Search results for 'tag:Present tenses tag:Auxiliaries' matching tags 'Present tenses' and 'Auxiliaries'

Re: HISTORY OF ENGLISH HELP!!!

Cool Breeze — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:55:13 GMT

hazeleyedgirl

What do the following words have in common?
What has happened to them in Modern English?
wilt, hast, thine, art

You all fail! Any fool can tell that the words are old. Of course they are old in an exam based on Old English!

What do the following words have in common? - They are all grammatically restricted to the second person singular; in modern English: you will, you have, yours, [you] are.

What has happened to them in Modern English?

There was no future tense in Old English even though the predecessor of will was sometimes used to indicate future action. Its meaning was "to want, to desire" and will has mostly lost this meaning. It is still present in some contexts, for example when will is used with if: You may come if you will (= if you want to).

So, the meaning of wilt/will has changed and the inflected form is no longer used.

As there was no perfect tense in Old English, hast/have has acquired a new use. In addition to the Old English use, which remains in Modern English, it is now used as a present perfect auxiliary. The perfect tense was developing in Old English and sentences corresponding to modern I have written it were sometimes uttered but the speaker understood the have as a present tense verb and the past perfect written indicated the state in which "it" was. In other words, written was adjectival in character.

Have has acquired lots of new uses since the early days, for example "to have something done": I had my hair cut yesterday.

Thine is related to thou and thee, and all three may occur in archaic texts end religious contexts even today. I think most Americans know the songs A Closer Walk With Thee and How Great Thou Art.

Re: I am having trouble with the tenses in my essay. Any proof reading help would be appreciated or revisions.

Bushee — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:50:07 GMT

I must admit I couldn't find much at all for errors in your essay, while I did take four years of English in college I don't consider myself a professional. Although this is what I found, you had too many spaces in the first paragraph. and a few present tense's in the fifth paragraph, Hope I helped. Bushee

Life on the Line

           â â¬My grandmother,â â¬Julie Lovins,â â¬put everything on the line for her job,â â¬including her life. â â¬   She worked for the Leet Psychiatric Clinic in Lexington,â â¬Kentucky,â â¬and flew to various locations with Dr.â â¬Leet,â â¬a psychiatrist,â â¬to help patients. â â¬Dr.â â¬Leet had a contract with the United Mine Workers Psychiatric clinic and needed to check up on patients in many locations.  â â¬To get to these locations,â â¬Dr.â â¬Leet flew my grandmother on a small plane. â â¬As a traveling social worker,â â¬Lovins experienced one devastating plane ride to the Mine Workers Psychiatric Clinic. â â¬Little did she know,â â¬her brush with death would inspire a disabled mine worker to live his life with a purpose.

           â â¬The spring night,â â¬inâ â¬1960,â â¬was foggy,â â¬and conditions were getting worse. â â¬All of a sudden,â â¬the plane started to wobble,â â¬and gusts of wind came hurling from the east. â â¬Swaying side to side like a ship,â â¬the plane was off balance. â â¬Stooping lower,â â¬the plane dropped. â â¬Dr.â â¬Leet grasped the gasoline tank switch,â â¬but could not get it to connect to the auxiliary tank. â â¬He pumped the gismo,â â¬and gas started running smoothly again. â â¬The plane was back on track to Middlesboro,â â¬or was thought to be.

           â â¬When everything seemed to be alright,â â¬matters got worse. â â¬Beep beep. â â¬The radio station reported,â ââ¬Middlesboro airport is closed due to fierce cross currents.âââ¬ â ââ¬We are going to have to land somewhere soon before we run out of gas,ââ â¬said Julie Lovins. â â¬With this in mind,â â¬Dr.â â¬Leet spotted a farmerâs field in which he could land. â â¬Ms.â â¬Lovins couldnât stop thinking about getting to her destination,â â¬the Psychiatric Clinic,â â¬where she could help all the patients live better lives.â â¬She was the best known social worker in Kentucky,â â¬known to have an outstanding influence on mentally depressed patients.â â¬ Thud,â â¬screechâ!â¬ â â¬The plane hit telephone wires,â â¬flipped over and then landed in the farmerâs field.  â â¬Thirty minutes later,â â¬a rescue plane came zooming overhead and landed next to the wreckage. â â¬EMS doctors rushed over to the small plane which had imprisoned Ms.â â¬Lovins and Dr.â â¬Leet.

           â â¬Both Ms.â â¬Lovins and Dr.â â¬Leet were unconscious. â â¬One of the EMS doctors vigorously tore open a packet of smelling salt,â â¬and put it under Ms.â â¬Lovinâs nose. â â¬Still in a daze,â â¬Ms.â â¬Lovins began to wake up.â â¬The doctor carried her to his plane and ran back over to Dr.â â¬Leet. â ââ¬I think this one is going to need to go to the critical care unit ASAP,ââ â¬said one of the accompanying rescuers. â â¬Opening a stretcher,â â¬the EMS doctor rushed over to Dr.â â¬Leet.â ââ¬One,â â¬two,â â¬three,â â¬go,ââ â¬said all the rescuers while lifting Dr.â â¬Leet onto the stretcher. â â¬Frantically,â â¬the squad carried Dr.â â¬Leet onto the plane and off to the clinic they went.

