Questions tagged [past-simple]
Questions related to the past simple, simple past or preterite, which is mainly used to describe events in the past.
1
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3answers
48 views
Can you use two verbs in simple past tense in a row like this?
Is the usage of the verbs "measured & compared" correct in the following sentence?
We will assess network performance in this regard measured compared to the protocol which hops over other ...
13
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5answers
4k views
“Tea drinking” vs. “tea drunk” in this context
Which of these two is preferred?
A: Tea drinking is a British custom
B: Tea drunk is a British custom
P.S. What is it called when we say tea drinking instead of drinking tea?
Also, can we ...
1
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1answer
25 views
Why is this grammatically correct? - “I would like to cancel the job that I had ordered”
As the title states, would you mind teaching me why this sentence is grammatically correct?
"I would like to cancel the job that I had ordered"
The reason I ask is that the below sentence doesn't ...
1
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2answers
38 views
Should this sentence use past or present tense?
In a movie after a failed shoot-out, villain said:
That was the worst effing shoot-out I have ever seen in my life.
Is this grammatically OK? I have seen usage like
It is the best thing that ...
0
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2answers
48 views
Is “I have posted the letter last week” grammatical?
Is this sentence grammatically OK? Take a look at this sentence:
I have certainly posted the letter last week. I wonder why it hasn't arrived yet.
So what is the problem with this sentence?
I took ...
1
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1answer
24 views
Present perfect Vs. Simple past in Question form
I've learnt Present perfect express the more of results than the action itself.
She has gone there.
Such as this above means, "she went there, so she's not here now". But when you use in question ...
0
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1answer
52 views
“Have you known” or “Did you know”?
First of all, I know it has been mentioned before but I'm not sure which is correct. I've been learning about the Past Simple and the Past Perfect and if I've understood correctly, well, in high level:...
0
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1answer
29 views
Suitable verb form in the past tense sentence
There's the next sentence:
"I saw Mr Brown ..... the building at two o'clock."
leave / to leave / having left
Which option would be the most appropriate to put in and why ? I really want to put ...
2
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3answers
26 views
Tense with “recently”
Should I use recently with simple past or present perfect?
I recently bought a mobile. It has very good features with a four-GB ram. I just love the mobile.
I have recently bought a mobile. It has ...
0
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1answer
65 views
Tense choice with expressions denoting a finished time period, like “last night”, “yesterday”, “two days ago”
Have you called me last night?
Did you call me last night?
What's the difference between these sentences?
0
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2answers
42 views
Proper tense in “I read the documentation but I didn’t find any information about requirements”
I read the documentation but I didn’t find any information about requirements.
Is it right to use the simple past here? Or should I say it like this:
I've read the documentation but I haven’t ...
0
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1answer
24 views
finished action vs unspecific time in the past
I know there are several rules when to use past simple or present perfect.
for example specific words like :ago,yesterday,since,for,yet etc and in such cases is simple for me what tense to use but ...
0
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1answer
41 views
why used “simple present” instead of “simple past” or “present perfect”
I didn't understand. Why did they use "simple present" instead of "present perfect" in this "Although I do not understand much yet"?. The Paragraph is below.
Nepal is a fascinating country, but I ...
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vote
0answers
51 views
Why is The Present Perfect form used in sentence with the past time marker? [closed]
Yesterday Google has released a new free course on developing Android
apps with Kotlin. Check it out on Udacity:
Here's a link on Twitter
I'm confused with such using of Past Perfect, i.e. I ...
0
votes
1answer
26 views
Looking for reference of present continuous and simple past in story telling?
The sentence being: After pulling the fisherman to safety, the groomsmen returned for more wedding photos on the jetty – this time in their underwear, dripping wet and a little battered and bruised.
...
0
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1answer
49 views
Can “during the last few months” be used with present perfect?
Here are the sentences:
We haven’t eaten at that restaurant during the last few months.
We didn’t eat at that restaurant during the last few months.
I think during implies the duration has ...
0
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0answers
27 views
past simple for an action completed in “the recent past”
imagine: I went to the post and posted a parcel in the morning, then emailed someone "first thing I did in the morning" Is it possible to write this even if it is still the morning (past simple ...
2
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3answers
124 views
Had, not would have
A usage that sets my teeth on edge has grown all too common among young people. An example:
I wish public schools would have taught English grammar better in the 1990s.
Surely this sentence should ...
3
votes
1answer
110 views
“she was raped” or “she had been raped” in this reported speech
A) A 21 year old girl studying in Vidynagar alleged that she was raped by a boy in a hotel in the city on August 23. Based on above complaint police arrested accuse.
B) A 21 year old girl ...
0
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1answer
201 views
“I have written a book” or “I wrote a book” in this sentence? [duplicate]
Past perfect vs Past simple problems always baffle me..
When I want to talk about my experience of writing a book and getting a revision
on it in the past, should I use past perfect? or simple past?
...
0
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0answers
39 views
have you been to London before/ were in London before?
Is this your first time in London or have you been to London before?
vs
Is this your first time in London or were you in London before?
*situation : a local is taking a tourist for a city tour * ...
0
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2answers
40 views
Correct Situation for use of Simple Past
Where did you go when I came to your home in the morning?
a) I went to the Market .
b) I went to the market when you came to my home.
b1) You came to my home when I went to the market.
c) I had ...
0
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2answers
38 views
past perfect unnecessary usage
In the afternoon, he'd attended a funeral.
What's the meaning of "he'd attended"?
Is it "he had attended"?! if so then why should we use past perfect instead of simple past?
Is it "he would ...
1
vote
1answer
17 views
past perfect and past simple difference in a sentence
Consider these two sentences:
Laura passed her exam because she studied very hard.
