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

present or past tense

Lcwang — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:05:44 GMT

Hi:

In the following sentence, shall present tense or past tense be used?

I arrived home safe and sound. The first thing I feel / felt I must do is to write you this e-mail to thank you for the hospitality you extended to me during my stay in New York.

Regards

Re: The description of my job

Mister Micawber — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:43:50 GMT

.
I have underlined some problem areas, Oliver:

Nowadays, most big and advanced factories need more equipments, less workers. So a new vocation brought out for the managers to control so many machines with few labours, we called ~~the~~ new line-Automatic project control.

We use automatic control system mostly in iron works, where there are ~~lots of~~ huge machines which are hardly operated by manpower, and sometimes itâs not convenient for workers to control the big machines just beside them, as the long distance between control center and the ~~spot where the~~ machines location will take jockey so much time. For solve this problem, we begin to try to use a new system, which include industrial computer, low-tension apparatus, relay, switch, transformer, and the main part~~-we~~ called it PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). By the industrial drawing software we can add all the machines need to be operated on the screen of a computer, and their location on screen is accord to the actual location outside. After completeing the drawing, we distribute a memory address of database to each unit displayed on screen, and then we ~~will go on and~~ edit the programme on the computer and download it into the CPU of PLC. Finally, we ~~will~~ connect all the computers and PLCs by Industrial Ethernet or Profibus. Thus, we have set up the whole control system, and the programme which control all the machines could ~~absolute~~ run automatically. The worker can operate one of the machines individually by just double-click on the screen, and most of the time, he can leave computers take their course ~~by themselves~~. If we can disregard the failure of control-apparatus, ~~it will be enough for~~ only one person can sit in the center control room, and the only thing what to do for him is ~~just~~ cleaning. With the nicer condition of machines outside, we can finish a control system as complicated as the one which used in a medium-sized iron works (about 450 steres) within fifteen days by three engineers. We are trying to serve the clients (the managers of factories mostly) with the most beautiful pictures and unimpeachable program.

What happens in iron works? [Put all your verbs below in present tense]

1. Plenty of coke and iron ore is send to the mouth of the furnace, there, the material passed ~~first jaws-we called~~ upper cover and got into the medium part of the furnace, and then, they went on passed the ~~second jaws-we called~~ nether cover and got into the abdomen of furnace. The action of the two jawses is separate the harmful gas from the air by alternate opening.

2. Hold by the strong press of the flaming air from dozen of meatus placed into the furnace, the material began to melt together in the air, and ~~at the first time to see that I even could not believe~~ the material can step to melting in a floating state~~!!!~~

3. The coke was burned out inside the furnace and turned into carbon monoxide. The gas passed through a pipeline and went into a gravitational dust catcher, where the bigger granules were filtrated off.

4. Then, the gas come to other dust catch system, we called hop-pocket dust cacther, where almost all impurity were filtrated off.

5. In the end, the gas entered heat air stove (maybe itâs called blast stove in USA), and was heated up to a high temperature about 1500 Celsius. With the big air pressure made by several huge fans outside, the gas was sent to the twelve meatus we mentioned above. And hereto, we have toured through an orbicular circulation fully.

The melting material become to melton iron gradually and flowed out from a confined exit. Generally, if there are copulate steel-making workshops, the melton iron will be sent to those workshops directly and be made into steel there. If there no workshops ~~like that,~~ the melton iron will be moulded into rion blocks at normal temperature, and carried to other places to remade into steel.

We mainly use ~~the~~ products and softwares from SIEMENS and GE corporation. We look forward to use our native products.

Re: grammar help!

Clive — Mon, 12 May 2008 20:53:59 GMT

Hi guys,

Some points of disagreement as listed below for argument sake:-

Should it be "There is a tour"? Please advise. Yes - Should be "There will be a tour" since the message appears to refer to the next one. No, use present tense because the writer is describing an event that happens regularly.

Prior to September 11th, hardly anyone in the West had heard of it, and when anyone did, the one thought it perhaps a radical Muslim operation. - to be symmetrical. Yes, you could use the second 'anyone' as suggested here, if you wanted to. However, this use of 'the one' is so unnatural as to be simply wrong. 'They' is commonly used here. If you don't want to say that, you could say 'that person thought it . . '.

Best regards, Clive.

Re: Please check my letter for any kinda error(logical, technical or gramatical etc..)..Thanks

mzca — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 06:27:21 GMT

Hey Boss!

Thanks alot for your efforts. I appreciate!

Is not some thing like that we are telling a story so present tense is used.
I am advised to collect passport on.. (I)

I was advised to collect passport on (I don't know if it is an official style(?))

