Search results for 'tag:Prepositions tag:Simple present' matching tags 'Prepositions' and 'Simple present'

Re: look forward to see ...

Diamondrg — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 08:45:00 GMT

What do you want to learn about it?

Its meaning: to feel pleased and excited about something that is going to happen

You can use it with simple present or present continuous without change in meaning. After "look forward to" you can use a noun or a verb, depending on the meaning you want to convey. If you use a verb, as "to" is a preposition, you should use -ing form of the verb as in the example below.

I'm really looking forward to my holiday.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Re: Why the present tense?

Clive — Tue, 15 May 2007 03:57:36 GMT

Hi,

Can you tell me why the present tense is used Because you are doing it at the present time, meaning the time that you wrote the letter. However, simple present here gives a very formal tone to your letter. More commonly, you would say 'I am returning', meaning 'right now'.

and also whether 'on this matter' or 'in this matter' is appropriate (can you help me make that distinction better?)?

'On this matter' sounds odd.

'In this matter' suggests that you are refering to something in the matter that they are considering. eg Thank you for your consideration of my role in this matter'.

You might want to consider saying 'of this matter'. This thanks them for considering the complete and entire matter. Perhaps this may be the best preposition for you to use in your example below.

With this letter, I return you the I-20 form effective for the Spring semester of 2004.

Thank you for your kind consideration on this matter.

Best wishes, Clive

Re: difference between the meaning of these sentences: I used to play...cri

Jeka — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 23:23:52 GMT

Yankee wrote:
Jackson6612 wrote:

Question 2:

Both Philip and Yankee said:

I am used to playing cricket in my spare time.

I was told that after to simple Present Tense form is used but playing is not simple Present Tense form of play. What would you say on this?
Most of the time you will find the base form (infinitive) of the verb after the word 'to'. However, certain expressions require the '-ing form'. Some examples of these are:

- be used to doing
- be accustomed to doing
- look forward to doing
- admit to doing
- object to doing

As far as I know 'to' is a preposition here (it is not a part of infinitive). So, you cannot use anything else after a preposition but a noun or gerund (-ing form). Hope it helps.

Re: correct sentences 24/11

Inchoateknowledge — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 09:29:55 GMT

Dear teachers,

Would you please tell which sentences are wrong and why?

1 a) I feel better since I moved house.OK

b) I am feeling much better since I have moved house.OK

(if both are correct what would be the difference between them, please?)

b) means you have recently moved house/houses.

2. She no longer visits since she got married. (is it possible to use the simple present here with âsinceâ?)

(Yes, either in the main clause above, or in the subordinate clause where since have different syntactical function:conjunction word in the reason clause, and not a preposition.)

In your sentence above, the present tense is OK, and expresses a change in a situation.

I am seeing a lot of you since you are living here.

3. She doesn't come and see us (anymore) now that she is / has got (possible too?YES, and almost equal in meaning) married.

4a) It is / has been twenty years since I have seen her. OK

b) It is / has been twenty years since I last saw her. OK

(are all four versions correct ? If yes, is there a difference in meaning between them?)

It is/has been 20 years since I last saw her.

It has been/is 20 years since I have last seen him.

5) Whether she plays on Saturday(s) (is âor notâ necessary here ? NO, but OK) depends on what her doctor says.

6) I've been miserable ever since my family died in a car crash.

(correct ? or would you rather put âdepressedâ, âMy life has been shatteredâ) -- shattered my outlook on life, shattered my hopes

I feel miserable, depressed, below par, to be sick at heart, to be downhearted, etc.

to move house/houses is an idiom

Peter

Re: simple present + FOR

Clive — Sat, 04 Nov 2006 14:15:34 GMT

Hi,

So do "I AM here for 2 hours" and "I WILL be here for 2 hours" mean the same?

Generally speaking, yes. However, I feel that the former can also express a little more intention, a little more purpose. eg

My doctor always keeps me waiting for a long time. I resent this. I walk into his waiting room and I tell the receptionist:

I am here for half an hour. After that, I'm going home and I'll find a new doctor!

