Search results for 'tag:Verbs tag:helping verbs' matching tags 'Verbs' and 'helping verbs'

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.

Names of different tenses

Raen — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 13:54:20 GMT

if there are any. I believe there are, and saw them mentioned in different posts on the forum although didn't pay attention to them. The grammar book I'm studying all lump them up into one catagory: helping verbs. But I'd like to know if most people have and use names for the different types of tenses. Here are the sample sentences I wish to know the names of the tenses they are of:

I am taking her to the movie.

He will be working for your father's law firm.

I took the test and passed!

She has taken the medicine for her cold.

She had taken the job before she moved here.

I have been thinking about going abroad for higher education.

He had been living in France before he was caught.

It would have cost me a fortune to buy that coat.

He would have had completed the task if he had asked for help.

It would have been better if we had gone.

I learned the names of these tenses in my own language, but I don't know the English name for each tense(except past tense) . Thanks for anyone's help.

Raen

Re: ing & verb

Avangi — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 03:00:05 GMT

I need help on this, mbouti. I'm not sure if "used" is considered part of the verb form in this case, or not.

"I used to work hard" is very similar in meaning to "I was working hard." This is past progressive tense, I believe. "Was" is an auxilliary, or helping verb, but as you can see, we use the present participle of the verb "to work," which is "working." This may be confusing to you, because "working" is also the gerund (noun) in your sentence "I'm used to working hard."

"Used to" surely seems to function like an auxilliary verb, but I can't give you an authoratative answer on it.

Your question is a really interesting one because "working" can be a noun (gerund) or a part of the verb form, and "to" can be a preposition or a part of the verb form (infinitive marker).

I'm sure someone will come along who can give you a more satisfying answer.

Best wishes, - A.

had

hanuman_2000 — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 03:25:31 GMT

Hello,

1. Mr. X was late because he had had a late night, watching TV.

The first underlined "had" is a helping verb.

What is the meaning of the second "had" here?

Thanks.

Re: Participle phrase versus helping verb + 'ing'

Mister Micawber — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:16:04 GMT

.
There is no main verb in B, so it is a fragment. A and C have main verbs (must remain, was being). As Leo says, an -ing form cannot form a complete sentence by itself-- it needs an auxiliary or main verb.

Participle phrase versus helping verb + 'ing'

bhikkhu1991 — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:04:58 GMT

Hello,

How to tell the difference between a participle phrase with 'ing' in Sentence A and a sentence fragment with 'ing' in Sentence B?

Sentence A. ( Participle phrase: The corporation seeking financial stability must remain flexible.

Sentence B. Sentence fragment: A cure for the disease being researched.

Sentence C. A complete sentence: A cure for the disease was being researched.

A sentence fragment occurs when an incomplete sentence is used instead of a complete sentence.

When using 'ing' words, you must have a helping verb and a subject. An 'ing' word is not a definite verb; therefore, it will not function by itself to form a complete sentence.) LEO: Literacy Education Online.

Thank you.

With best wishes.

Re: subject of subordinate clause

Avangi — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 23:03:44 GMT

#1 John who took my pen is here.

#2 John who is wearing my jacket is here.

How firm a grasp would you like to obtain? (I know I shouldn't have written that, but I couldn't resist.)

The thing that works for me is to take out the the subject and the "verb" and see if it still makes sense. (That may even be the "rule.")

The reason it works in #2 and not in #1 is the difference in tenses and in verb forms. In "who took my pen" vs "who is wearing my jacket" "who" is the subject in each case, so that's not the difference. (If you took out "who," what would you propose for the subject? Without a subject you have no clause. You might think to claim "John" as the subject, but it can't be the subject of both clauses. You could use a compound predicate: "John is wearing my jacket and is here." )

Notice that in #2 both clauses are present tense. The verb is actually "is wearing," present progressive of "to wear." So you don't actually take out the verb - only the helping verb "is," which leaves you with the present participle, "wearing." You now have a participial phrase, "wearing my jacket," which is just fine. He's wearing it now and he's here now.

In #1, there's no helping verb to take out. You could take out the "who," leaving you with a compound predicate, but you'd need to add a conjunction. "John took my pen and is here." (The two different tenses work, but "is here" is no longer the dominant idea.)

If the original were, "John, who is taking my pulse, is Russian," then it works like #2. "John, taking my pulse, is Russian."

If you use two different tenses, as in the original #1, you'd have, "John, who was taking my pulse, is Russian." That leads to, "John, taking my pulse, is Russian." What happened to your past tense?

So try it, and ask yourself if the meaning is still the same.

Best wishes, - A.

Re: no and not

Avangi — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 14:49:35 GMT

"Not" is used with a verb to make it negative, usually with the helping verb "do." "No" may answer a question, or it may be used with a noun to indicate a zero quantity.

She is pretty. She is not pretty.

I like her. I do not like her.

You can pet the animals. You can not (can't) pet the animals.

Run! Do not (don't) run!

There is no excuse for what you've done.

We have seven more bananas. We have no more bananas.

Take no prisoners.

Re: Can anyone help me to explain why this sentence is incorrect?

Susankay — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 16:19:03 GMT

Simple past is talked - I talked, you talked, we talked, etc.

However since you are using the helping verb "did", you use

I did talk

you did talk

he does talk

we did talk

you (plural) did talk

we did talk

I did not talk to Simon on Sunday.

need some help with some english exercises.

market-huxley — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 16:13:04 GMT

I'm taking a correspondence course. These are some of the exercises that I need to submit. So please I need help from grammar exerperts thnaks.

Exercise 1: Identify each of the â __ â words in the sentences as one of the following parts of the sentence:

1.Direct object

2.Indirect object

3.Predicate noun

4.Predicate adjective

A. I sent âherâ an âemailâ yesterday to comfirm the date of the meeting.

email=direct object. her=indirect object.

B. Elton John is a pop âicon.â

icon=predicate noun. But I'm unsure? Need help.

C. She seemed âhonestâ , but I was deceived

honest=predicate adjective.. the word itself is a adjective..ex:the honest doctor.

D. Give âmeâ a break!

me=indirect object. Ex: give what? A break, to whom ... to âmeâ

is this one right?

Exercise 2: copy each sentence; identify the simple subject and the simple predicate.

a. It is a shame! it=subject is=verb

b.Will you go to a movie with me? you=subject go=verb

c. Janet has been singing in the choir for years. Janet=subject .. the predicate I'm having trouble with... Is it "has been singing" or "singing" becuase "has been" are helping verbs. What is the "simple" predicate?

d. Through the dense bushes and into the open fields ran the white-tailed deer.

deer= subject. ran=verb

e. To win the gold medal is the goal of many athletes.

To win=subject is=verb (is this one correct?)

How are my answers looking?