Search results for 'tag:Simple present tag:Verbs' matching tags 'Simple present' and 'Verbs'

Re: What this error is called?

Avangi — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:31:18 GMT

Avangi
use the bare infinitive of the principle verb, "to mean." What does it mean? What did it mean?

To be more specific about your error, you failed to use the infinitive form of the principle verb, mean. You used the simple present and past of both the principle verb and the auxilliary verb. You might call it an error in verb formation. (I guess you'd have to say the agreement of subject and verb is correct.)

Sorry, I assumed you'd read the whole thing. It's been a long time. - A.

Re: When

Clive — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 19:42:42 GMT

Hi,

It might be helpful to you if I first try to summarize the comments on as/when/while by Michael Swan in his very useful book, 'Practical English Usage'. I think it's possible you may have already looked at this, but here it is anyway.

To talk about actions or situations that take place at the seame time, we can use as/when/while. There are some differences.
1. Backgrounds: as/when/while
We can use all 3 to introduce a longer background action or situation, which is going on when something else happens.
As I was having a shower, the phone rang.
The phone rang when I was havng a shower.
While I was having a shower, the phone rang.

All 3 clauses can go at the beginning or the end, but 'as' clauses usually introduce less important information and most often go at the beginning.

A progressive tense is usually used for the longer background action. But as/while can be used with a simple tense, especially with verbs like sit/lie/grow that refer to a continuous action or state.
As I sat in front of the TV, the phone rang.

3. Simultaneous long actions: while/as

We usually say as/while to show that 2 longer actions or situations went on at the same time. You can use progressive or simple tenses.

While you were sleeping, I was working.
Mary cooked dinner while I watched TV.

'As' is used (with simple tenses) to talk about 2 situations which develop or change together.
As I get older, I get more optimistic.

We prefer 'when' to refer to ages and periods of life.
When I was a child, we lived in Britain. (Not As/While I was a child. . . )

His parents died when he was ten. (Not while he was ten)

3. Simultaneous short actions: (just ) as; (just) when

We usually use (just) as to say that 2 short actions happen at the same time.
As I opened my eyes, I heard a strange voice.
Mary always arrives just as I start work.

(Just) when is also possible.
I thought of it just when you opened your mouth.

4. Reduced clauses with 'when' and 'while'.

It's often possible to omit 'subject + be' after 'when', especially when it means 'whenever', and also after 'while'.
Don't forget to signal when turning right ie when (you are) turning right.
Start when ready ie when (you are) ready.
While in Japan, he learned Japanese. ie while (he was) in Japan.

Now, I'll try to comment on your questions. These are my comments, not Swan's. I haven't refered back to Swan to review my answers. I've just answered from the point of view of an ordinary native speaker.

I'm greatful for your answers. However, I'm still unclear about their usage. Here are my questions:
1.
(1)He carelessly stepped on Jenny's foot while he danced with her.
(2)He carelessly stepped on Jenny's foot while he was dancing with her.

What is the subtle difference in meaning between #1 and #2? #2 suggests more that he did not just dance with her for a short time.

(3)He carelessly stepped on Jenny's foot when he danced with her.
(4)He carelessly stepped on Jenny's foot when he was dancing with her.

What is the difference between #3 and #4? Same comment.

2."While we cleaned the windows, they swept the floor."
(1)Do the two activities sound short or what does it emphasize? No. They just sound complete.
(2)The difference between 'while we were cleaning' and 'while we cleaned' can apply to 'as we were cleaning' and 'as we cleaned' and 'when we were cleaning' and 'when we cleaned'? Yes.

3."It was dark as he was walking home from work."
(1)I am confused why 'as' is ok here because there aren't two actions in the sentence. It's probably because the verb 'be' is special. Here, it describes an ongoing state.
(2)Can I say
"It was dark when/while/as he walked home from work." Yes

4.If 'when' means 'whenever' can I use 'while' or 'as' instead of 'when'? For example,
(1)When/while/As you are traveling, it is normal to have the runs sometimes. 'When/while' sound OK. 'As' doesn't sound so good to me. It also sounds a bit like it might mean 'because'.

Can I use simple present tense here, as in
(2)When/While/As you travel, it is normal to have the runs sometimes. Same comment as just above.

What is the difference between '#1 and #2 #2 stresses duration a bit more.

5.If the same person does two actions during the same period of time, Sould I use while, when or 'as here? Here are three pairs of examples, which is correct in the pairs?

(1)John~~is often whistling~~ when/while/as he is walking. Continuous does not sound correct here, because 'often' refers to a habit, which is best described by a simple tense.
(2)He often whistles when/while/as he walks. I prefer 'while'.

