Tagged Questions
13
votes
2answers
642 views
When did periphrastic tenses stop being tenses?
English sometimes has several different ways of expressing the same thing. For example, it can form a possessive either by using an old case inflection:
The dog’s tail was always wagging.
Or it ...
16
votes
5answers
5k views
“How dare you” vs “How do you dare”
I know that dare is a semi-modal verb. I just don't know when to use it like a modal auxiliary verb and when to use it like a normal verb. Given the following examples:
How dare you ...
How do ...
1
vote
2answers
431 views
Using 'would' to form reasons
In the following examples:
Why would anyone want to eat something so horrible?
Who would live for forever?
Why would I ever lie to you?
Is 'would' being used to refer to time in future or past Or ...
2
votes
2answers
5k views
Difference between “does have” and “has” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“did shoot” vs “shot”
'Did see' and 'Saw'
“I understand you” vs “I do understand you”
What is the difference in meaning between “I play” and “I ...
21
votes
7answers
3k views
Is “must” ever grammatical as a past tense verb?
I have seen uses of must that appear to be in the simple past tense. Sometimes these seem grammatical, but sometimes not. Examples that help illustrate my confusion:
He knew he must go to New York ...
2
votes
2answers
412 views
“How can X be” vs. “how does X can be”
I have a Spanish friend, who wrote the following sentence:
"How does foo, bar, baz can be compared?"
I corrected it to read:
"How can foo, bar, baz be compared?"
Other than the obvious, he ...
19
votes
9answers
3k views
“May” & “Might”: What's the right context?
I may not be coming in tomorrow...
I might not be coming in tomorrow...
When could I use "may" & "might"?
