A set of forms taken by a verb to indicate the time and/or completeness and continuance of the action in relation to the time of the utterance.
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What (grammatical) tense to use when doing reference in a paper?
For example, A published a paper with title B in 2000.
Then, in my paper:
A says / said that [C works / worked out perfectly].
and
B illustrates / illustrated that [C works / worked out ...
5
votes
2answers
449 views
When can “have” be used without “got”?
I read this article and now I'm confused when got can be omitted when using have.
Could this be explained in plain English without technical terms?
Is there a different usage in past tense?
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votes
3answers
299 views
Correct verb tense to use when referring to a law effective in the past
What is the correct tense to use when I'm referring to something which was in effect in the past, like a law or an act, but which now is not.
Which of the following is better?
The Statute of Anne ...
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votes
3answers
343 views
“He didn't know where New Jersey was”
I know the past tense carries the past tense in every dependent clause, but referring specifically to places or to things that are eternal, like the Earth, seems a bit weird and therefore we sometimes ...
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votes
2answers
334 views
“The author wrote” vs. “the author writes”
What is the rule for the following examples?
In the passage, the author writes. . . .
In the passage, the author wrote. . . .
I’m trying to explain to my son that both are correct, but I can’t ...
5
votes
1answer
520 views
Narrative tenses (for things that haven't happened yet)
I learn that when we are telling a story, we should use past tense. What if in our story there's an event that will happen after the story being told?
For example, in the following sentence:
...
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votes
3answers
373 views
“When we worked together” vs “when we were working together” or can I use “when” with continous tenses?
In one Russian discussion group devoted to ESL, I was advised that using when with continuous tenses is incorrect in English.
To be exact, we were discussing how to translate a phrase about one’s ...
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votes
1answer
180 views
Tense used with statistics
I would like to place a statistics in front of the sentence, followed by the agency that has reported it. The findings and reports were done many years ago. Which of the two is correct and why?
...
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2answers
7k views
How to use “have been —ing”
I know the present perfect continuous is used for activity which has stopped recently or now. When it combines with for, since, or how long an activity is done, it means the activity is still ...
5
votes
1answer
320 views
Is every sentence in a tense?
I know that "tense" indicates time. If that is true, then not every sentence can be indicated of its tense.
Please review these sentences:
"If I could go to the market , I must have taken breakfast ...
5
votes
1answer
214 views
Changing person and tense in a quote
I'm reading Cranford (1853) by Elizabeth Gaskell, and encountered the following passage:
"Have you seen any numbers of Pickwick Papers?" said [Captain Brown]. (They were then publishing in parts.) ...
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0answers
4k views
How many tenses are there in English and what are they? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How many tenses are there in English?
The number of grammatical tenses in English makes it confusing as to what they are exactly and what types of tenses there are.
...
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votes
4answers
3k views
“will be able to” vs. “can”
Consider the following:
He will be able to do it.
He can do it.
They mean the same thing, right?
Can "can" replace "will be able to" in any sentence? What is the difference, if anything? ...
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votes
5answers
797 views
If he is still alive today, he…
Suppose Jeff was born on 1/1/1982. He went missing a long time ago. At the present time, he could be either dead or alive, but nobody knows for sure:
1 "If Jeff is still alive today, he is 30 years ...
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votes
2answers
12k 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.
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2answers
6k views
When to use “has lived” vs. “lived” vs. “had lived”
Jim has lived there.
Jim lived there.
Jim had lived there.
Are there any differences?
When do I use one or the other?
I'm trying to teach this to a foreign person and am having a hard ...
4
votes
3answers
434 views
Tense change: previous actions on something that's currently true
I'm describing a situation that happened in the past. To explain it, I want to use a description that is both true now and true when the situation happened.
Specifically, I want something like:
...
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votes
3answers
600 views
Continuous present tense in the place of simple present tense
Given the following sentence in the continuous present tense.
Are you doing your work regularly (or daily)?
It is a major source of my confusion. It is very unlikely to have such a tense.
...
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votes
1answer
2k views
Which is correct: “has died” or “died”?
To me, using Present Perfect form means the event can occur again. So, saying
someone has died
may not be grammatically correct.
Also, I noticed (it might be just co-incidence):
passed ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
Should I say 'What I wanted to say is' or 'What I wanted to say was'?
Following Martha's advice I am splitting up a question Compound sentences, the punctuation and mooore.
Let's put what I said / wrote something in the past. And now I want to elaborate some key points ...
4
votes
3answers
263 views
*Joking* used in continuous form
"I'm only joking" and "She wasn't joking".
Why is the verb to joke used in the present continuous, instead of the present simple tense? Is it because it's a dynamic verb?
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votes
6answers
706 views
Present Perfect vs Present perfect continuous
Could you correct the comments in parentheses, please? Are they right?
I have lived in Los Angeles. (A completed action; the person does not live there anymore).
I have lived in Los Angeles ...
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votes
1answer
1k views
How to correctly use the present perfect tense
This link states that:
When you use the present perfect tense you have to be talking about a period of time that you still consider to be going on. For example, if it’s still morning, you can say, ...
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votes
3answers
240 views
'Am I interpreting' vs 'Do I interpret'?
Am I interpreting the results correctly?
Do I interpret the results correctly?
Do they have the same meaning? Are both or just one correct?
4
votes
3answers
211 views
Do I use “argued” or “argues”? Past or Present? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What (grammatical) tense to use when doing reference in a paper?
Should I use present or past tense when referring to a (scientific) paper?
“has been raised” or “was ...