(3)The students took notes while/when/as they listened.
(4)The students were taking notes while/when/as they were listening.
(If the actions happened some time ago) 'When' does not sound good here. It sems to suggest that sometimes the students were not listening. Like'whenever'.

If the actions are happening right now, can I say
(5)The students are taking notes while/when/as they are listening.
or
(6)The students take notes while/when/as they listen.
The tense does not make any difference. Same comments as just above.

6.When it comes to 'age' can I use 'while'? For example,
'When she was only five years old, she could speak three languages.'
Can I use 'while' here instead of 'when? No. See Swan's comment on this.

7.'I thought of it just when you opened your mouth.'

I think 'when' means 'at the time that' here and the two actions happened at the same time. Can I use 'as' instead of 'when' as in
'I thought of it just as you opened your mouth.' Yes.

By the way, what does 'subject to' mean in 'subject to my comments above'?

It means 'Consider my comments above'. 'Yes, subject to my comments above' means "The answer is 'Yes', but only to the extent allowed by my comments above".

Clive

Re: What this error is called?

Avangi — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 01:24:57 GMT

Hi,

I'd say "agreement of subject and verb." It becomes more complicated when you ask a question, because you have to worry about the person, number and tense of the principle verb (to mean) and also the person, number and tense of the auxilliary verb (helping verb) to do.

It means nothing.

It meant nothing.

"It" is third person singular. It means is correct present tense. It meant is correct past tense.

When you ask the question, use the bare infinitive of the principle verb "to mean." In your examples, it doesn't change.

The agreement is done by the auxilliary verb. It does. It did. What does it mean? What did it mean?

To be more specific about your error, you failed to use the infinitive form of the principle verb, mean. You used the simple present and past of both the principle verb and the auxilliary verb. You might call it an error in verb formation. (I guess you'd have to say the agreement of subject and verb is correct.)

- A.

Sorry, that seat's taken.

Avangi — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:50:01 GMT

Hi,
Why would we consider the participle an adjective in the simple present and a verb in the present perfect?
Sorry, that seat's been taken.

What do we call it in the simple past?
Sorry, that seat was taken.

Is there no passive in the simple present? What am I missing? (I am devastated!)

Many thanks, - A.

Re: Witnesses

Tanit — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 06:53:13 GMT

Hi,

It's not correct because you have a plural subject followed by a verb in the third singular person. (By the way, did you really want the simple present, or is it a typo? "s" and "d" keys are close to each other in my keyboard...)
Besides, the repetition of witness is awkward. How about these?

    Two people witnessed the train accident.
    Two witnesses saw the train accident.
    There are two witnesses who saw the train accident. (this is a bit long winded, but it's closer to your sentence)

Re: Can we replace WOULD by WAS in such a sentence?

Avangi — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 15:06:45 GMT

mbouti has a point here. The crazy tenses in the OP excerpt set the present tense as the time when TR was/is six years old watching Lincoln's funeral procession. Therefore, the equivalent should be, "who would one day become his second wife" would be equal to, "who is one day to be/become his second wife."

"Who would one day become" only shows contextually that the "becoming" will take place at some time after the scene with TR as a six-year-old. "Who would one day become" will not change, whether the six-year-old scene is in simple present or simple past. The alternate version, however, must change.  Simple past: was to become   /   simple present: is to become

past:     would be = was to be

present: would be = is to be

Re your original question about the substitution, in my opinion the meaning would not change. The added alteration is not to the context, but to the passive verb form, which makes use of the infinitive. I understand "context" here as the real meaning of the sentence (from another thread).

- A.

Re: The infinitive

CalifJim — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:51:44 GMT

Infinitive means not finite, that is, not tied to any particular tense or time. It does not mean the simple present. It isn't any tense at all.

The infinitive is formed by adding the word to in front of the dictionary form of the verb.

Infinitives: to do, to go, to see, to know

Infinitives are used after many different verbs, such as want, hope, promise, and try. want to go, hope to see, try to do, etc.

If the word to is left out, you have a "bare infinitive": do, go, see, know. Bare infinitives are used after modal verbs like can, could, will, would, may, etc.

Another name for "bare infinitive" is "base form".

Re: Present Perfect (americans)

Diamondrg — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 07:40:10 GMT

Hi, YSchneider. I am not a native speaker and this is indeed a tough grammar point for non-native speakers.

