Search results for 'tag:Tenses tag:Past tenses' matching tags 'Tenses' and 'Past tenses'

Re: shortest sentence with every letter of the alphabet

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:01:06 GMT

How about:

Zing, vext cwm fly jabs Kurd qoph.

"vext" alternate past tense of "vex"
"cwm" a glacier-carved valley
"qoph" a letter of the Hebrew alphabet

Re: General Enquiries: Present & Past Perfect tense usage

Mister Micawber — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:05:34 GMT

my grammar text states that past perfect tense can be used to show an action that was completed some time ago. The example given is Joan had gone to England.

Your grammar book is wrong. That is insufficient cause for past perfect:

The earliest well-documented ice age, and probably the most severe of the last 1 billion years, occurred from 850 to 630 million years ago (the Cryogenian period). This ended very rapidly as water vapor returned to Earth's atmosphere.

In a sentence when there is Both "never and before", is there a probable chance to use present tense? or a must to use past tense. My examples, I never see her before, i never play before. i never sing before. are they grammatical wrong?

Very wrong. These are fine:

I have never seen her before.
I never saw her before.
I never see her anymore.
I'll never see her anymore.
.

Re: General Enquiries: Present & Past Perfect tense usage

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:37:56 GMT

thanks for the timely reply! you're superb active. thanks!!

i agreed to almost all of your answers!
however, my grammar text states that past perfect tense can be used to show an action that was completed some time ago. The example given is Joan had gone to England.
So i was wondering whether if my book is wrong in the illustration?

Also, as for the last question, i think i'd try to rephrase it. In a sentence when there is Both "never and before", is there a probable chance to use present tense? or a must to use past tense.

My examples, I never see her before, i never play before. i never sing before. are they grammatical wrong?

thank you

chossing correct tense/tense consistency

MaxMaximus — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:08:59 GMT

Greetings,

I have a pretty big favour to ask.

I've been struggling with this topic for quite awhile now.It goes without saying that my English "leaves something to be desired".

Having in mind the subtle differences that occur from using particular tenses, I have often wondered how the authors of following exercises expect anyone to choose the correct form, without providing sound and unambiguous references.

I've uploaded 2 exercises that I stumbled upon :

1. http://rapidshare.com/files/138835945/HP.txt.html
and
2.http://rapidshare.com/files/138835946/redundancy.txt.html

I have converted them into .txt files to ease moderators' job.

They present the essence of my inability to comprehend and do right.

First text:
1. First sentence, adverb "always" stands before the verb (author did not bother to put it in the brackets (always/be)). If she is dead (we don't know that until we have finished reading) or if she is not "a fighter" anymore (we are clueless about that either), - we could use Past Simple. Of course, Present Perfect is more likely choice, but the position of adverb puzzles.

2."But, prior to..." - Past Continuous or Past Perfect?

3.The sentence : "it (be)__ slow to notice..".I'm not sure whether Past Simple or Past Perfect should be used here.There is no strong reference whether this "slow noticing" occurred prior to her arrival or about the time when she came on board.

4."Those three years are not over..". The starting point is present time, but, that has nothing to do with the moment when she realized how things stand, which I know nothing about.Even the Present Simple is possible if she keeps realizing everyday that things are harder than she expected.For the rest of the paragraph I'm not certain whether Present Perfect should be used.

5."Above all,.." - from Present Simple (finds, is trying, is going to embark)...to Present Perfect (has found, has tried/has been trying, has embarked)...The tenses chosen in these sentences determine the tenses of the last paragraph in the text.

Second text:
1. First sentence: we could use Future Simple as well as Present Simple for the verb "have to"?

2. "Although no business or industry..". If there was a recent survey - do interviewed subjects still claim what they have said - or the use of Past Tense is obligatory? The word "any" is used in interrogative or negative sentences - but here, no question is being asked nor it is possible to be negative. Instead, "some" should have been used, I think.

3. "Those who have..." - Present Continuous or Present Simple? Former is more likely choice although the latter is possible also.

4. "In the past.." - as far as I know this presents the "indefinite moment in time". The Present Perfect could be used - but the position of adverb "always" confuses, again.

I would be more than grateful to anyone who can shed some light on these issues.
If I could reach to any other decent credible source I wouldn't ask for help in this way.

Thanks in advance,
Georgie.

Re: What is the difference...

Clive — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 03:45:15 GMT

Hi,

What is the difference in meaning between these two sentences?

1. Do you want to go to the mall? You are talking about right now.

2. Did you want to go to the mall? You could be talking about some time in the past, eg 30 years ago. However, you could also be talking about right now, in a polite way.

eg You have a candy. I say to you, 'Did you want that candy?' The use of the past tense here is considered polite. It weakens the 'strength' of my question. This is often called 'distancing'.

Best wishes, Clive

Re: What is the deference....?

YoungCalifornian — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:30:28 GMT

She went to Cambridge.

Went is the past tense of go. If you "go to" a school, it usually means you attend there as a student.

She has been to Cambridge.

Been is the past participle of be. The sentence literally means that at some point in the past she was at Cambridge, but not necessarilly that she was enrolled as a student. The usage of the past participle as opposed to the preterite also implies that there is a meaning or reason she was there that is relevant to the present.

She was in Cambridge.

Was is the past tense of be. It simply means that she was there is the past. Also, the use of the preposition "in" means that she was in the town of Cambridge. If you mean the univerisity, use the preposition "at" instead. Generally you don't say that you are "in" universities.

To sum up, the verb "to be" in reference to a university means that the subject is simply present at the university. To indicate that the subject is a present there as a student, one should use "to go to" or "to attend." The usage of the past participle (be=been, go=gone) in this context (i.e. perfect aspect) indicates a past action with direct relevance to the present.

Re: there had to be

CalifJim — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:23:43 GMT

pructus
a past tense subjunctive referring to the present, like, "You could be right."

This is a modal construction (could), not a subjunctive.

Here's a subjunctive (underlined): It is important that you be right.

I'm not sure what you're asking, I guess.

Re: there had to be

pructus — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:14:00 GMT

Thanks...

I see..

Then, understanding it as a past tense subjunctive referring to the present, like, "You could be right.", meaning "There should be one time that you do not get it." is impossible?

Watching dramas or movies in English, when a friend tries to give a high-price gift, then her friend says, âI couldnât takeâ or âI couldnâtâ.

Also, âCould you be more queer?â is meaning that the listener is(not was) very queerâ¦.

Here, in these two cases, âcouldâ definitely is referring to the present situation, so it is understood as a subjunctive, not simple indicative.

Therefore, I assumed this paragraph from Harry Potter could also be a subjunctiveâ¦â¦

Re: there had to be

CalifJim — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 06:57:38 GMT

pructus
âThere had to beâ .. Is it simple past tense as an indicative or is it a present tense as a subjunctive?

My subjunctive scouts have returned empty-handed.

Consider that a true subjunctive in a main clause is not found in English, certainly not the past subjunctive. It's the simple past indicative tense.

there had to be

pructus — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 05:55:11 GMT

Following is from âHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkabanâ. The situation is that Harry Potter failed in the Quidditch game for the first time.

Harry put his face to his knees, his hands gripping his hair. Fred grabbed his shoulder and shook it roughly.

âCâmon, Harry, youâve never missed the Snitch before.â

âThere had to be one time you didnât get it.â said George.

âThere had to beâ .. Is it simple past tense as an indicative or is it a present tense as a subjunctive?