REgards,

Mansour Awan

Re: I need HELP!!! Problems with changes between past and continuous tense

Cool Breeze — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 10:19:19 GMT

Hi David

Unfortunately the quote option doesn't work properly if I add my comments and change the colour of my text, so I'll post my comments without quoting anything. I don't quite understand what you mean with regard to your first sentence, or sentences, actually. "The old man was well-known..." is in the past tense and "would" can be considered the past tense of "will" and thus fits the sentence very well. There is nothing in a continuous tense in these sentences, so I can't figure out how the story could go on in a continuous tense all of a sudden.

In the next paragrahp, change "sits" to "sat" as "sits" is a present tense and all the other verbs in the sentence are in the past tense.

As for waste can, usage varies in English a lot since there is no language academy. I wouldn't hyphenate it but some others might do that. Teacup, tea cup or tea-cup, anything goes.

Re: hardly - and, nor

Avangi — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 02:40:57 GMT

Lawrence H. Song wrote:
hi,

1. I hardly go to A and B.

2. I hardly go to A nor B.

which one is right? ----- I don't like either one. How about, I neither go to A nor B. I hardly go to A or B. I never go to A or B. I always go to [either] A or B. (Maybe I'm wrong.)

1. He told me that there was a book on the desk.

2. He told me that there is a book on the desk.

In the case the book is still on the desk, which one is right? I think both are correct. It's not relevant that the book is still on the desk, since he told you in the past.

I read verb in the subordinate goes along with the verb in the main clause, but am confused in some cases.

Hi Lawrence,

I see what you mean. I can't seem to come up with any help at all. I'm having trouble with both sets.

In the first set, maybe it's because you can't go to two places at the same time. I wouldn't say, "I always go to A and B," but I suppose it's possible. I wouldn't say, "I never go to A nor B," but I suppose it's possible.

In the second set, you can't justify present tense in the subordinate clause because the book is still there, since you're simply reporting what he said in the past. I suppose the correct thing is to let the two verbs agree, but I think you could say, "He told me that two and two are four."

Best regards, - A.

Re: Thesis writing

Hoa Thai — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 03:03:38 GMT

Hi,

In a thesis / dissertation / science report, all three tenses (past, present, future) are used.
- Past tense must be used to introduce the results of one's research since it was done.
- Present tense is used to layout the process of defending one's conclusion.
- Future tense might be used at the end to open gates for future researches.

Best Regards,
Hoa Thai

past or present tense in quoting?

Hoa Thai — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 11:30:29 GMT

Hello,

Thanks in advance!

What is the convention in using the present or past tense to quote a source? If the present tense must be used, then please explain the reason behind such a recommendation. By the way, I was told to use the present tense a long way back and did not have a sense to ask why.

1. From a written source:
Dr. Samuel writes / wrote, "The medical community ...." I don't understand how he reaches / reached his conclusion!

2. From a recorded source:
President John F. Kennedy says / said, "Ask not ....."

Best Regards,
Hoa Thai

Re: a question of "Simple Present Tense"

Mr. Profenglish — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 20:47:48 GMT

Anonymous wrote:

Hi everybody,

I have a question about the Negative Form of "Simple Present Tense", please help me.

Can I use "I don't read the book right now" to express the meaning of "I'm not reading the book right now"?

Thanks a lot in advance.

***********

Here is a summary about the present simple tense with all the forms of it plus examples

* * *

Form

Examples

Notes

Affirmative( Positive ) form:

Base form

S- form

1. Water consists of hydrogen and oxygen.

2. The world is round

3. He always eats a sandwich for lunch

4. My classes begin at nine.

5. She prefers to stay at home.

6. He appears to be asleep.

7. That belongs to me.

8. I remember my first teacher.

9. If you study hard, you will pass the exam.

10. If he comes early, he will catch the bus.

Present Simple Tense is used :

i. to show general statement of fact

ii. to express habitual or everyday activity

iii. with verbs of: senses, mental activity, possession and attitudes

iv. with conditional clauses type one.

Remarks:

Â§ Singular subjects take the S-from

Â§ Plural subjects take the Base form

Â§ ( he, she, it ) + S. form

Â§ ( we, they, you, I ) + Base form

S. = subject

inf. = infinitive form of the verb

S- form = verb + s

Base form = verb without ( s )

Negative form:

(do, does + not + inf.

1. They do not work at the hospital.

2. She does not go to the university everyday

Contracted Negative form:

donât + inf.

doesnât + inf.

1. They donât work in a bank.

2. I donât recognize that man

3. She doesnât prefer to stay at home.

Wh- question form :

Wh- + ( do / does ) + S. + inf. + ...?

1. Where do you live?

2. When does she go to work everyday?

3. Why do I like that nonsense?

Yes/No question form :

(Do / Does ) + S. + inf. + â¦ ?

Do they need a help?

Does he mean that book?

Short Answer form :

Yes, + S. + ( do / does ).

No, + S. + ( donât / doesnât )

Yes, he does. / yes, they do. / Yes, I do.

no, I donât. / No, he doesnât / No, they donât.

