: past simple Vs present perfect?

Clive — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:10:41 GMT

Hi,

Let's look at 'remember' as an example.
Simple Past - Last Wednesday, I couldn't find my car keys. But the next day, I remembered where I put them.

Present Perfect - I have remembered where I put my car keys. Now we can go for a drive!

In my earlier post, I just tried to give you the general idea of these two tenses. There is much more detail about the various meanings and ways to use the Present Perfect. I suggest that you look at these in your grammar book. You can also find lots of interesting discussions if you search this forum for 'Present Perfect'.

Best wishes, Clive

Sentence Structure

eagerness — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:49:20 GMT

In the sentence below, should I have used a simple past as opposed to using the past perfect tense?

He sent me an e-mail asking why we hadn't sent a copy of the invoice to him yet.

Thank you.

Re: conditional: no difference?

Clive — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 03:38:16 GMT

Hi,
Another way to look at 'I was . . . ' is to consider that it is Simple Past tense. If your listener is influenced by the grammar they are hearing from you, they will expect a past-related statement, eg

"If Tom was a millionaire . . . he certainly didn't tell me when I met him at the party last year".

The context, of course, usually makes the intended meaning clear when you start with 'If someone was . . .'

Best wishes, Clive

Re: Some very basic grammar questions

Avangi — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:25:42 GMT

Doll's point seems perfectly correct, but for some reason my ear accepts the "A." examples. I thought I had it figured out, but I guess I'll have to think again. - A.

Simple past or past simple

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:55:32 GMT

Hi everybody,

Why do all the Grammar books use the expressions "simple present" and "simple past", although all the other tenses start with the tense-marker and add the aspect-marker then: present progressive, present perfect, present perfect progressive, past progressive, past perfect, past perfect progressive.
Couldn't it be more logical to then say "present simple" and "past simple"?

Yours, D.S. Elfers

Simple past or past simple?

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:47:13 GMT

Hi everybody,

I'm a teacher of English at a German Grammar School and after 12 years of experience I'm still wondering about the following puzzle:
Why do all the Grammar books stick to the "confusing" expressions simple past and simple present, although it seems quite more logical to say past simple and present simple? I really prefer these expressions in my classes, because all the other tenses just start with the "tense marker" and go on with the "aspect marker": present progressive, present perfect, past progressive, past perfect.
Can I go on using my preferable expressions?

Yours, D.S. Elfers

Re: Names of different tenses

Cool Breeze — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 17:58:41 GMT

Raen
He would have had completed the task if he had asked for help before he left work -- would have had completed used for had asked (past perfect) that happens before left (simple past)

Is it false then? "would have + (past perfect)" doesn't exist?

These terms may not be the same everywhere but the basic grammar of the language is the same all over the Anglo-Saxon world! Would have had completed is always wrong. Would is a defective/modal auxiliary and only an infinitive is possible after these auxiliaries. In this case the perfect infinitive must be used. There are two theoretical alternatives using your verbs. Either would have completed or would have had. All other combinations are wrong. The perfect infinitive consists of have + past participle. It is impossible to have another past participle right after a perfect infinitive. That is impossible in all Germanic languages, I believe.

Re: past perfect grammar questions

CalifJim — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:08:33 GMT

I don't know what you're trying to convey by putting both the simple past and the past perfect together, but yes, it makes sense to say:

I had eaten at 6 pm.

Re: grammar question?

Avangi — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 16:49:30 GMT

(1) (Use simple present, "don't.") The album is eternal, so to speak, and critics may continue to make comments in the present, eg., the album does have enjoyable moments.

(2) Use "joined." All the other comments here are in simple past. "Go" doesn't really have a tense here. It's the bare infinitive. They let him [to] go. The sentence is in simple past because of "let."

People sometimes use present tense for a narrative like this but at this stage you should avoid mixing tenses unless you have a good reason to do so.

(3) Yes. It's simple present tense, 3rd person singular: "it guarantees."

(4) It's your choice. The band is singular but the members are plural. When you say "whose band" it leans a little toward singular, "whose band was playing."

(5) while it was still pliable enough to be shaped.

(6) Has is correct. (I would think "influential in the prevailing sound" or "influential in creating the prevailing sound" or "has a guitar player had so great an influence on the prevailing sound" - I don't know - I'm not happy with any of them. Maybe someone else will have an idea.)

Re: have got, have, got: Is there any difference?

Anonymous — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:27:38 GMT

Hello
I am English teacher in Brazil ,the difference is in the grammar..as follows :
Have got = present perfect- which is have+ past participle , this relates something that started in the past with the present
have = present simple it indicated present meaning only and normally shows possesssion
got is the past of get so it is simple past
if you need more information please contact me on <email address removed by a mod. Please register and add it to your profile.>
Ala rebhi salim - Brazil