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

Names of different tenses

Raen — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 13:54:20 GMT

if there are any. I believe there are, and saw them mentioned in different posts on the forum although didn't pay attention to them. The grammar book I'm studying all lump them up into one catagory: helping verbs. But I'd like to know if most people have and use names for the different types of tenses. Here are the sample sentences I wish to know the names of the tenses they are of:

I am taking her to the movie.

He will be working for your father's law firm.

I took the test and passed!

She has taken the medicine for her cold.

She had taken the job before she moved here.

I have been thinking about going abroad for higher education.

He had been living in France before he was caught.

It would have cost me a fortune to buy that coat.

He would have had completed the task if he had asked for help.

It would have been better if we had gone.

I learned the names of these tenses in my own language, but I don't know the English name for each tense(except past tense) . Thanks for anyone's help.

Raen

What is the suitable tense for the minutes of meeting?

sebayanpendam — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:16:40 GMT

Dear Sir,

When I was school, my english teachers never told me what was the suitable tense for the meeting minutes.Even now, I am still confused, stop and try to decide whether to use the present or the past tense for example, things like strategies or plans which will be implemented but not written as a reported speech.

Can you give a good sample of the minutes of meeting?

By the way, the noun for minutes is spelt with an 's' right?

Thank you.

Re: I thought a spider is/was an insect

Pter — Thu, 08 May 2008 23:53:09 GMT

Sorry to have confused all of you. My statement

"I thought *only* simple present was correct, but I thought wrong. I now know that both present tense and past tense are possible"

was only referring to the sample sentence given by Jim

(a) "My professor said that spiders are (were also possible) insects!" <-- reported speech

not the original sentence

(b) "I thought a spider was an insect" <-- not reported speech

My thoughts in my last post were presented in two paragraphs, the first one was about (b) and the second one was about (a).

Regarding the "universal falsehood", yes, I knew you were talking about just what the speaker believed, not necessarily the reality. You used this phrase just because I had been using "universal truths" to describe something that was in fact believed to be false.

Now I think I understand all of what you explained including Barbara's second post, but I am not sure you understand what I said. Thanks again.

Re: I thought a spider is/was an insect

CalifJim — Thu, 08 May 2008 21:30:44 GMT

Pter
And universal falsehood. What a phrase! This is important because we are not talking about something that is always true. As a result, we can only use the past tense in sentences starting with "I thought it was". The "was" is not the result of backshifting. It is used instead to indicate that the believe was hold true in the past but is now found to be false.

My apologies for introducing a joke! The "universal falsehood" reference is a complete joke! It doesn't matter whether what is reported is universally true or unversally false. What's important is that in the speaker's mind it is universally (or eternally, if you wish) true. In that way, in the right context, you can even have the reported speech: The scientist said that the earth is flat.

Consequently, the "was" truly IS the result of backshifting after "thought". It has nothing to do with beliefs considered true in the past but false in the present. You can banish all such logic from your mind. You came to believe some of these things because I put you off the track with my joke.

I don't know which sample sentences you are referring to, but after thought, knew, hoped, believed, and felt, you always need a past tense.

____

I didn't notice that it was not reported speech. (natural, normal)

I didn't notice that it's not reported speech. (also possible, less used)

You may find that each main clause verb has its own idiosyncracies with regard to backshifting. notice acts a little like a reporting verb. What you noticed may still be quite noticeable to your listener, and you may want to emphasize this fact. Nevertheless, keep this is mind: Backshifting is never wrong.

____

OK. I went back and found these. I think these are the samples you were referring to. The first choices shown are the ones that came to my mind first. It's not really more complicated than that. The second choice is also perfectly grammatical except as noted in the second sentence, where backshifting is required.

My professor said that spiders are (were also possible) insects! I didn't think they were (are not possible). I think he is (was also possible) wrong.

Re: I thought a spider is/was an insect

Pter — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:53:37 GMT

Thank you very much indeed, Jim. That's a great explanation. You cleared all my doubts. Forgive me for thinking out loud as I hope you can correct me if I am still making any mistakes.

Firstly, I didn't notice that it was (can only use "was", "is" not possible?) not reported speech! And universal falsehood. What a phrase! This is important because we are not talking about something that is always true. As a result, we can only use the past tense in sentences starting with "I thought it was". The "was" is not the result of backshifting. It is used instead to indicate that the believe was hold true in the past but is now found to be false.

Secondly, both present tense and past tense are possible in reported speech when talking about universal truths or things that still hold true at the present moment. This has been confusing me for a long time because I was taught to use the simple present in such cases and I thought *only* simple present is correct. It has been troubling me because sometimes I saw past tense being used and I always wondered why.

While I was waiting eagerly for your reply, I opened Randolph Quirk's A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language, which I recently bought from Amazon. It doesn't mention the first point (or I just couldn't find it), but on the second point, it totally agrees with you!

You are really a great teacher!

Now, one last question. Please forgive my insatiable desire to get to every details. While both present tense and past tense are acceptable for the sample sentences you used, which of them sounds more natural? Are the ones inside the brackets less natural / common?

