Search results for 'tag:Present perfect tag:Singular verbs' matching tags 'Present perfect' and 'Singular verbs'

Re: fit(s), saw

Newguest — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:38:10 GMT

Avangi
1. Which is the subject so you need the singular verb, fits. But we would not use "to" in this case.

2. Either one works.

So it should be: Which of these words fits this rule???

I thought that when you say: It was the first time.. then you have to use "the past perfect tense" and when you say: it's the first time.. then you have to use "the present perfect tense"???

Thank you

Re: Agreement

Awence — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 14:41:16 GMT

"kinds" is the subject of the sentence and is singular, requiring a singular verb, have [been prepared]. (present perfect, passive, to prepare)

Please explain what do you mean by the above, thanks avangi.

Re: Agreement

Avangi — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 08:05:31 GMT

Awence wrote:

Please kindly indicate the correct answers and justifications for the answers.

1. Various kinds of food (has/have) been prepared. "kinds" is the subject of the sentence and is singular, requiring a singular verb, have [been prepared]. (present perfect, passive, to prepare)

2. They are doing these things quietly. Nobody is ever to know what (is/are) happening. "What" is the subject of the subordinate clause, and is singular, taking the singular verb, is [happening]. (present progressive of to happen)

Thank you.

You're supposed to offer your solution first.

Re: Difference between American and British English

Guest — Thu, 17 Feb 2005 09:29:44 GMT

1. Use of present perfect tense and simple past tense

Speakers of American English generally use the present perfect tense (have/has + past participle) far less than speakers of British English. In spoken American English it is very common to use the simple past tense as an alternative in situations where the present perfect would usually have been used in British English. The two situations where this is especially likely are:

(i) In sentences which talk about an action in the past that has an effect in the present:

American English British/American English
Jenny feels ill. She ate too much. Jenny feels ill. She's eaten too much.
I can't find my keys. Did you see them anywhere? I can't find my keys. Have you
seen them anywhere?

(ii) In sentences which contain the words already, just or yet:

American English British/American English
A: Are they going to the show tonight?
B: No. They already saw it. A: Are they going to the show tonight?
B: No. They've already seen it.
A: Is Samantha here?
B: No, she just left. A: Is Samantha here?
B: No, she's just left.
A: Can I borrow your book?
B: No, I didn't read it yet. A: Can I borrow your book?
B: No, I haven't read it yet.
2. Verb agreement with collective nouns

In British English collective nouns, (i.e. nouns referring to particular groups of people or things), (e.g. staff , government, class, team) can be followed by a singular or plural verb depending on whether the group is thought of as one idea, or as many individuals , e.g.:
My team is winning.
The other team are all sitting down.
In American English collective nouns are always followed by a singular verb, so an American would usually say:
Which team is losing?
whereas in British English both plural and singular forms of the verb are possible, as in:
Which team is/are losing?
3. Use of delexical verbs have and take

In British English, the verb have frequently functions as what is technically referred to as a delexical verb, i.e. it is used in contexts where it has very little meaning in itself but occurs with an object noun which describes an action, e.g.:
I'd like to have a bath.
Have is frequently used in this way with nouns referring to common activities such as washing or resting, e.g.:
She's having a little nap.
I'll just have a quick shower before we go out.
In American English, the verb take, rather than have, is used in these contexts, e.g.:
Joe's taking a shower.
I'd like to take a bath.
Let's take a short vacation.
Why don't you take a rest now?
4. Use of auxiliaries and modals

In British English, the auxiliary do is often used as a substitute for a verb when replying to a question, e.g.:
A: Are you coming with us?
B: I might do.
In American English, do is not used in this way, e.g.:
A: Are you coming with us?
B: I might.
In British English needn't is often used instead of don't need to, e.g.:
They needn't come to school today.
They don't need to come to school today.
In American English needn't is very unusual and the usual form is don't need to, i.e.:
They don't need to come to school today.
In British English, shall is sometimes used as an alternative to will to talk about the future, e.g.:
I shall/will be there later.
In American English, shall is unusual and will is normally used.

