Search results for 'tag:Present perfect tag:Articles' matching tags 'Present perfect' and 'Articles'

Re: The Continuous tense

Tanit — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:52:57 GMT

Anonymous
Is it a rule that the auxiliary, the past participle and the main verb are immediately after one another with no other words inbetween?

No, such a rule does not exist.

Anonymous
For example: "Have you ever had the feeling that you're being followed?"
This sentence has both "have" and "had" and two continuous verbs in it ("feeling" and "being"), but is it neither Present Perfect Continuous nor Past Perfect Continuous?

Your sentence is in the present perfect. "Have you ever had ..."
"the feeling" is a gerund, and acts as if it were a noun (it's the direct complement of "have had"). Try and replace it with "idea", "impression" etc (I'm not saying they are perfect synonym for "feeling" -- it's just to demonstrate that you can have a noun there, and to show you that "feeling" is not acting as a verb in your sentence). Another clue to understand its function is that it's preceded by the article "the".
"that you're being followed" this is a "that-clause" which describes what sort of "feeling" we are talking about. "being" here has to be seen together with "are" and "followed": "are being followed" is present continuous, passive.

Re: is in progress/on the way

MissMandy — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 22:32:52 GMT

The biggest error is that 51 will be followed by "st" instead of "th". You can tell because you would say it aloud "fifty-first". Also, "50 pages" does not need an article (a/an, or the) because it is plural, so that is correct, however, "51st page" will need the definite article "the" because it is singular and specific.

"In the way" means that it is an obstacle, "on the way" means it is in progress.

1. I have completed typing 50 pages and the 51st is in progress. (moved the word typing)
2. I have completed feeding data for 50 records and the 51st record is in progress/ is on the way.
3. I have completed 50 files and the 51st file is in progress/on the way.

Let me know if you'd like more reasoning behind the corrections. Good job with the present perfect and the idiom "on the way"! Those are both tricky.

Re: is in progress/on the way

MissMandy — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 22:32:36 GMT

The biggest error is that 51 will be followed by "st" instead of "th". You can tell because you would say it aloud "fifty-first". Also, "50 pages" does not need an article (a/an, or the) because it is plural, so that is correct, however, "51st page" will need the definite article "the" because it is singular and specific.

"In the way" means that it is an obstacle, "on the way" means it is in progress.

1. I have completed typing 50 pages and the 51st is in progress. (moved the word typing)
2. I have completed feeding data for 50 records and the 51st record is in progess/ is on the way.
3. I have completed 50 files and the 51st file is in progess/on the way.

Let me know if you'd like more reasoning behind the corrections. Good job with the present perfect and the idiom "on the way"! Those are both tricky.

Introduction:tense correction

Anonymous — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:35:08 GMT

Hi, Please correct this. I am particularly troubled by the choice of using the present and present perfect tenses in situations like this. Please tell me why you would use the past, rather than the present perfect.

Brief biography:

John Doe has graduated (graduated??) from *** University in the U.S. with the Bachelor of Art degree in honors, and a Master of Art degree from the same institution. Before coming to ***, he has worked (worked??) as site coordinator for international conferences as a government employee in ***. Prior to that, he was involved in teaching science in many high schools in the U.S. HIs current hobbies include cooking and jogging with his three-old Chihuhua, which he bought when he was entralled by the grand, loud sounds it makes when it beseeches for good dog food.

Also, I am somewhat lost as to what is the guideline on using just the adjective to denote a noun that has the definte article 'the' in front of it, like the below. I think I have seen more than enough adjectives being used to refer to nouns that are preceded by words like 'best', 'expensive', 'good', etc. I understand you can write 'the best' to denote 'the best people'.

John Doe purchased the most expensive pizza in town for *** dollars. He remind us that when you want the best and the expensive, you must shell out the money or you won't able to taste the quality the best and expensive have to offer.

Re: Native-speaker/native language

Tanit — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:03:57 GMT

Forbes

I remember listening to a radio programme about the varieties of forms of speech in Italy ... They simply change language like they change clothes without worrying about the status of their "home" speech.

There's some truth in that article. My parents, for instance, used to speak in Sardinian (not a dialect, but recognised as an endangered language by the UNESCO) when talking to each other or to their relatives, but they would only speak Italian with my brother and me. I grew up monolingual, and although I can understand Sardinian, I am unable to articulate a sentence that contains more than a few words!

Many people who speak both Italian and their dialect, although able to switch from the first to the second depending on the context, speak a form of Italian that I would classify as regional and sub-standard. I noticed that people from Southern Italy (I have little experience of Northern Italy) who speak also a dialect usually don't speak standard Italian, but a form of language deeply affected by their dialect. Accent is not an issue. I find some grammatical structures odd, as well as the choice of some verb modes, tenses and aspects (ex. past simple versus present perfect, indicative versus subjunctive), and have problems with some vocabulary (let alone idioms, of course). I am usually able to understand the general meaning, though.

Re: Questions on sentences in article

Susankay — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 23:32:29 GMT

When we talk with biblical precision about the resurrection, we discover an excellent foundation for lively and creative Christian work in the present world--not, as some suppose, for an escapist or quietist piety.

Here, the word 'piety' seems to be uncountable, yet seems that the article 'an' is for that. Why? This is a general question but "Can a person use an indefinite article like 'a' when he thinks an instance of something or a type of something in his mind? I think it should be "or for quietist piety.'

