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

Re: have got

New2grammar — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:57:13 GMT

AHA... Now it makes sense. I don't know whether it's right or not. I think I was told contractions only work for the present tense but I could be wrong. Let's wait for a native.

Re: It's (present or past tense)

Anonymous — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 04:06:48 GMT

It's the present tense.

The contraction 's represents is and has but never was.

JJM

Re: When shown to be wrong, I had to eat humble pie.

Yankee — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 14:24:25 GMT

In other words, Jackson, in the context of your sentence, 'shown' can only be understood as being in the past. However, you can also use 'shown' this way:

When shown to be wrong, I have to eat humble pie. = When I am shown to be wrong, I have to eat humble pie.

Now there is a present tense meaning (i.e. 'am shown' = simple present passive).

Sometimes the only way to know which letters have been omitted in a contraction is from the rest of the sentence (the context). The same is true when words are omitted (elided) in sentences. Context is important.

Re: truly

Phoenix PR — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 04:43:00 GMT

Hi BW2/3,

The goal of an editor is to correct and clarify, not to change the structure and meaning so much that the original writer's "essense" is removed. Let's take these one at a time:

I am truly sorry what I'd written to you a compassion love letter a couple years ago. [Edit to: "I'm truly sorry about what I wrote to you in my compassionate love letter of several years ago." Note that I'm always going to use contractions (e.g., I'm) to be consistent throughout the paragraph.]
It was madness. [Good sentence. Short and insightful.]
I didn't even know you much. [Edit to: "I didn't even know you very well."]
I guess I did you injustice. [Edit to: "I guess I didn't do you justice." (OR) "I guess I did you an injustice." depending on what you truly mean.]
I have been deeply remorseful since then. [Edit to: "I've been deeply remorseful since then."]
I wish that you knew how much I've suffered so you can pity me. [Edit to: "I wish you knew how much I've suffered -- so you can pity me." Adding the dash provides dramatic effect.]
The pain is unbearable sometimes although it was not in physical. [Edit to: "Sometimes the pain is unbearable." You don't need to include the rest about "physical" pain because it's assumed the reader knows that it's all mental anguish via the use of the words "remorseful" and "pity" before.]
I've tried not to think about it if necessary but the dreadful memories come again and again. [Edit to: "I've tried not to think about it, but the dreadful memories come back again and again.]
It is truly a punishment that fit the bad deed. [Edit to: It's truly a punishment that fits the deed." The phrase is "fit the deed," so to insert the word "bad" wouldn't ring true in the ears of an English-speaker.]
No matter how repentance I am, I cannot be forgiven. [Edit to: "No matter how repentant I am, I can't be forgiven." Note the correct use of the word "repentant".]
It was too late that I was lead into temptation and could not be gone back. [Edit to: It's too late: I was led into temptation and I can't go back." Because you're now in the present tense -- I can't be forgiven -- this last train of thought should be in the present tense too, so that's why I phrase it the way I do.]

And here are my suggested edits as a full paragraph:

I'm truly sorry about what I wrote to you in my compassionate love letter of several years ago. It was madness. I didn't even know you very well. I guess I did you an injustice. I've been deeply remorseful since then. I wish you knew how much I've suffered -- so you can pity me. Sometimes the pain is unbearable. I've tried not to think about it, but the dreadful memories come back again and again. It's truly a punishment that fits the deed. No matter how repentant I am, I can't be forgiven. It's too late: I was led into temptation and I can't go back.

Re: Gotta

CalifJim — Wed, 29 Sep 2004 05:53:42 GMT

The idiom is "have got" in both American and British English. It is a purely idiomatic alternate for "have" and is not much used except in the present tense. That is, "have got" is the present tense of this idiom, even though "get" is the present tense form of "to get", and the past is "got". This is because "have got" is Present Perfect in form, though not in meaning. To be more specific, "have got" is the British Present Perfect, the American Present Perfect being "have gotten". So in American English we have "My brother has gotten up early this morning", whereas in British English we have "My brother has got up early this morning." Nevertheless, the idiom is "have got" in both AmEng and BrEng, not "have gotten", not even in American English.

I have got a pen. = I have a pen.
I have not got any money. = I do not have any money.

Using contractions:

I've got a pen. = I have a pen.
I haven't got any money. = I don't have any money.

The use of "have got" for "have" extends to the affirmative form of the semi-modal "have to", so that "have got to" is an idiomatic substitute for "have to" (meaning "must"). The negative form is rare.

I have got to meet my friend at 10 o'clock. =
I've got to meet my friend at 10 o'clock. = I have to meet my friend at 10 o'clock.

The full conjugation with contractions is:

I've got to ...; you've got to ...; he's (he has) got to ...; she's (she has) got to ... ; we've got to ... ; you've got to ...; they've got to ...;

In fast or less careful speech the contracted "have" ('ve) is glossed over and can barely be heard -- or may not be heard at all. Simultaneously, the "got to" collapses into "gotta". (In American English this is pronounced "godda".) The "z" sound in "he's got" and "she's got" (which stands for "has") remains, however. This leads to the following "conjugation" (using "go" as the complement verb):

I gotta go, you gotta go, he's gotta go, she's gotta go,
we gotta go, you gotta go, they gotta go

This is used in conversation only; it should never be used in formal writing under any circumstances!