EDIT: I didn't see Barbara's post when I replied. Thank you very much Barbara. It's obvious that you also didn't see Jim's post when you replied. I am so glad to also get the confirmation from you. Once again, I can take your answer to the bank! I also want to thank Goodman, N2G and Marius for all your insights you have given me!

Re: past tense or future tense.

Marius Hancu — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 20:56:54 GMT

He was right. Should have stayed just in the past, as this is a past experiement.

The purpose of the exercise is to determine if there is a difference in using pH electrode or pH optical sensors when determining an unknown sample. A 95% confidence interval will be used as determined using values of both the pH electrode and the pH optical. Once the data has been collected a null and alternative hypothesis will be used to determine if the pH values collected are the same.

past tense or future tense.

Ajwrighter — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:37:18 GMT

Recently I had written a paper and it was graded by a grad student. On the paper the comments "Stay in one tense. Do not use past AND future tense." were placed next to the Materials and methods title. Will someone point out exactly where both past and future tense is being used?

Introduction

The purpose of the exercise is to determine if there is a difference in using pH electrode or pH optical sensors when determining an unknown sample. A 95% confidence interval will be used as determined using values of both the pH electrode and the pH optical. Once the data has been collected a null and alternative hypothesis will be used to determine if the pH values collected are the same.

Materials and methods

In the procedure the following devices and materials where used; pH electrode, pH optical, Computer, unknown sample, DI water, 7 cuvettes, Phenol Red solution and two standard solutions ph 7.0 and 7.5. The two standard solutions were used to calibrate the pH electrode sensor. The pH electrode measured the unknown solution seven times using the 7 cuvettes. After each use the pH electrode sensor was rinsed with DI water so to prevent any contamination. The data recorded from the measurements will be used for determining the calibration curve. The reference points used to create the formula from the calibration curve were derived from 2 cuvettes containing a clear solution. With the formula and the known values, the remaining values for the pH (optical pH sensor) and the Absorbance (pH electrode) could be determined. With the complete set of data (including mean, standard deviation etcâ¦) a 95% confidence interval on the mean pH was conducted using both pH sensors. Finally a null and alternative hypothesis was created to determine if the difference between the pH (optical pH sensor) and the values of the pH (pH electrode sensor) are the same.

Tense usage and subjunctive with "to remember"

N5pn4cya — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 23:12:10 GMT

I'm not sure if there is any prescriptive rule to what I read in a statement as follows:

...after all these years, I asked him if he remembered who I was.

The sentence sounded okay to me, but I was also confused as to whether the subjunctive should be at play here and if the past tense of remember is used correctly in a semantic way.

Semantically, remembering someone is a present state of consciousness and a continuous action. Therefore, one should ask if someone "remembers" you (e.g. I wonder if he remembers me), but not "remembered" you unless it is explicitly describing an instance where you were once "remembered" but now possibly forgotten (e.g. He remembered me yesterday, how can he forget who I am today?). I don't know if this interpretation is valid and if it should be a consideration at all.

Grammatically, subjunctive may be used for subjective, doubtful, hypothetical, or grammatically subordinate statements or questions, as occurring in subordinate that clauses after a main clause expressing recommendation, resolution, demand. In my sample sentence, does its subordinate if-statement in the hypothetical "if he remember..." and the main clause expressing question/demand in "I asked him..." qualify for the subjuntive tense?

I thought about rewriting that sentence into: I asked him if he remember who I am.

However, the verb agreement rule seems to reject such a revision.

Please help clarify. Also, which one(s) of the following is/are correct:

1- I wonder if he remembers me. vs. I wonder if he remember me. (Should here be a subjunctive?)

2- Two days ago, he remembered whom I was. vs. Two days ago, he remembered whom I am. (Suggesting that the object "I" is the same person, in all respect, now as he was then two days ago. Is this okay?)

3- He remembers who I am. vs. He remembers whom I am. (who or whom in the dative position when using "to remember"?)

Thank you so much!

Re: Report Writing

Grammar Geek — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 14:04:43 GMT

Hi Anon,

Next time you have a question on a new topic, please start a new thread, okay?

I googled guide writing minutes and got a number of hits.

This is from this: http://www.haringey.gov.uk/principles_and_concepts_of_writing_minutes - minutes are always written in the past tense and should be clear and concise

And in this http://pzen.northwest.net/index.php?main_page=page_44 the sample format is in the past.

My "NEVER" ending problem

Teers — Mon, 10 Oct 2005 07:42:45 GMT

I always feel uneasy when using "never" because I know that I will somehow make some grammatical mistakes. Till now, I'm still not so sure how it works.

I thought that we always have to use it this way:

-He has never seen the show.

-I have never read that book.

But then I have been hearing people say...

-He never goes out.

-He never studies for tests.

My confusion is aren't we supposed to use past tense after NEVER?

Please explain the usuage of "never" and give me some possible sample sentences of the conditions when it is used differently.

Thankyou in advance -_-