This tag is for questions related to usage of the past tense in English.
0
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0answers
21 views
Highlight that action was done for sure [migrated]
What is the correct way to highlight that the action was done for sure?
I did wrote that document
I did write that document
The options are similar to how we highlight action in present: we say "I ...
3
votes
5answers
9k views
Which is the correct past tense of “spin”: “span” or “spun”?
All the while I was writing my answer to this question, something was bothering me about this excerpt from the quotation:
When Adam delved and Eve span,
The past tense of delve is properly ...
1
vote
1answer
46 views
Should “How long were you at work?” have a simple or a compound tense?
I would like to know, if the following sentence can ever be correct in any context?
How long were you at work?
Or it must be:
How long had you been at work?
For example:
How long were ...
1
vote
0answers
93 views
How can we differentiate between past and present just by pronounciation when the word is followed by d- or similiar sound?
I want to know how can we distinguish, for example, these 2 sentences just by listening the pronunciation:
1- they first kill the trees
2- they first killed the trees
When pronouncing "kill ...
11
votes
4answers
1k views
Is “drownded” a word?
Is there such a word as "drownded"? I would say "drowned" but I am hearing "drownded" so often I am beginning to wonder.
For example:
He went into the deepest waters and drownded.
-6
votes
0answers
33 views
Is there any good usage example for “Did I told you”? [closed]
As far as I can tell, simple past, rephrasing Wikipedia, draws attention to actual occurrence of the past action or event, as opposed to its present consequences (present perfect). But isn't asking ...
2
votes
2answers
49 views
Sequence of Tense [duplicate]
Which one is correct?
Centuries ago, people weren't aware that the planets revolved around the sun.
Centuries ago, people weren't aware that the planets revolve around the sun.
In my ...
0
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0answers
58 views
Which verbs to conjugate in the past tense [closed]
I'm trying to use the past tense is it
The next few minutes were a whirl of shouting at the operator before
you heard the sounds of a car.
or
The next few minutes were a whirl of shouting ...
-1
votes
2answers
96 views
Present Perfect Vs Present Perfect Continuous and Simple Past/ Past Perfect Vs Past Perfect Continuous [closed]
What is the difference in meanings of the following pairs of sentences? It's very confusing to me.
a. I have lived in Paris for 4 years.
b. I have been living in Paris for 4 years.
a. I ...
1
vote
2answers
92 views
“Is used” vs. “has been used” vs. “was used”
I have three sentences of which I'm not sure which one is grammatical, and why.
It refers to the Eiffel Tower.
It is used as the symbol of Paris and of France for over a century.
It was ...
-4
votes
1answer
34 views
What is past state? [closed]
When learning about "used to" and "would" that refer to past habit.
They said that "would" is not possible when talking about past state.
Even in this, they include "own", "drive" as past state
So ...
-1
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0answers
27 views
Past perfect or past simple in this example? [closed]
I have some troubles with understanding here:
Remembering all the times he wouldn't die, why had he had to die now?
Could I just write:
Remembering all the times he wouldn't die, why did he ...
-3
votes
1answer
63 views
When do we use “went bowling,” and when do we use “go bowling”? [closed]
In this dialogue what is the appropriate form?
A: Would you like to go bowling with me today?
B: I don't think so. To be honest, I really don't feel like going bowling today. I went bowling ...
3
votes
2answers
9k views
Which past tense of “to light” should I use here?
I know that there are two ways to form the past tense of to light (i.e. lit/lighted). Which one is appropriate for the sentence below?
His thoughts lighted our way.
or
His thoughts lit our ...
0
votes
1answer
55 views
past tense of contrive [closed]
So I am looking up the meaning of 'contrive' in google using:
define contrive
And it says:
Verb
1. Create or bring about (an object or a situation) by deliberate use of skill and artifice.
2. ...