4
votes
2answers
993 views
Present perfect for past action with present effect
If I seem tired, can I say: "I haven't slept last night"? If not, why have I been told that we use present perfect for actions that have present effects?
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2answers
4k views
What is the difference between “I forgot” and “I had forgot”?
I forgot versus I had forgot. What is the difference between the two phrases?
4
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2answers
806 views
Should computer game screens show “you lose” or “you lost”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Why “I win” instead of “I won”?
My friend and I are designing the "game over" screen for a game we are developing, and I'm thinking of putting ...
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votes
4answers
408 views
“If” and “would be” when talking about future events
I am watching a basketball game right now, and the team that I am rooting for is losing. I want to say that if they win, that would be something. Which one is the correct way to state it?
If Miami ...
4
votes
3answers
297 views
Should we use past tense in “Lugo admitted he is the father”?
In this sentence, should the is be a was?
On April 13, 2009, Lugo admitted he is the father of a child conceived with Viviana Carrillo.
4
votes
1answer
262 views
“How did you know?” vs. “how do you know?” distinction
When someone makes an assertion, the distinction between "how did you know" and "how do you know" seems to be that "how did you know" implies that the person in question is correct in their assertion. ...
4
votes
2answers
486 views
Why is the historical present tense used so often by sports broadcasters?
When discussing a pivotal event that happened in the past, whether 5 minutes ago or 50 years ago, sportscasters often use the historical present tense. For example, after an error we might hear, "If ...
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votes
2answers
1k views
Which tense when talking about books?
Which tense should you use when talking about a book if it is narrated in both the past and present tenses? I am asking this because in To Kill a Mockingbird (Can you underline book titles here?) ...
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3answers
319 views
Why no Future Perfect in “At the end of the year there will be an exam on everything you've studied”?
At the end of the year there will be an exam on everything you've studied.
I'm just wondering why not use the Future Perfect tense here, as in:
At the end of the year there will be an exam ...
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votes
3answers
2k views
“Manifest” vs. “manifested”
Which of the following is correct?
This idea is manifest in two influential theories.
This idea is manifested in two influential theories.
What I want to say is that there is a common idea ...
4
votes
2answers
136 views
“Decided to do X the next time she went for a walk” vs. “…the next time she goes for a walk”
I came across this sentence in the book Grammar Essentials for Dummies which confused me.
The lion with a thorn in her paw decided to wear sneakers the next time she went for a walk in the jungle.
...
4
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4answers
2k views
“If I didn't have” vs. “if I hadn't had”
Can someone please tell me if these sentences are correct? I prefer number one. Here I am trying to talk about a past condition that didn't actually happen because the person had the example sentences ...
4
votes
2answers
198 views
“If the bowl had been stronger, my song had been longer.”
In the original version of the nursery rhyme, The Wise Men of Gotham, the word 'had' is used in the main clause of a sentence where it seems modern English would commonly use 'would have'. The full ...
4
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3answers
596 views
“My ear hurts” Or “My ear is hurting”
Which tense is best suited to describe sickness and pain? In the example below, what are the differences between the two usages? Which one sounds more natural?
My ear hurts
My ear is hurting
...
4
votes
2answers
192 views
could versus be able
Let me start by saying what is written in grammar books on this issue and after that I will put my question. (Take heed that this usage of "could" ONLY refers to the past and ONLY to affirmative ...
4
votes
2answers
120 views
Is the usage of “will” proper in “Usually on Saturday, I will go to the store”?
Is the following usage of "will" grammatical?
Usually on Saturday, I will go to the store.
4
votes
1answer
287 views
Is it sometimes appropriate to use past tense when stating a fact?
Is it appropriate to use past tense when stating a fact in the context of the past but remains a fact until now?
Which of the following is correct?
I didn't go to school because I was lazy and ...
4
votes
1answer
2k views
using had had in a sentence [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What does “had had” mean? How does this differ from “had”?
I had had so many interruptions this morning that I scarcely had done any work
or
I ...
4
votes
3answers
294 views
Is “lay” in this sentence in the correct tense?
I'm making a description for an app, this strikes me as a bit awkward for some reason:
"I wanted to create an app that lay somewhere between an ecosystem and a musical instrument."
Is the word ...
4
votes
2answers
260 views
Should I use the past tense for things that are still the same as before?
I am writing a personal statement for applying to a school, and I have a question about past tense. The following paragraph describes things that happened several years ago:
My school is located ...
4
votes
1answer
511 views
Generalised rule for verb usage in simple present tense using participle
I'm doing a school exercise where I have to give an explanation of the underlined (or in this case bold) verb usage in given sentences, following this format:
I was waiting.
past continuous ...
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2answers
204 views
“He lies” or “he is lying” for non-habitual actions
Reading the last pages of Harry Potter 1, Harry is pulled to confront a mirror. When he is asked about what he sees, he invents something and lies to the guy. At this time, the master says the ...
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4answers
2k views
Differentiating between “written” and “writing”
For some reason it is written and writing. It's confusing to me.
How can I remember to write them differently?
3
votes
3answers
450 views
Why don’t people ever say “I have wanted to ask”?
Why do people never say the following:
I have wanted to ask. . . .
Maybe it would be better to ask whether it’s correct to say:
I have wanted to ask. . . .
But really I think I’ve never ...
3
votes
2answers
122 views
(was + was) vs (was + is)
I was wondering what's the difference between these two sentences:
The person who was at the head of the demonstration is Ms. Tan.
The person who was at the head of the demonstration was Ms. ...