In addition, don't forget about 'I'm going to go home'.

Is "during" always a preposition and never an adverb? Yes, 'during' is considered a preposition.

Have a nice weekend Thank you, you too.

Best wishes, Clive

Re: simple present + FOR

Hela — Sat, 04 Nov 2006 06:18:35 GMT

Dear Clive,

So do "I AM here for 2 hours" and "I WILL be here for 2 hours" mean the same?

Is "during" always a preposition and never an adverb? e.g. "During the interveiw, Mr Copeland..."

Have a nice weekend,

Hela

Re: simple present + FOR

Siggy — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 07:03:10 GMT

Hela

In your sentence, "for" is used as a Preposition. It indicates a period of time. It is OK to use it in this way.

Siggy

Re: To look forward to

Yankee — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 10:24:45 GMT

Hi Manicku

1) Other than the fact that one is the simple present tense and the other is present continuous tense, the main difference to me is that "I'm looking forward to" sounds a little friendlier and "I look forward to" sounds a little more formal.

2) The phrasal verb "look forward to" is never followed by an infinitive. The word 'to' is a prepostition in this case and you always need the -ing form of a verb after a preposition.

Re: Some questions on grammar

Clive — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 17:56:40 GMT

Hi guys,

1. Is this sentence correct? Why not delete the preposition "on" and write as : Which day was your last anniversary?

On which day was your last anniversary? Either is OK. It depends on whether you are thinking of the anniversary as an event or as a date.

2. I thought the uses of the verbs "do" and "are" are very different and leave very little room for confusion but are these sentences valid? Their meaning seems to be slightly different though.

Do you feel like a king? Are you feeling like a king?

Obviously, you need a context for this 'king' stuff. Your question really seems to be about Simple Present versus Present Continuous. Let's look at simpler examples.

I feel sick. I am feeling sick.

These both sound acceptable to me, and for these examples there is very little difference in meaning. Possibly #2 sounds just a little more temporary, a little less definite.

Best wishes, Clive

Re: 2 verbs

miriam — Wed, 07 Jul 2004 09:58:45 GMT

Hello again, kynguyen

You said:
"In fact I think most of the verbs can be used with or without "to", right?
For ex: I need to have a vacation. Or I need a vacation."

You used the verb "need" as an exampe of the verbs that can be used with or without the particle "to".
But the particle "to", when it is part of an infinitive, will precede the verb, not follow it.

In "I need to take a vacation" the infinitive is "to take", whereas "need" is a conjugated verb in the simple present tense.

In your second and third examples, "I need a vacation" and "I need the money for my vacation", there is no infinitive at all. The verb "need" is again in the simple present, and the constructions that follow the verb, in both sentences, are noun phrases (the main word in those constructions is a noun). That is why no "to" is needed. Actually, the use of "to" either before or after "need" in those two sentences would be incorrect.

Your fourth example, "I need to taking a vacation" is also incorrect, as was pointed out in the previous post. The reason, again, is that "to" has to appear before the verb when it is part of an infinitive. That is the reason why this type of infinitive is called "to-infinitive": the name shows the order in which both the particle "to" and the verb must appear, and that order can't be altered.
In "I need to taking a vacation", "to" does not "belong" to "need". It is part of the following verb, "take", which should be a "to-infinitive" (not an -ing form); so "taking" is incorrect. The infinitives, in English, are the "base" form of the verb, the verb as you would find it in a dictionary entry. The ending "-ing" is added to a verb after the particle "to" only when "to" is a preposition.

Have a look at these sentences, in which "to" precedes "take" and, together with it, forms a "to-infinitive":
"I have to take a vacation."
"I need to take a vacation."
"I want to take a vacation."
"I would like to take a vacation."

In all the above examples, "to" does not have a meaning and is only use as part of an infinitive verb. It is different from the "to" used in "I'm looking forward to seeing you soon", where it is a preposition and has a meaning of its own.

Miriam