0
votes
2answers
48 views
Is reported speech reasonable in this example? [closed]
What is the right word to the gap (21)? (had/have)
That is about 400 years earlier than when the Inca Indians were
thought to (21) __ discovered the silver in the ground.
I think it's had as ...
0
votes
1answer
128 views
Can we use past perfect progressive in the context where present tense is predominantly used?
As I understand, past perfect is used to express an action that had happened before something else in the past. But in the paragraph I came across, there appeared past perfect progressive in the ...
-2
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2answers
90 views
Is that grammatically correct? [closed]
I'm going to blog about each feature and progress I made in my book?
Is that grammatically correct?
-2
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2answers
44 views
Is it 'express shipped' or 'shipped express'?
Which one is correct?
He should have express shipped it to me.
He should have it shipped express to me.
3
votes
2answers
767 views
“I had been typing” vs “I was typing” vs “I typed”
I read this on a another forum but couldn't figure out the logic behind the answers.
He had been typing for three hours before he realised that he had typed the wrong documents.
He had been ...
1
vote
3answers
88 views
Simple past sounds better but past perfect seems more accurate
I think it's grammatically more accurate to say,"The market was closed after a virus had been found." However, it sounds "better" to say,"The market was closed after a virus was found." Grammatically, ...
1
vote
3answers
2k views
How can I use the verb “sad” in the past continuous?
How can I use the verb "sad" in the past continuous? E.g.:
I was crying.
I was missing.
What should be the sentences for sad or upset in past continuous? Why do some words like the two ...
1
vote
1answer
70 views
Is past perfect necessary when you are talking in chronological order?
I have a question about using past perfect. I know that it's used when you want to refer to an older past event while talking about a more recent past event. But if you begin talking about past events ...
2
votes
2answers
102 views
Tense agreement in conditional statements: “I could do whatever I want” vs. “I could do whatever I wanted”
Consider the following sentences:
If I had my own place, I could do whatever I want.
If I had my own place, I could do whatever I wanted.
She said I could do whatever I want.
She ...
2
votes
2answers
225 views
Will the sentences be correct?
We all know that universal statements are always in present tense. For example,
My grandma did not believe that the Earth revolves around the Sun.
Here, though the sentence is in past tense, ...
1
vote
1answer
101 views
Are These Words Interchangeable? [duplicate]
"The man was hung at dawn."
"The man was hanged at dawn."
Are "hung" and "hanged" entirely interchangeable?
6
votes
1answer
2k views
Past tense of 'to output': output or outputted?
According to Wikipedia, the past tense (and past participle) of the verb to output is either output or outputted. Are these two forms entirely interchangeable? Or do they have certain nuance in ...
-4
votes
1answer
109 views
Grammar: did + past simple, is it correct? [closed]
I’ve noticed a few times where someone says something like “Did you made...” or “Did you worked...” when asking questions.
Is this some kind of unofficial talk or is it completely incorrect ...
8
votes
1answer
798 views
UK English: Is “dived” a valid word?
Proofing a manuscript, I found this in the middle of a chase scene:
Spotting an opening, I dived into it and was horrified to find it was a dead end.
Is “dived” a valid past tense of the verb ...
5
votes
2answers
8k views
Is “earnt” a real word?
Is the past tense for the word "earn" "earned" or "earnt", and does the word "earnt" even exist?
1
vote
1answer
103 views
Confusion in usage of verb in interrogative past tense
I know that whenever we use "did" in any sentence, the following verb has to be in present form. But I have a confusion:-
In plain English it should be:- Did you forget switching it off?
But if we ...
8
votes
3answers
375 views
What difference does using 'had' make to those two verb tenses, and if so, what is it?
What is the difference between if I had studied and if I studied?
Can you provide an example of when one usage would be more appropriate than the other?
-1
votes
1answer
69 views
The future as reported in the past
Is (1) correct, or must it be written as (2)?
John told me yesterday that this contract will not be renewed when it ends next month.
John told me yesterday that this contract would not be ...
