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

Re: Simple Present Tense VS would

CalifJim — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 02:27:26 GMT

However, if you want to show some doubt about whether it is really fine, you may use would as a present tense and say (in your original conversation):

-- That would be fine -- as long as it doesn't stop working while I'm driving at night.

But not:

... as long as it wouldn't stop working ...

You can't put the would in the second part -- in the as long as clause.

Re: Simple Present Tense VS would

CalifJim — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 02:19:30 GMT

will or won't in the original conversation:

-- Your car battery is getting very weak.

-- That won't (=will not) be a problem as long as it doesn't stop working while I'm driving at night.

________

would or wouldn't when talking about that conversation later:

My friend told me that my battery was getting very weak, and I told him that it wouldn't (=would not) be a problem as long as it didn't stop working while I was driving at night.

________

Looking for some tips and/or curriculum suggestions

mikesusangray — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:50:11 GMT

Hi all!

I've been giving English conversation lessons to a theology professor for about a year now. He's getting on in the years - a couple years from retirement - and his primary goal has been just to get his spoken English going a little stronger. His mother tongue is French but he's been teaching at a German language university for many years.

I'd like to add some more specific inputs to our lessons but I can't seem to find the right material. His passive skills are excellent - he reads widely and with perfect comprehension in his field - and he can communicate quite understandably. He is a linguistics specialist and can grasp any concept about the language immediately. I brought along Cambridge Advanced Grammar in Use and he could plow through a chapter in five minutes with perfect conceptual comprehension.

However, he also continues to make very simple errors - for example, he has trouble choosing between present simple and continuous or often uses the present tense for past events. Sentence order tends to get wander hither and yon while definite and indefinite articles come and go with the tide. (Prepositions are a problem too, but I won't beat him to hard there - prepositions are difficult in any new language.) In many cases his mistakes are typical of French or German speech patterns.

One other limitation is that he enjoys the weekly lessons (a good hour), but doesn't have much time to study in between.

Right now we spend about 15 minutes reading a chapter from Advanced Grammar in Use and about 45 minutes talking about just about anything under the sun, while I take notes and show him problems under the categories Pronunciation/Articles & Prespositions/Word Order/Other Grammar/Vocabulary/Idioms. However, I don't think the work book is a good choice - particularly since he doesn't do the homework - and it seems like he isn't making very good progress with his typical problem patterns - though he greets them like old friends when I point them out.

Any tips here?

Re: After any argument

Clive — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 15:52:17 GMT

Hi,

I have an argument with my girlfriend and we met after calm down. Is the following conversation correct?

Ben: May... you are back. When you ran away, I felt really upset.

May: I was mad at you Ben.........I needed to run away or I would have exploded.

or (the present tense version means they are talking about their routine, what always happens every time they argue)'

Bn: May... you are back. When you run away, I feel really upset.

May: I was mad at you Ben.........(Whenever we argue) I need to run away or I will explode.

'Explode' here means 'really, really lose my temper and get angry'. Is that what you mean?

Best wishes, Clive

Re: Follow-up to "Nagging conditional problem"

Mr Wordy — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 02:23:40 GMT

Anonymous

If you happen to have money (with/on you), could/would you lend me some? [this is more about present -- if the if-clause is in present tense, can we use the modals 'could' and 'would'? Does the phrase 'happen to have' make any difference here?

Should you have money (with/on you), could/would you lend me some? ["chancy" should -- To me, 'should' here is functionally equal to "if", so the sentence could be read:

If you have money (with/on you), could/would you lend me some?

The first sentence means essentially the same as "...can/will you lend me some?", but "could/would" has the effect of "softening" the request -- making it seem less direct. The use of "happen to have" (as opposed to just "have") makes no difference to the point you're asking about.

In the second sentence there is, to me, no tangible difference in meaning between "should" and "if". However, the version with "should" is more formal (or even slightly old-fashioned), and, in my part of the world, is much less likely to be heard in ordinary conversation. (In fact, in real life, I would in this context usually say "If you have any money...".)

Re: Present simple or future continuous

Philip — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:53:30 GMT

Not really.

The second sentence indicates a time in the future, perhaps very soon.