No single individual can attempt more than a fraction of this mission. That's why mission is the work of the whole church, the whole time. Paul's advice to the Philippians ~~even though he and they knew they were suffering for their faith and might be tempted to retreat from the world into a dualistic, sectarian mentality~~was upbeat. Might just means "there was the possibility for them to be tempted"

Here, I think it is right to say that in 'might be tempted', the 'might' is used to convey the sense of the past, putting his indecisive intention in the past-time setting; but I think it is safe to say that the word 'might' can be used the same or similarly in the present-time setting. But here, I think it is used in the in the past-time setting. I think you can see a similar use with the modal verb 'would'.

It is the anticipation of the time when God will fill the earth with his glory, transform the old heavens and earth into the new, and raise his children from the dead to populate and rule over the redeemed world he has made.

Here, I think 'he has made' is used because eventhough the reference is to what was made a very, very long time ago, the happening carries a current relevance to what the writer is tryng to say and that is why the present perfect was used. Right? Why do I see 'heavens' in plural, not 'heaven' in singular? The redeemed world he has made - yes it denote present perfect.

This is another question: Can you use a present perfect to refer to a historical figure who happened to live very, very long ago or his legacy?

Yes, if your believe that historical figure is God who lived, is living and will live forever.

Questions on sentences in article

Believer — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 21:49:28 GMT

Hi,

I gotthe following sentences from the ChristianToday magazne, a magazine of evangelical conviction, by N.T. Wright on March 25, 2008, and hope you would answer some questions on them.

This is another question: Can you use a present perfect to refer to a historical figure who happened to live very, very long ago or his legacy?

Sorry for many questions

Please help me here

Kins_10 — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:32:03 GMT

Dr Jemilah graduated from Malaysia National University (MNU) with a Master's degree in Obstetrics. She became a lecturer at MNU in 1995. Her first mission was to help war victims in Kosovo. During the war, She, along with her team, helped to rebuild to two hospitals. The volunteers delivered medicines and equipment. They also treated many sick and injured people. Dr Jemilah was not discouraged and continued with her work. She said that she was willing to help the people of Kosovo.

Dr Jemilah has received world recognition for her noble work. In 2003, she was honoured with the 'East Asia Women's Award for Peace'. She is currently in private practice.

My questions are as follow.

1. Dr Jemilah has been a lecturer at MNU since 1995? Is the statement false? She became a lecturer at MNU in 1995.

2. Why the present perfect tense is used here;Dr Jemilah has received world recognition for her noble work.

3. Why there is no article before the private practice? She is currently in #private practice.

Past and present perfect

Trouper — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 17:32:33 GMT

Dear members,

1) Whats the difference between past and present perfect tense?

2) What is the use of articles? A, an, The. Often i get confused using the. Where should i specifically use it?

Thank you

Re: several grammar questions (2)

Avangi — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 07:45:23 GMT

Hela wrote:

Dear teachers,

1) How would you qualify this time of genitive, please? Which "title" would you give it? Is it some sort of "human activities"? but I don't really like this.

love's spirit, science's influence, my life's aim, duty's call . wow! I remember genitive as a Latin case 60 years ago. What do you mean by "time"? Your examples are all possessive. Joe's dog= the dog of Joe. Love's spirit=the spirit of love.   What am I missing?

2) Which tenses would you use in the following sentences and why?

a) Weather conditions have improved/improved (?) during the the last few days. Present perfect means the action has been [recently] completed. Simple past would mean it happened at some time in the past. The use of "during" means it was a continuing process. "Last few days" means it continued up to the present, at which time it was completed.(Present Perfect)

- Is it possible to say "the weather conditions" or is it definitely wrong? yes

- can we say "during the last days" = without "few"? yes, but it sometimes means the last days of the universe.

b)There has been / was (?) a real fall (?) in that town's population over/during (?) the last decade.Same tense situation as example 2.  Something happened over an extended period which just ended. "Over" and "during" both work, in my humble opinion.

c)He ~~should~~ showed/assured ??? him that he doesn't have the time / time (?) to pick up the children from/at (?) school. I say both choices are acceptable in both your red group and your black group.

Woops! where did the colors go?

- Would you please tell me if the article here is obligatory and why? Why not? the time=the time required / time=any time   Both work.

- which preposition should be used? are both possible? ANSWERED

3) âDid you do both maths exercises? The first was easier than the second.â âThat's right, the first was the easier of the two.â

- Is the "M" of math capitalized ? + should we say "math" or "maths" (with âsâ = Br. Eng ; without Â« s Â» = Am. Eng ?) Math would be capitalized if you said, "I just signed up for Math." I doubt "maths" would be used in this context in either domain, but I could be wrong.

- Would you please tell me when one should use âbothâ and âthe twoâ? Is it wrong to say âdid you do the two maths exercises...â and âthe first was the easier of bothâ ? Both choices work in the first example but only "the two" works in the second.

4) My mother left on her holiday/vacation (correct?)/ went on holiday(~~s?)~~/vacation a few weeks ago.

5) I have to pick her up at/from (?) the airport on her return / when she arrives (correct?).I think these are all okay. "From" would be questioned by some.

Many thanks,   Man, I needa break!

Hela