           â â¬Arriving at the clinic,â â¬Dr.â â¬Leet was rushed to the Emergency Room. â â¬As Ms.â â¬Lovins started to regain consciousness,â â¬she checked up on Dr.â â¬Leet. â ââ¬He is going to be fine. â â¬Itâs amazing he survived with only a broken arm,ââ â¬said a nurse.â â¬ Relieved and uninjured,â â¬Ms.â â¬Lovinsâ â¬remembered what she had come to the clinic to do. â ââ¬Iâm on a mission to help the disabled miners who are suffering,ââ â¬thought Ms.â â¬Lovins. â â¬As Ms.â â¬Lovins is about to step onto an elevator to the third floor,â â¬where the minerâs rooms are located,â â¬she noticed a man with a pained expression. â â¬Approaching the man,â â¬she sees his mangled leg,â â¬and smells the scent of someone about to give up on life. â â¬Noticing a photo of his family in his hand,â â¬Ms.â â¬Lovins asked him about them. â â¬The crippled man replied,â ââ¬This is my family,â â¬but Iâm ashamed that they will not like me anymore because Iâm useless now.âââ¬ â

           â â¬Not willing to accept this answer,â â¬Ms.â â¬Lovins tells the crippled miner that everyone lives for a purpose. â ââ¬I put my life on the line today to help save others. â â¬Somehow,â â¬I survived and have come here to fulfill my purpose for living,ââ â¬said Ms.â â¬Lovins. â â¬With a new outlook on life,â â¬the crippled miner shot Ms.â â¬Lovins a gleaming smile. â ââ¬You know what,â â¬you are rightâ!â¬ â â¬My life has a purpose and I still have time to live it,ââ â¬exclaimed the miner. â â¬The miner rushes to his room and calls his family. â â¬After speaking to his family,â â¬the miner once again approaches Ms.â â¬Lovins. â ââ¬I just wantedâ¦wanted you to know that your brush with death todayââ¦â¬.â â¬well,â â¬has given me the courage to reunite with my family,â â¬and to use my experience as a motivation for others.ââ

           â â¬Julie Lovins was willing to do her job no matter what disaster might come along with it. â â¬She almost came face to face with death,â â¬but it did not faze her. â â¬Using what she learned from her experience on the plane ride,â â¬she was able to encourage and reunite the family of a mine worker. â â¬Lovins never regretted putting her life on the line for others.

Re: Need help over here.

Mr Wordy — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 02:08:00 GMT

1. Well, "had" is the past tense of the verb "have", but I think you're asking specifically about its use as an auxiliary to form the past perfect tense of other verbs:

I played -- simple past tense

I have played -- present perfect tense

I had played -- past perfect (or pluperfect) tense

So, even though "have" on its own is present tense, it forms a past tense with other verbs. If you do a Google search for these tense names then you will find tons of information on their uses. See, for example, http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/pastperfect.html (this page describes the past perfect; all the other tenses are linked down the left hand side).

"I have played football yesterday" isn't right. "have played football" has the general sense of "played football on one or more unspecified occasions in the past", and it doesn't go with "yesterday", which is a specific occasion. Instead you would say "I played football yesterday".

2. "Never" can be used with a variety of different tenses, depending on when the thing in question wasn't/isn't done or didn't/doesn't happen. A couple of examples:

You never told me that you loved me -- means that you didn't tell me in the past, but you might tell me now (or in the future).

You never tell me that you love me -- means that you didn't tell me in the past and you don't tell me now. In other words, the absence of telling continues up to and including the present.

It's not possible to use the present tense with "never before", so "I never do that before" is wrong. It should be "I never did that before" (or "I have never done that before").

Re: a Few grammar questions

CalifJim — Sat, 17 May 2008 00:12:40 GMT

Anonymous
Explain why the verb âTo Beâ is not a non-progressive verb?

It can be used in progressive tenses -- although this is not common. (The baby is being difficult this morning.)

Anonymous
I know the simple present never talks about the present ...

You have false knowledge. I wonder what makes you think this.

Anonymous
Why does the present tense not exist in English?

Again, you are mistaken. The present tense exists in English. Where are you getting all these crazy ideas?

Anonymous
What are perpendicular and parallel actions?

I've never heard of this distinction.

Anonymous
What is the difference between the Present Perfect and the Present Perfect Progressive?