The first sentence is a bit odd, because the use of the simple present tense already implies "as usual". This could be used, of course, in casual conversation.
English is notorious for interchanging tenses, especially in casual speech.

Re: tenses

New2grammar — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:34:44 GMT

In fact, it's probably a mixture of both - they are still trying to solve the problem so some elements are past and some are present.Maybe he still thinks, and they still resent, but his communication with them is past.

GG, thanks for the reply. I like this comment of yours because that's what I think too. For example, the feeling 'resent' may still persist even though the communication is past. So I believe the past tense version probably can use the present tense 'resent' to emphasize their continuing feelings toward their step father. Learners are advised to stick to one tense and I probably understand why- It's easier to follow and sounds more formal. However, native speakers don't speak in one tense and maybe that's the reason you sound pretentious or too formal in a casual conversation if you speak in that manner. Of course this is the least I should worry about as I still have other major grammatical problems to fix.

Thanks for the reply, GG. It helps me understand grammar better.

Re: Difference between Say and Said

Anonymous — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 05:41:04 GMT

Hi Sir,

Thank you so much for your taking time to help me and may God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, bless you greatly..

Sir, what is the proper verb to be use here? Why is it that even if it did happen in the past (the conversation, I mean) I can read a lot of them using the present tense "say" Like: Tom says that.....yesterday. Why says not said?

Would

New2grammar — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 05:24:26 GMT

Avangi, I know you said you would rewrite if clause in present tense. However, I'd like to understand why you wrote it in the present tense followed by woulds. I'm sure your structure is correct and natural and by understanding it, it'll help me understand native speakers better and follow native speakers' conversations better.

Believe it or not, I've tried to understand this type of structure many times but am still lost.

Please help thanks!

If you just say, "I'm gonna be late," you probably would(3) have already tipped the person off that you would(4) need to end the conversation soon, and as you suggest, you would(5) still expect to be on time if you left immediately.

confused about 'would'

New2grammar — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:10:33 GMT

I know 'would' carries many meanings. My problem is sometimes I find it difficult to tell which meaning the speaker uses. I think I understand its hypothetical usage, and in some contexts, its politeness usage. Below is a post that has several woulds I have trouble interpreting. I also copied a post on would by CalifJim for reference.

Your analysis is good. Context will determine if you're using the expression as an excuse to break off what you're doing. If you're calling the people you expect to meet, then you would (1)tell them the truth. You can say, "I'll be about five minutes late," or "I may be a little late." If you're speaking to someone who is about to make you late for an appointment, the expression would(2) mean, "Hey, I'm gonna be late if I don't split right now!" If you just say, "I'm gonna be late," you probably would(3) have already tipped the person off that you would(4) need to end the conversation soon, and as you suggest, you would(5) still expect to be on time if you left immediately.

1) I don't thing politeness is the intended meaning here. To my ear, it carries the meaning of preference.

2) would here means possible? I have zero confidence in this one.

3) it doesn't look like hypothetical usage to me because the if clause is in present tense

4) and 5) should follow the same reasoning for #3, whatever that is.

Please help! Thanks in advance!

CalifJim's explanation on would
Yes. I thought maybe that's what you were referring to.
would in an if clause is possible when the would or the entire if-clause is part of a formula of politeness. if you would be so kind is a typical example of if with would in a "politeness phrase". This formula is equivalent to please. This sort of if-clause does not even have to be classified as a true conditional even though it contains the word if.

The phrase would like as a polite way of saying want, and it too can appear in an if-clause. Note that the idiom would like counts as a present tense for purposes of tense combinations. That is, it may combine with the imperative or the future. The idiom would rather has the same property.

If you would like to have dinner with us tomorrow, please call and let us know before noon.
I'm sure that if he'd like to go with us, he'll tell us. (If he would like to go, he will tell us.)
If you'd rather wait until tomorrow, [just say so / I'll understand].

if-clauses that are part of an indirect question structure are also exempt from the rule about combining if and would:

I wonder if he would object to this procedure.
I don't know if I would agree.
We had not decided if we would go along with the plan.

With the exception of the indirect question structure, which is quite common, these are just a very, very small number of situations where if and would occur in the same clause. The main rule for 99.99% of cases is 'never' to place if and would together!