***

Regards,

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Re: past perfect vs past in if-clause in type 2 conditional

yulysess — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 16:05:12 GMT

Let's spread out the issue a little bit:

____ O ____

Type 2. Basic forms.

a. If we caught the 10 o'clock train, we would (could, might,

etc.) get there by lunch-time.

b. If I came into a fortune, I would give up smoking.

c. If I knew how it worked, I could tell you what to do.

In these sentences the conditional clauses represent what is a possible, b hypothetical/imaginary, or c contrary to the present fact. The verb form in the conditional clause represents the attitude of the speaker towards the condition; it does not represent time, which is indicated by other elements in the context or situation.

Sentence a is analogous to type 1 (If we catch..., we shall get...), but is more suppositional. The speaker either regards catching that train as improbable, or he wishes to put forward in a more tentative or "polite" way the suggestion of catching it. It does not necessarily follow that the condition is in fact unlikely to be fulfilled.

Sentence b, on the other hand, is much more hypothetical: it is a form of day-dreaming in which we all indulge at times.

Sentence c presents us with totally imaginary (or unreal) situation with reference to the time of speaking: it implies that I don't, in fact, know how it works, so I can't tell you what to do. Note that the past tense is used here to indicate present unreality.

The three sentences are formally identical: they all have the same sequence of tenses:

(if) past tense, (main) conditional.

However, contextually they are rather different. They represent three points on a scale of decreasing probability, from a suppositional or tentative but possible, to b hypothetical but not impossible, to c contrary to present fact, and hence unreal.

Note that the conditional tense is not used in the conditional clause.

As we saw in example "c", the idea of something contrary to present fact is conveyed by the use of the past tense in the conditional clause. We also use the past tense to refer to present unreality after the verb "wish" (if only, also expresses the wish of the speaker), and after expressions like "I'd rather" and "It is time":

a. I wish (that) I were rich! (If only I were rich!)

b. I'd rather you told me frankly what you think.

c. It's time (It's about time, It's high time) we left.

We never use the present tense or a future form after wish. We use either the past tense as illustrated above, or we can use would (not will) to indicate that people or events frustrate our desires.

Type 2. Variations.

a. If we were to miss the 10 o'clock train, we wouldn't get there till after lunch.

The use of were to in the conditional clause sometimes has the effect of emphasizing the suppositional nature of the condition and, is in some ways analogous to the use of should in conditional clauses in TYPE 1: we can often substitute "by any chance" without changing the meaning: If by any chance we missed the 10 o'clock train, we wouldn't get there till after lunch.

Were to is used for all persons, and this variation may be applied to any conditional clause of this second type.

b. If you would reserve seats, we would be sure of a comfortable journey.

In this sentence. would is not a part of a conditional tense; it is a modal verb, and represents a more tentative (or polite) form of WILL as used in conditional clauses of type 1. It introduces the idea of your agreeing, or being willing, to do what is suggested. We cannot use this construction in the following sentence:

If he got my letters in time, he would be able to change his plans.

We cannot say

*If he would get my letter in time, since "he" can hardly exercise any willingness or unwillingness to get it.

You must, therefore, be careful to use "would" in this way only where the context will support the idea of co-operation, agreement, or willingness on the part of the subject.

Type 2. Summary of forms.

1. (If) past tense, (main) conditional.

If we caught the early train, we'd get there by lunch time.

2. (If) were to + infinitive, (main) conditional.

If we were to miss the early train, we wouldn't get there till after lunch.

3. (If) would + infinitive, (main) conditional.

If you'd cook the dinner, I'd do the washing up afterwards.

Type 3. Basic forms and variations.

a. If we had caught the 10 o'clock train, we would (could, might, etc.) have got there by lunch-time.

This sentence is completely hypothetical, and represents what is contrary to past fact. In this case, the past perfect tense is used to indicate past unreality -we didn't catch the 10 o'clock train, so we didn't get there by lunch time.

This is analogous to the use of the past tense to indicate present unreality in type 2c, and tense usage after the verb WISH follows the same pattern: we use the past perfect to refer to something wished-for in the past:

I wish you had told me before (but you didn't)

Variations on a sentence "a" are not very common, though sentences like the following are occasionally met with:

b. If you were to have asked me, I would have been only too willing to help.

Bibliography

R. A. Close (1975). A Reference Grammar for Students of English. Longman.

B.D. Graver (1979). Advanced English Practice. OUP

S.M. Parkinson (1983). A University English Grammar for Spanish-Speakers. Ed. EmpeÃ±o

R. Quirk et al. (1979). A Grammar of Contemporary English. Longman

W. Stannard Allen (1977). Living English Structure. Longman

M. Swan (1986). Practical English Usage. OUP

A.J. Thomson & A.V. Martinet (1982). A Practical English Grammar. OUP

______ O _______

Enjoy

Also look at the link Marius gave.