Present Perfect is formed with the auxiliary have and the past participle of some verb: have seen, has done, have lived. Present Perfect Progressive is formed with the auxiliaries have and been and the present participle of some verb: have been seeing, has been doing, has been living.

Re: he is gone. What tense is being used? Is that simple present tense?

Anonymous — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:08:44 GMT

Â I think it's a big mistake because the verb after theÂ auxiliaryÂ is in the pastÂ participle,Â it means that theÂ auxiliary should be 'has' Â (the verbÂ 'to have' in the present) instead of 'is' (the verbÂ 'to be' Â in the present. its aÂ commonÂ mistake and it's a confusion of the contracted form of this sentence (He's gone) witch is He has gone, the ('s) after the pronoun (He) is taken as the contrected from of (is).Â

Re: "I am come"

Cool Breeze — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 14:05:47 GMT

I am come has its roots deep in the history of the English language. In Old English (1200 years ago) there were only two tenses, the present tense and the preterite. The present tense was used to express the future as well and the preterite had the meaning of the modern past tense, continuous past, perfect and pluperfect. However, even in those days the periphrastic tenses were sometimes formed, as in Modern English, by hÃ¦bbe and hÃ¦fde with past participles and they sometimes had the meanings of the modern perfect and pluperfect respectively. Usage of tenses wasn't very settled in Old English, and there was even some usage of the future tense even though it didn't officially exist. Will often indicated volition and shall obligation, but not always.

Periphrastic tenses of intransitive verbs were formed with wesan (= to be) instead of habban (= to have), as in Modern German. This explains why we encounter is, are, was and were as perfect and pluperfect auxiliaries as late as the 19th century. It also explains why it is so easy and natural to say: He is gone.

CB

Re: question formula

Cool Breeze — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 09:21:39 GMT

Hi Nader

I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean. Has he talking? is wrong. You could say: Has he been talking?

If you are asking whether a have or has question can always be formed by changing the word order, the answer is no. It is safer to use do in the present tense:

Does he have money?
Especially in BrE it is possible to say: Has he [got] money? Without the got, it's not very common, though.

When have means 'eat', 'drink', 'must' etc., do must be used in questions:
Did he have an early breakfast today?
Do you have to talk about it all the time?

When have, has and had are perfect and past perfect auxiliaries, do is never used:
Have you seen him today?
Has he said anything so far?
Had he been there before?

Have you been reading all day?

CB

Re: grammar

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 14:24:34 GMT

Clive wrote:

Hi,

You didn't let me know about the address.

I think, here, did is a main verb and "let me know about the address" is a object of the verb "did".

Consider the sentence if you make it positive. You let me know about the address. The main verb is 'let'. 'Did' is just an auxiliary verb. The object of 'let' is 'me'.

It's like saying 'You permitted me to know about the address'.

Best wishes, Clive

So I think the sentence is simple present tense. So If I change it for present perfect, it will become "You haven't let me know about the address".

Again help me.

Re: Proficiency alongside "poverty".

Cool Breeze — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 09:28:49 GMT

Milky wrote:
He has to go and

He must go.>

Well, I guess that would be part of the mastering part of the language - i.e. the complex part. It's easy for anyone to claim that English is not complex, or is much simpler than many other languages, if he/she avoids talking about mastering the language.

I am not avoiding talking about mastering English. I am just being pragmatic and concentrating on what I consider essential. I don't mind it at all if your ideas about the difficulty of English differ from mine and I fully understand that should is an important modal for some of your students. By all means, teach them what is important to them.

What surprises me is the fact that because the English modal auxiliaries have a number of rare or otherwise exceptional uses, they must be very difficult for nonnative learners of English. It never seems to cross these people's minds that modals or other verbs have similar uses in other languages as well. Such uses are by no means unique to English. In other words, similar difficulties exist in other languages.

It would come as a big surprise for a Swede if he were told that will never means to want. This is because the corresponding verb in Swedish is the most common word meaning to want. Its present tense is spelled vill. And as the German wollen is of the same etymological origin, Germans have no problems with associating volition or desire with will.

Mastering all the complexities and nuances of a verb is difficult in all languages. Complexities and nuances are not an exclusivity of English. What makes English easier than some other languages, in my opinion, is its simple morphology.

CB

Re: when do you use 'DO' and when do you use 'ARE'?

Clive — Mon, 28 May 2007 05:03:49 GMT

Hi,

for example,

'"Do" you want to go to the shopping mall?' The statement 'I want to go to the shopping mall' uses Simple Present tense. Use 'do' to change this into a question "Do you want to go . . .'

'"Are" you going to the shopping mall?' The statement 'I am going to the shopping mall' uses Present Continuous/Progressive tense. This tense uses the auxiliary verb 'be' in the appropriate form, and that's why the question uses 'are'.

You need to review how to make these two tenses, and then after that review how to change them into question form.

Best wishes, Clive