Search results for 'tag:Past tenses tag:Past perfect' matching tags 'Past tenses' and 'Past perfect'

Re: General Enquiries: Present & Past Perfect tense usage

Mister Micawber — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:05:34 GMT

my grammar text states that past perfect tense can be used to show an action that was completed some time ago. The example given is Joan had gone to England.

Your grammar book is wrong. That is insufficient cause for past perfect:

The earliest well-documented ice age, and probably the most severe of the last 1 billion years, occurred from 850 to 630 million years ago (the Cryogenian period). This ended very rapidly as water vapor returned to Earth's atmosphere.

In a sentence when there is Both "never and before", is there a probable chance to use present tense? or a must to use past tense. My examples, I never see her before, i never play before. i never sing before. are they grammatical wrong?

Very wrong. These are fine:

I have never seen her before.
I never saw her before.
I never see her anymore.
I'll never see her anymore.
.

Re: General Enquiries: Present & Past Perfect tense usage

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:37:56 GMT

thanks for the timely reply! you're superb active. thanks!!

i agreed to almost all of your answers!
however, my grammar text states that past perfect tense can be used to show an action that was completed some time ago. The example given is Joan had gone to England.
So i was wondering whether if my book is wrong in the illustration?

Also, as for the last question, i think i'd try to rephrase it. In a sentence when there is Both "never and before", is there a probable chance to use present tense? or a must to use past tense.

My examples, I never see her before, i never play before. i never sing before. are they grammatical wrong?

thank you

chossing correct tense/tense consistency

MaxMaximus — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:08:59 GMT

Greetings,

I have a pretty big favour to ask.

I've been struggling with this topic for quite awhile now.It goes without saying that my English "leaves something to be desired".

Having in mind the subtle differences that occur from using particular tenses, I have often wondered how the authors of following exercises expect anyone to choose the correct form, without providing sound and unambiguous references.

I've uploaded 2 exercises that I stumbled upon :

1. http://rapidshare.com/files/138835945/HP.txt.html
and
2.http://rapidshare.com/files/138835946/redundancy.txt.html

I have converted them into .txt files to ease moderators' job.

They present the essence of my inability to comprehend and do right.

First text:
1. First sentence, adverb "always" stands before the verb (author did not bother to put it in the brackets (always/be)). If she is dead (we don't know that until we have finished reading) or if she is not "a fighter" anymore (we are clueless about that either), - we could use Past Simple. Of course, Present Perfect is more likely choice, but the position of adverb puzzles.

2."But, prior to..." - Past Continuous or Past Perfect?

3.The sentence : "it (be)__ slow to notice..".I'm not sure whether Past Simple or Past Perfect should be used here.There is no strong reference whether this "slow noticing" occurred prior to her arrival or about the time when she came on board.

4."Those three years are not over..". The starting point is present time, but, that has nothing to do with the moment when she realized how things stand, which I know nothing about.Even the Present Simple is possible if she keeps realizing everyday that things are harder than she expected.For the rest of the paragraph I'm not certain whether Present Perfect should be used.

5."Above all,.." - from Present Simple (finds, is trying, is going to embark)...to Present Perfect (has found, has tried/has been trying, has embarked)...The tenses chosen in these sentences determine the tenses of the last paragraph in the text.

Second text:
1. First sentence: we could use Future Simple as well as Present Simple for the verb "have to"?

2. "Although no business or industry..". If there was a recent survey - do interviewed subjects still claim what they have said - or the use of Past Tense is obligatory? The word "any" is used in interrogative or negative sentences - but here, no question is being asked nor it is possible to be negative. Instead, "some" should have been used, I think.

3. "Those who have..." - Present Continuous or Present Simple? Former is more likely choice although the latter is possible also.

4. "In the past.." - as far as I know this presents the "indefinite moment in time". The Present Perfect could be used - but the position of adverb "always" confuses, again.

I would be more than grateful to anyone who can shed some light on these issues.
If I could reach to any other decent credible source I wouldn't ask for help in this way.

Thanks in advance,
Georgie.

Re: TOEIC/ error recognition

Clive — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:31:53 GMT

Hi,
When the repair person (A) had completed her work (B) was fixing the PCs in our office, she (C) put away her tools and (D) wrote out a bill for the supervisor.

