Search results for 'tag:Simple past tag:Pronouns' matching tags 'Simple past' and 'Pronouns'

Re: have got

Skrej — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:52:03 GMT

Hahah, you two make me laugh with these posts.

Yoong, all your emoticons and hyper-links work fine for me. I can click on your links and it brings up the post, just like it's supposed to.

About contractions: It depends upon what kind of contraction. Personal pronoun contractions can be used with everything except the simple present, simple past, and past continuous, including most present forms, and all the future forms. They won't work with the simple past, but they can work with the past perfect, and past perfect continuous. However, they can be a bit ambiguous, so you need to write your sentences so they're clear, or write them out to avoid any confusing cases. Also, contractions are viewed as informal, so be aware of the situation you're writing for, when deciding whether or not to use them.

I'd studied acting before moving to New York. (past. perf.)

You weren't studying? (past cont. but -it's not a personal pronoun contraction.)

You'd been studying when she called. (past. perf. cont.)

I'll do it in a minute( simple future)
I'll have finished it by the time you get home. (future perf.)

However:

He's tired. (Unclear- Is it "He is tired" (simple present), or "He has tired" (pres. perf.)

Re: C.V.

Clive — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 05:22:58 GMT

Hi,

But just to make sure, because it still sounds weird to my ear, but if you say it's the right way to do it I will beleive you, considering it's a previous work experience I should write :

Tasks: Programmed data acquisition applications and numerical simulations for the ISAC 2 (isotope separation and acceleration 2) control room.

This sounds OK. It's a simple statement of a past activity, and that's what Simple Past tense is used for.

Such things are normally written in a somewhat abbreviated grammar , without the personal pronoun 'I'.

I see that you have the sub-heading 'Tasks:' here. I'm not sure how appropriate that seems. It doesn't seem necessary.

I wouldn't recommend numbering the various points in your lists. In my experience, that's not normally done.

Clive

Re: simple past vs present perfect

Magic79 — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 09:12:34 GMT

Sorry Cali for using the wrong pronoun.

Thanks Grammar.

So my discourse grammar thing was not quite right and both simple past and past perfect can be used depending on whether we know when or whether it was pretty recent or relevant. It's all about how we percieve the distance and relevance of the verb "ordered."

I have a question:

Do average Americans make a clear distinction between the simple past and present perfect or is it only for professors, teachers, journalists, and the like?

I know that they use simple past with YET and ALREADY...when they should use the present perfect. Am I missing something...Am I only seeing the tip of an iceberg?

Re: Which one is "more" correct?

Bokeh — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 21:23:43 GMT

Grammar Geek wrote:
I still think you can use "have been looking for"

I don't know whether that is acceptable according to prescriptive grammar but it certainly sounds ok to my ear.

New2grammar wrote:
Is it right to say:

"I think I've found what i've wanted all along"

Thanks!

You need to capitalize the "I" pronoun everytime you use it. Also it is more usual to use a present perfect in the first instance to establish the connection with the present and then switch to the simple past for the rest of the sentence. "I think I've found what I wanted all along".

Grammar Geek wrote:
You can't use that for something you found last month.

In BrE you can. "At last I've found a reliable builder. I found him in last month's issue of Home and Garden."

Re: Analysis of a sentence

Doll — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 11:09:36 GMT

Walking as if each step were painful¹, she slowly pushed open the glass door and hobbled down the nearest aisle².

1: Dependant clause (what kind of dependant clause??) I'm kind of confused as to the nature of this subordinate clause... It is reduced clause(While/As she was walking...)

2: Main clause Yes.

Walking: past progressive? (which tense is?) With a big probability it is past progressive.

As if: describes how a situation seems to be Yes.

Each: determiner Yes.

Step: noun Yes.

Were: linking verb (copula) Yes.

Painful: predicator adjective (predicate adjective) I am not sure.

She: personal pronoun, 3^rd person

Slowly: adverb

Pushed: V. Simple past, transitive

(pushed open): Verbal phraseâ

The: (adjective, determinant, definite article) Yes.

Glass door: compound noun or:

Glass: adjective noun (is there a term for nouns used as adjectives?)

Door: noun Glass door --compound noun.Most compound nouns are formed by nouns modified by other nouns or adjectives.Here is some information for you:We can use a noun as an adjective when it precedes a noun that it modifies; a mountain bike is a bike designed for riding up mountains. 'Mountain' functions as an adjective modifying the noun bike.

And: conjunction, links main clause with verbal phrase (compound verb: pushed + hobbled). Not too sure as to how to define the use of the conjunction here. I would assume "and" here links the main clause with the verbal phrase hobbled down the nearest aisle. It is coordinating conjunction.I think here and links independent clauses.

Hobbled down: verbal phrase

The: definite article

Nearest: adj.

Aisle: noun Yes.

Trouble understanding this...

SeekerOfPeace — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 03:20:03 GMT

Right or wrong?

âFor a moment¹, I even thought² that this was some sort of test³ and that this woman was someone from the head office⁴, testing my loyalty⁵.â

1: Prepositional phrase used adverbially.