Here is an extract from CGEL*:

Did you lock the front door? [5]

in a domestic situation where it is known that the front door is locked at bedtime every night. In that case, [5] is more or less equivalent to Did you
lock the front door at bedtime? (Incidentally, in [5], "the" in "the front door" is another case of situational definiteness; cfS.Uff.)

--

The ATTITUDINAL PAST, used with verbs expressing volition or mental state, reflects the tentative attitude of the speaker, rather than past time.
In the following pairs, both the present and past tenses refer to a present state of mind, but the latter is somewhat more polite:

Do/Did you want to see me now?
I wonder/wondered if you could help us.

--

Where did you put my purse ? [ 1 ]
Where have you put my purse? [2]

The purpose of both of these questions may be to find the purse; but in [1] the speaker seems to ask the addressee to remember a past action; while in [2] the speaker apparently concentrates on the purse's present whereabouts. There are many such cases.

--

Leaving aside such virtual equivalences, we may now focus on the difference between the two constructions, contrasting the meanings of the simple past given in 4.14 with the following meanings of the simple present perfective:

(a) STATE LEADING UP TO THE PRESENT

That house has been empty for ages.
Have you known my sister for long?

(b) INDEFINITE EVENT(S) IN A PERIOD LEADING UP TO THE PRESENT

Have you (ever) been to Florence?
All our children have had measles.

(c) HABIT (ie recurrent event) IN A PERIOD LEADING UP TO THE PRESENT

Mr Terry has sung in this choir ever since he was a boy.
The province has suffered from disastrous floods throughout its history.

Of these meanings, (a) corresponds to the 'state past' use of the simple past, but differs from it in specifying that the state continues at least up to the present moment (cf: That house was empty for ages - but now it's been sold); (b) corresponds to the 'event past', but differs from it in that the past time in question is indefinite rather than definite (cf: Did you go to Florence (last summer) ?); (c) corresponds to the 'habitual past', but, as with (a), the period identified must continue up to the present.

Note In AmE there is a tendency to use the past tense in preference to the present perfective, especially for the indefinite past; eg: Did you ever go to Florence ? (c/4.13 Note lb], 4.22 Note [a ]).

--

Have you seen the Javanese Art Exhibition? [yet]
Did you see the Javanese Art Exhibition? [when it was here]

The first of these implies that the Exhibition is still open; the second that the Exhibition has finished. From this concern with a period still existing at the present time, it is only a short step to the second implication often associated with the present perfective, viz that the event is recent. The simple present perfective is often used to report a piece of news:

_., , > the news? The president has resigned.

Because of this connotation of recency, B's reply in the following exchange must be considered absurdly inappropriate:

A: Has the postman left any letters? B: Yes, he did six months ago.

Since postmen in general deliver letters daily, the implicit time zone in this case would be no longer than a day.

[Note] In AmE, the simple past is often preferred to the present perfective for the variants of the indefinite past discussed in this section. Compare [6 ], for example, with Did the children come home yet? <esp AmE). Other AmE examples are: I just came back; You told me already; and without an adverb: /*m tired -1 had a long day.

* A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language (Quirk et al.]

Re: look forward to see ...

Diamondrg — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 08:45:00 GMT

What do you want to learn about it?

Its meaning: to feel pleased and excited about something that is going to happen

You can use it with simple present or present continuous without change in meaning. After "look forward to" you can use a noun or a verb, depending on the meaning you want to convey. If you use a verb, as "to" is a preposition, you should use -ing form of the verb as in the example below.

I'm really looking forward to my holiday.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Re: anybody/nobody/someone

Avangi — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 07:16:44 GMT

The key is the verb "to make" in this case. It's followed by the bare infinitive - to make [to] agree to do

If instead of "make" you use "force," which is followed by the complete infinitive, you can better see how the form works.

Someone tries to force someone to agree to do something. There are three "complete" infinitives in this sentence. The only simple present verb is "tries," which follows your rule. Infinitives don't change from singular to plural.

Furthermore, the second "someone" is the direct object of "force," rather than a subject, and therefore is not required to agree with the verb.
The same thing is true of "someone" in the definition you have quoted from the dictionary.

Another example which follows your rule would be: Unless someone agrees to pay for this meal, we'll all have to wash dishes. Here, "someone" is the subject of the clause, and the verb is singular, to agree.

I know I didn't approach you question from the right end. If your dictionary quote were something like, "in the movie, someone agrees to do something terrible," "someone" would be the subject of the sentence and would follow your rule. But in your example, it is not the subject.

- A.

Edit. I hope you can follow this mess. I should have scrapped it and started over, but I have to go to work! Sorry.