The answer key says (B) is incorrect but doesn't tell me what to change, so I think it could be corrected as follows:

1. fixing
2. to fix
3. which was fixing

Please advise on these possible corrections. All 3 of your suggestions are incorrect grammar. It's a hard test sentence for a student to understand, because A and B are actually alternatives. B is incorrect, and A is correct.

In addition, I was wondering why (A) is in past perfect tense but not the past tense word "completed"? I remember one native speaker in this forum once told me that the verb tense appeared in a "when" clause should usually go with simple tense.Past Perfect is fine, but Simple Past would also be fine. The sequence of events is clear.

Please also advise on this one.

Best wishes, Clive

TOEIC/ error recognition

Lcchang — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:25:26 GMT

When the repair person (A) had completed her work (B) was fixing the PCs in our office, she (C) put away her tools and (D) wrote out a bill for the supervisor.

The answer key says (B) is incorrect but doesn't tell me what to change, so I think it could be corrected as follows:

1. fixing
2. to fix
3. which was fixing

Please advise on these possible corrections.

In addition, I was wondering why (A) is in past perfect tense but not the past tense word "completed"? I remember one native speaker in this forum once told me that the verb tense appeared in a "when" clause should usually go with simple tense.

Please also advise on this one. Thanks.

Re: Where is the error (if any)?

Huevos — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 23:24:12 GMT

Past perfect is fine here. There was a simple past tense event which the "had intended" preceded: "[there were] space constraints".

Re: Where is the error (if any)?

ngngmaiphuong — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:40:35 GMT

Avangi
The only problem I see is a small one, possibly logical. When you say, "I've been invited to write for the newspaper," it's understood to mean on a regular basis. As we read on, we find that the invitation would have been for a one-time piece, on one particular occasion. In this case, we'd say, "intended to invite both you and me to submit articles for [possible] publication in his newspaper," or something like that.

Also, the punch line is missing. How did the editor solve his problem? When you use the past perfect, there's supposed to be a simple past tense event which the "had intended" preceded. Tune in tommorrow to see who will submit an article.

- A.

I completely agree with you about the tense error; however, my book somehow shows me that there is no problem with this sentences. That may be a printing error.

Thank you for replying

Re: Where is the error (if any)?

Avangi — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:25:52 GMT

The only problem I see is a small one, possibly logical. When you say, "I've been invited to write for the newspaper," it's understood to mean on a regular basis. In the case of a one-time assignment, you might say, "I've been invited to write something / a piece / an article for the newspaper."

As we continue reading your sentence, we find that the invitation would have been for a one-time piece, on one particular occasion. In this case, we'd say, "intended to invite both you and me to submit articles for [possible] publication in his newspaper," or something like that.

Also, the punch line is missing. How did the editor solve his problem? When you use the past perfect, there's supposed to be a simple past tense event which the "had intended" preceded: "So the editor decided that only one of us can submit an article." OR " . . . ; However, because of space constraints, the editor decided that . . . . " Tune in tommorrow to see who will submit an article.

- A.

Re: I didn't have my money because I (had) lost my wallet.

New2grammar — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:46:05 GMT

I agree with Huevos on the second set. However, I feel the first is only good with the past perfect tense for reason I don't know. I just sounds wrong to use the past tense. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Re: which one is correct

Avangi — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 08:59:20 GMT

poci_wasiats
there were several studis [ had / have ] described that term. waaht are the differences?

There are several studies which have described that term.

There were several studies which had described that term.

Sometimes we use "studies" to describe the research process, and sometimes to describe the report of the reasearch and of the conclusions.

When speaking of the report, we'd use the present tense. There are several studies available on that subject. ('The reports continue to exist.)

Since you use the past tense "there were several studies" the reasearch work has been completed. My choice would be simple past for what they did.

Several studied were made / have been made which described that term. You could also use a participial phrase: Several studies have been made describing that term, but that seems to suggest the studies did nothing else.

In the case of your example, "have described" would mean the same thing as "described." "Had described" may only be used if there's an earlier reference somewhere to a past time:

Before the new technology and the new terminology were developed, several studies were made which had described that term

But it seems unlikely anyone would put it this way. They'd probably say, "several studies had been made which described / had described that term."

- A.

Edit. Sorry to drag this on and on, but after sleeping on it I realize there's no way your second version can be correct. The studies were done in the simple past. So the describing of the term must also have been done in the simple past, and cannot have preceded the studies. Anything which takes place in the past perfect must occur before anything which takes place in the simple past.