Search results for 'tag:Phrasal verbs tag:Simple past' matching tags 'Phrasal verbs' and 'Simple past'

Re: coordination: counterpart?

Clive — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 01:47:40 GMT

Hi,

I'm wondering if there's a grammatic or syntactic term ( or just speech part?!) named for the part "feed" (as opposed to "fly") in the sentence below? Counterpart? phrasal verb?

Or is it just simply two sentences connected by "and" with the second sentence omitting the subject and modal verb? <<< Yes. That's how I would express it.

If you want to look only at the word 'feed', it's a past participle. You could also consider it as simple past tense (ie Bats can fly and (bats) feed in the dark), but joining two different tenses by 'and' like this is not usually advisable.

Best wishes, Clive

Re: could you check my sentences with 10 different phrasal verbs? part 1

Doll — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 21:04:15 GMT

1. come forward
a) During our English classes (or lessons?) no one wants to come forward and answer the teacher's questions.--lessons is better.
b) They've come forward with ambitious plans and ideas. (VS "came forward...")---come up with is better here.Choosing simple past or present perfect depends on your context.

2. come into
a) After his grandpa's death, he came into a lot of money.--- ok.

3. come off
a) I really hope that our little party ~~at the end~~ at the end of the weel is gonna come off. (could I use will here? would it make any difference in meaning?)-- I really hope that our little party will come off at the end of the week.If you use going to/gonna it will give the impression that there is a plan.
b) A: What are you doing here? I thought you ~~were~~ (VS "are") in London! B: Nah, it didn't come off. (VS "it ~~haven't~~ hasn't come off")
past simple is okay but I couldn't get the menaing of come off here.
4. come about
a) I have no idea how come such a thing have come about. (could I simply say "came about" ? does the simple past tense change the meaning somehow?)If you use past simple, there will be no relation with present time.In context, it will give you a clue about which one to use.
b) A: My cousin had an accident last week. B: How did it come about?-- ok.

5. turn in
a) "I think I'm gonna turn in as I am very tired". (can I simply say "I think I will turn in..." ?)--yes you can even will is better I think.
b) Let's turn in. (it sounds a bit unnatural to me, but I'm not sure...)-- sounds strange without a context.
c) Let's turn in earlier today. -- ok.
d) We will wait till everybody in the house turn in, and then we will break into it.--ok.

6. patch (things) up
a) We fell out over two weeks ago, and since then we haven't patched things up.--ok.
b) A: I had a quarrel with my wife this morning. B: You had better patch this up. (can I say "I've had..." ?)--I didn't find patch up sensible here.

7. dip into
a) Honey, I think we will have to dip into our car savings in order to tide us over. (any difference between this one and "I think we're gonna have to..." ?) --will have to is better I think.
b) He is so mean. He never dips into his bank acount, no matter what happens (VS "is happening" ?)-- what happens generalise the situation if you use is happening thre should be something going on at that time.I couldn't understand dip into here.

8. dry up
a) My presentation started well but I dried up quickly.---seems okay.

9. cough up
a) Scrooge was such a person that ~~could~~ he/ she hardly coughs up a penny for a poor man.--ok.
b) Mary could hardly cough up a pound or two after loosing her job.--I don't think this is correct.

10. doze off
a) The child burst into tears, but after a short while ithe/she dozed off. (VS "it has dozed off" ?)--simple past is okay.It gives me the sense that it will mean the child still sleeps if you use present perfect.

Well, I tried to help let's wait for the other posts.

could you check my sentences with 10 different phrasal verbs? part 1

Forum_mail — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 15:22:17 GMT

Hello there! I've been testing myself on some phrasal verbs recently, and as a part of the test I create my own sentences with phrasal verbs I get acquainted with. If you could just take a look at my sentences and give me some feedback, or simply correct them and gime me an explanation, I would be most grateful. I would like you to concentrate onf two things - firstly - whether I've used the following phrasals correctly or not - and secondly - whether my sentences are grammatically correct or not. OK, here we go.

1. come forward
a) During our English classes (or lessons?) no one wants to come forward and answer the teacher's questions.
b) They've come forward with ambitious plans and ideas. (VS "came forward...")

2. come into
a) After his grandpa's death, he came into a lot of money.

3. come off
a) I really hope that our little party at the end at the end of the weel is gonna come off. (could I use will here? would it make any difference in meaning?)
b) A: What are you doing here? I thought you were (VS "are") in London! B: Nah, it didn't come off. (VS "it haven't come off")

4. come about
a) I have no idea how come such a thing have come about. (could I simply say "came about" ? does the simple past tense change the meaning somehow?)
b) A: My cousin had an accident last week. B: How did it come about?

5. turn in
a) I think I'm gonna turn in as I am very tired. (can I simply say "I think I will turn in..." ?)
b) Let's turn in. (it sounds a bit unnatural to me, but I'm not sure...)
c) Let's turn in earlier today.
d) We will wait till everybody in the house turn in, and then we will break into it.

6. patch (things) up
a) We fell out over two weeks ago, and since then we haven't patched things up.
b) A: I had a quarrel with my wife this morning. B: You had better patch this up. (can I say "I've had..." ?)

7. dip into
a) Honey, I think we will have to dip into our car savings in order to tide us over. (any difference between this one and "I think we're gonna have to..." ?)
b) He is so mean. He never dips into his bank acount, no matter what happens (VS "is happening" ?)

8. dry up
a) My presentation started well but I dried up quickly.

9. cough up
a) Scrooge was such a person that could hardly cough up a penny for a poor man.
b) Mary could hardly cough up a pound or two after loosing her job.

10. doze off
a) The child burst into tears, but after a short while it dozed off. (VS "it has dozed off" ?)

Re: "have to" as a phrasal verb relating to necessity.

Marius Hancu — Wed, 24 May 2006 19:24:58 GMT

Ant_222 wrote:
Â«You have been on missions where you have had to jump out of a helicopter into icy water to perform the rescue.Â»

Is this sentence okÂ¿
Shouldn't the second Â«have hadÂ» be changed to Â«hadÂ»?

This is optional, but only when:
---
Tense simplification in subordinate phrases

Simple past forms are used quite often in the subordinate clauses instead of the present perfect and the past perfect tenses, if the meaning is clear.

It's been a good time while it('s) lasted.

Swan, Practical English Usage, p. 585
-----
Thus in the above ('s) is optional. Have had is best in your quotation, but perhaps too cumbersome for some.

Re: Phrasal Verb - Try On

Clive — Sat, 17 Sep 2005 04:29:35 GMT

Hi,

When I say I TRIED ... shouldn't there be a time period specified? If you wnat to, although don't forget you can do this in another sentence: I went to the mall last week. I bought a pair of pants ....

But you can also tell me I went to the mall and bought ... I don't care when, I'm interested in what you bought.

Then I said I had tried (action started and ended in the past tense) them on several times until I have finally bought (action started in an uncertain past) these pants. You don't need these perfect tenses here, just use simple past. Learners of English very often use perfect tenses in places where it is not necessary.

Best wishes, Clive