In British English shall I/we is often used to ask for advice or an opinion, e.g.:
Shall we ask him to come with us?
In American English should is often used instead of shall, i.e.:
Should we ask him to come with us?
4. Use of prepositions

In British English, at is used with many time expressions, e.g.:
at Christmas/five 'o' clock
at the weekend
In American English, on is always used when talking about the weekend, not at, e.g.:
Will they still be there on the weekend?
She'll be coming home on weekends.
In British English, at is often used when talking about universities or other institutions, e.g.:
She studied chemistry at university.
In American English, in is often used, e.g.:
She studied French in high school.
In British English, to and from are used with the adjective different, e.g.:
This place is different from/to anything I've seen before.
In American English from and than are used with different, e.g.:
This place is different from/than anything I've seen before.
In British English to is always used after the verb write, e.g.:
I promised to write to her every day.
In American English, to can be omitted after write, i.e.:
I promised to write her every day.
5. Past tense forms

Below is a table showing verbs which have different simple past and past participle forms in American and British English.
Note that the irregular past forms burnt, dreamt and spoilt are possible in American English, but less common than the forms ending in -ed.

infinitive simple past (Br) simple past (Am) past participle (Br) past participle (Am)
burn burned/burnt burned/burnt burned/burnt burned/burnt
bust bust busted bust busted
dive dived dove/dived dived dived
dream dreamed/dreamt dreamed/dreamt dreamed/dreamt dreamed/dreamt
get got got got gotten
lean leaned/leant leaned leaned/leant leaned
learn learned/learnt learned learned/learnt learned
plead pleaded pleaded/pled pleaded pleaded/pled
prove proved proved proved proved/proven
saw sawed sawed sawn sawn/sawed
smell smelled/smelt smelled smelled/smelt smelled
spell spelled/spelt spelled spelled/spelt spelled
spill spilled/spilt spilled spilled/spilt spilled
spit spat spat/spit spat spat/spit
spoil spoiled/spoilt spoiled/spoilt spoiled/spoilt spoiled/spoilt
stink stank stank/stunk stunk stunk
wake woke woke/waked woken woken

Note that have got is possible in American English, but is used with the meaning 'have', gotten is the usual past participle of get, e.g.:

American English British English
You've got two brothers. (= you have two brothers) You've got two brothers.
You've gotten taller this year You've got taller this year
from www.onestopenglish.com

Re: Attn MrPedantic , blitz here

MrPedantic — Fri, 24 Dec 2004 00:08:14 GMT

Hey Blitz,

1) "are Amber and Joe going?" is correct.

2)
"your son is not attending college since last two months": incorrect.
"your son has not been attending college for two months now" is ok; but 'has not attended' would be better.
"your son has not been attending college for the past two months": ok; but again, 'has not attended' would be better.

3) 'Medicines' is ok when you're talking about different kinds of medicine; but if it's all the same stuff it's just 'medicine'.

For this one, I'd say: "the medicines you prescribed earlier are finished" (or 'all used up').

4) "for how long am I going to have this facility": ok.
"for how long will I be getting this facility": ok.
"for how long will i get this facility": ok, if you're talking about e.g. a special free trial on a website.

5) "I have been doing this since last two years"/"I have done this since last two years" wouldn't be right; you'd have to say "I have been doing this for the last two years"/"I have done this for the last two years".

The first version ("I have been doing") is the 'present perfect progressive tense' (our old friend the PPP), and the second version ("I have done") is the present perfect (PP). They both relate to actions in the past that have a relation to the present; but the PPP puts more emphasis on the 'doing' as a process, whereas the PP puts more emphasis on the fact that it's completed (i.e. 'doing' vs 'done').

6) "sit in the chair": fine; but probably more usual with an armchair.
"sit on the chair"; also fine; probably more usual with an ordinary hard chair.

7) This is a tricky one. "From the beginning" seems to put the emphasis on the continuity of whatever is 'from the beginning', whereas 'since the beginning' serves more as a simple time-frame:

'From the beginning of 2004, the police were looking for an excuse to pull me in.' (The looking for the excuse was continuous.)

'Since the beginning of 2004, the police have pulled me in five times.' (The important thing here is the number of times he's been pulled in. The 'since' phrase defines the period during which it all happened.)

8) 'aliens have been coming here for more than 2000yrs' - fine.

'aliens have been coming here since 2000 yrs': wrong.

Your first sentence sounds fine to me. You could also say: 'the first aliens came here more than 2000 years ago'.

9) 'None of our experts was able to answer your question/None of our experts were able to answer your question.'

Opinions vary about this one. Some people say you have to use a singular verb ('was'), as if 'no one' = 'not one'; others say you can use a plural verb. The Merriam-Webster dictionary says you can use either.

If I were giving the answer in a test, I would say 'was', because the people who say you have to use 'was' will mark 'were' as incorrect, whereas the people who say you can use 'were' will also accept 'was'.

But when I'm speaking, I say 'were'. I have a feeling 'was' is more usual in American English, though.

See you,
MrP