By Writing letters, Verbs

I have noticed that my way of analyzing English differs to an extent from what is taught in the Anglo-Saxon countries. This is how I see your examples:There was never any stopping it. Stopping is a gerund. It is used (without a verb immediately before it) after a form of to be (was), and that is...

This knife is used harrowing fields.

Dear CalifJim, I'd like to clarify one point in your answer. You told me that in the PAST TENSE an adverbial of DURATION works more with the SIMPLE form of the verb, whether in the PRESENT TENSE it works better with the PROGRESSIVE form of the verb, is that so? ex1: We WATCHED tv ALL NIGHT. ...

The most natural are 1a, 2a, 3b, 4a, 5a. 2b is incorrect. An adverbial indicating a point in time ("when I was cutting onions") is incompatible with the perfect aspect. I've been cutting onions ("continuously until now" implied). That's why my eyes are red ("now" implied). I have cut the...

It would be impossible to write everything there is to know about "voice" in English in just one post, but I hope the following will help. In English, a transitive verb can be used either in the 'active' or the 'passive' voice. If the person or thing denoted by the subject is the 'doer' of the...