2: Main clause

3: Dependant clause

4: Dependant clause

5: Participial phrase

For: preposition,

A: indefinite determinant

Moment: noun

I: personal pronoun, 1^st person,

Even: adverb, expressing surprise

That: relative pronoun?

This: pronoun

Was: L.V. simple past

Some: determiner, determines âsortâ, indefinite article

Sort: noun

Of: preposition

Test: noun

And: subordinating conjunction, (I thought and could only be used as a coordinating conjunction??)

This: definite article

Woman: noun

Was: L.V. simple past

Someone: indefinite pronoun

From: preposition, links someone and head office

Head office: compound noun+ head used as an adjective rather than a noun here.

Testing: present participle (verb?)

My: determiner

Loyalty: noun

Re: Analysis of a sentence

SeekerOfPeace — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 15:41:02 GMT

Thanks Philip.

How about the next one:

Walking as if each step were painful¹, she slowly pushed open the glass door and hobbled down the nearest aisle².

1: Dependant clause (what kind of dependant clause??) I'm kind of confused as to the nature of this subordinate clause...

2: Main clause

Walking: past progressive? (which tense is?)

As if: describes how a situation seems to be

Each: determiner

Step: noun

Were: linking verb (copula)

Painful: predicator adjective (predicate adjective)

She: personal pronoun, 3^rd person

Slowly: adverb

Pushed: V. Simple past, transitive

(pushed open): Verbal phraseâ

The: (adjective, determinant, definite article)

Glass door: compound noun or:

Glass: adjective noun (is there a term for nouns used as adjectives?)

Door: noun

Hobbled down: verbal phrase

The: definite article

Nearest: adj.

Aisle: noun

Re: Analysis of a sentence

Philip — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 15:29:59 GMT

SeekerOfPeace wrote:
Hello everyone,

I'm trying to practice my understanding of grammar. I'm trying to be as detailed as possible in my explanations.

Is the following analysis right? Is there anything I should/could add to it?

Thanks.

The moment she entered¹, the woman presented a sharp contrast to our shiny store² with its bright lighting and neatly arranged shelves³.

1: dependant clause (subordinate clause)

2: Independent clause (main clause)

3: Prepositional phrase

The: Definite article, defines moment

Moment: noun, countable

She: personal pronoun, 3^rd person

Entered: Simple past, Simple past

The: Definite article, defines woman

Presented: Verb, simple past, synonym in this context: provide

A: non-definite article I've always used the term 'indefinite'.

Sharp: adjective

To: preposition

Our: Possessive pronoun (personal pronoun, possessive case) Can I say possessive pronoun?

With: preposition (descriptive)

Its: pronoun, replaces store

Bright: adjective

Lighting: noun

And: conjunction

Neatly: adverb

Arranged: adjective

Shelves: noun

Excellent work! 100%

Analysis of a sentence

SeekerOfPeace — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 13:53:51 GMT

Hello everyone,

I'm trying to practice my understanding of grammar. I'm trying to be as detailed as possible in my explanations.

Is the following analysis right? Is there anything I should/could add to it?

Thanks.

The moment she entered¹, the woman presented a sharp contrast to our shiny store² with its bright lighting and neatly arranged shelves³.

1: dependant clause (subordinate clause)

2: Independent clause (main clause)

3: Prepositional phrase

The: Definite article, defines moment

Moment: noun, countable

She: personal pronoun, 3^rd person

Entered: Simple past, Simple past

The: Definite article, defines woman

Presented: Verb, simple past, synonym in this context: provide

A: non-definite article

Sharp: adjective

To: preposition

Our: Possessive pronoun (personal pronoun, possessive case) Can I say possessive pronoun?

With: preposition (descriptive)

Its: pronoun, replaces store

Bright: adjective

Lighting: noun

And: conjunction

Neatly: adverb

Arranged: adjective

Shelves: noun

Re: It's time+simple past tense

Aperisic — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 12:36:12 GMT

Calive wrote:

This is the headline from the brochure of a leading car maker:

Isn't it time you shift to a smarter drive?

In my opinion, the correct sentence would be:

Isn't it time you shifted to a smarter drive?

Am I right?

Well, there are several combinations

Isn't it time to [do something] = I wonder if it is time to [do something]
Isn't it time you do/go/â¦ = A way to say someone that it is about time for him to do something, either to remind him or to order him orâ¦
Isn't it time you did/went/â¦ = You missed something but now you ask if that was about time for you to have done it at all
Isn't it time you did/went/â¦ = Isn't it time when you did/went/â¦ you ask if some past event had happened simultaneously with another past event
Isn't it time you did/went/â¦ = You express a desire something to happen though it looks it is not going to (Isn't it time he/you resigned?, Isn't it time he/you gave up?)

You can use other pronouns not only you, for example we, but with he/she/it/they the sentence has to be carefully tailored.

Not to forget the other usages

Isnât it time we do not have? (we do not have time)
Isnât it time that this program is going to squander far beyond our expectations?
Isnât it time for out meeting?
Isnât it time?

Isn't it time you shift to a smarter drive? a reminder or request
Isn't it time you shifted to a smarter drive? a missed event, desire or reference to another past event