0
votes
3answers
171 views
Infinitive vs. Past Simple for short technical annotations [duplicate]
I use source control management software at work. When I commit some changes, I annotate them with the bare infinitive like this:
"add new feature", "fix bug #10012"
I note that some of my ...
1
vote
1answer
989 views
Use of “had said” in the “The Archers”
In the BBC radio drama The Archers, the following conversation takes place:
A: David, you are not going to say what you saw. You love your family, right?
David: What?
A: ...
1
vote
1answer
219 views
Present perfect or past simple? [duplicate]
I know the basic rules about using PP and PS (like specified time in the past etc.) but in some cases, it is not clear to me:
I have finished painting. - present perfect, I just announce that.
I ...
-3
votes
1answer
189 views
past perfect and past continuous [closed]
Which of these is correct?
Before he had come to the factory, Tom was studying at the University of London.
Before he came to the factory, Tom had studied at the University of London.
3
votes
4answers
2k views
“Past due” or “passed due”
I know that "past due" stamped on a bill is accepted, however I believe it should be "passed due". Does this mean that "past due" is vernacularly correct and "passed due" is grammatically correct?
2
votes
1answer
110 views
I was sat thinking why you were stood there before I was took away by the word police [duplicate]
I know my sentence is dreadful but everyone now uses these words in this way, including my eight children aged 19—26. Yes, they are from Manchester but my husband uses he was took and he’s from ...
1
vote
2answers
9k views
What's the proper past tense of “to freeze”: “freezed” or "frozen?
Which form should be used for the past tense "freezed" or "frozen" or are both acceptable?
-1
votes
3answers
96 views
Stating facts that occured in the past
We were shocked when we found/find out the toilet had/has no flush.
My natural intuition would lead me to write this way:
We were shocked when we found out the toilet had no flush.
Then ...
0
votes
2answers
222 views
Future Passive Progressive? [duplicate]
Does some future passive progressive tense exist, such as:
He will be being interviewed by police."
as a counterpart to the past passive progressive tense, such as:
He was being ...
0
votes
2answers
133 views
Must the verb tense following “prior to” always be in the past? [closed]
I’m writing a paper in present tense. However, I am wondering whether using prior to requires me to change my sentence to be in the past tense instead. For example:
Thus, prior to their visit, ...
0
votes
1answer
107 views
Reported Speech Tense Choice [closed]
Which of the followings sentences would be the best choice?
The victim explained how he became addicted five years ago...
His addiction is so bad that he is unable to keep a steady ...
2
votes
3answers
219 views
Answering past simple question with past continuous
For example,
— What did you do yesterday?
— I was working.
I presume this is not grammatically correct; however, I often reply in this way (I'm English). Also vice versa: "What were you doing ...
33
votes
3answers
3k views
Why do some words have two past tense forms (e.g. “dreamed” vs. “dreamt”)?
While perusing ShreevatsaR's answer to this question, it occurred to me that my own verbal usage is out of step with what I see in current American literature. When speaking in the past tense, I ...
8
votes
6answers
1k views
Is “shined” correct? If so, is “he shined X on the tree” also correct?
Recently, I overhead a former professor of mine use the word shined, a word that makes me grammatically uncomfortable. She used it as following: "Then, after we shined a light on the other ball, what ...
4
votes
2answers
13k views
“Has been” vs. “was”
Should one use has been or was in the following sentence, and why?
For many years the USA has been a British colony.
For many years the USA was a British colony.
0
votes
3answers
873 views
How to use “offset” when talking to a vendor?
I am having a problem with the word offset. This is what I'm going to type to my vendor:
If we do not receive your Statement of Account by 30 Mar '12, all payments will be "offsetted".
Is it ...
1
vote
4answers
277 views
“I came from Italy” or “I come from Italy”
If I originally lived in Italy and then moved to the United States and currently live in the United States. Then somebody asked me where I am from. I say:
I come/came from Italy.
Should it ...