Laura passed her exam because she had studied very hard.
I think that the second one is correct because first, she ...
1
vote
1answer
24 views
questions with Past Simple
If I ask a question in Past Simple using the coordinating conjunction and, does the second verb take -ed or not?
e.g. Did you muster up the courage and propose? or
Did you muster up the courage ...
0
votes
1answer
28 views
Where should I put the word “would” (for repeated past actions) in a sentence with more clauses?
I'd like to know where the word "would" should be used in a sentence with more clauses, like the following.
Among the examples, I'd choose the first one, as "I" is the main subject who performs the ...
0
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1answer
406 views
difference between “Has won” and “won”
Should I use "Has won" or "won" in the following context?
Here's the text:
John: Subha, did you know our school team has won/won today's soccer match?
Me: No! I didn't know that.
With the ...
0
votes
1answer
111 views
Is it wrong to say “when I was a child, I have eaten a lot of sweets”?
I think we need to say "when I was a child, I ate a lot of sweets"
Similarly, is it wrong to say "frequently I have feigned sleep, preoccupation, or a hostile levity when I realized by some ...
0
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0answers
51 views
What is the difference between Past Simple and Past Continuous?
How should I say "Last summer I visited my grandparents" or "Last summer I was visiting my grandparents" if I didn't visit them every day, but did it during all the summer? And what are the rules of ...
3
votes
1answer
195 views
I was meeting vs. I met
I was meeting some friends at a bar.
I met some friends at a bar.
was meeting - past continuous
met - simple past
In my opinion, I prefer to use the latter sentence because I don't normally hear ...
2
votes
1answer
71 views
Simple Present or S.Past tense in “she gains/gained weight”?
Let's say there is a female adult. She used to have a slender body, but now she is a bit overweight. You are wondering what might be the reason for this, and then you have found out that her Facebook ...
1
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1answer
91 views
Present perfect or Past simple with “again”?
I need your help and explanation.
Which of these sentences is correct?
Have you forgotten it again?
or
Did you forget it again?
I think the first sentence is correct, since the ...
-1
votes
1answer
45 views
Past simple or present perfect for “I am aware of what I [did/have done]”?
Is the following correct:
I am aware of what I did.
Or, is it supposed to be:
I am aware of what I've done.
Can someone explain?
2
votes
2answers
545 views
Did you surprise? vs Have you surprised?
I'm going to meet one of my friend next week. I want to ask about her feeling when her son announced that he will get married with a foreign girl.
(Maybe her son announced 1 month ago, I want to ask ...
0
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0answers
29 views
Would it be possible to change past perfect into simple past
She invited me to dinner. But it _____ two years since I _____ to her house. So I lost my way.
The answer is was, had gone but would it be possible to change had gone into went because if he lost ...
3
votes
2answers
182 views
tense in answering a question about prose or poetry
Can anyone please tell me if I am asked questions in present tense from a prose and poem, should I give answers in present tense or in past tense?
Here is the poem 'The Owl' by Edward Thomas from ...
0
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0answers
32 views
present perfect or simple past for a recent event with adverb of time
If I have been in hospital for 2 weeks and I have just returned home, I say "I have been in hospital for 2 weeks". It is a recent event. After I have been home for a few days I will probably say "I ...
0
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3answers
755 views
have been ill/ was ill
Is it correct to think that if I say
I have been ill for a week
it could both mean I am still ill or I just got better?
I thought that if you have recovered you should say
I was ill for a ...
0
votes
1answer
41 views
How to Identify Habitual Simple past tense (Repetitive) and Simple past tense
There were always a couple of people who put their hands up right away, usually girls, usually from the town kids who dressed up for school. They sat in the front of every class, boys and girls ...
0
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1answer
344 views
if you didn't understand vs if you hadn't understood
I'm trying to make a sentence. However, I'm a little bit confused about the right tense here.
How you can find a solution if you hadn't understood the problem.
It should be written in the past ...
0
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0answers
2k views
“I've learned” or “I learned” - which is more appropriate?
I've learned a lot how to communicate with people from different cultural context.
I learned a lot how to communicate with people from different cultural context.
When writing the resume, I ...
0
votes
1answer
17 views
“Was never heard from ever again since” and should I be using Present Perfect Continuous
Let's say we have someone of whom we've never heard of ever again since some event.
Do I say:
"And he was never heard from ever again since" or "He has never been heard from ever again since".
The ...
1
vote
1answer
33 views
Simple present or simple past tense?
An uncommon question that I've come across from Agatha Christie's Nemesis reads,
"Sleep well?"
In my opinion, I feel that as the action is in the past, it should have been
"Slept well?"
...
0
votes
0answers
156 views
When I was there, I sunbathed a lot [duplicate]
When I was in Sharm El-Sheikh, I ______ a lot
A) Have sunbathed
B) Was sunbathing
C) Would sunbathe
D) Sunbathed
This sentence was in Egypt's General Secondary Education English exam (12/6/...
1
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1answer
117 views
Should this reported speech use “was” or “had been” to convert “was”?
When you have a sentence in the direct speech talking about someone’s age such as “a producer discovered me when I was 13”
How does it change into the reported speech?
he said a producer had ...
2
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3answers
155 views
Why wasn't “When I was in Sharm El-Sheikh, I *have sunbathed* a lot” a good answer?
When I was in Sharm El-Sheikh, I .... a lot
A) Have sunbathed B) Was sunbathing C) Would sunbathe D) Sunbathed
why it can't be "have sunbathed" as verb sunbathe means to make the skin brown or ...
0
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1answer
42 views
is there any difference between saw or was seeing in this example?
If someone was treated by a psychiatrist, is there any difference between : He saw a psychiatrist or he was seeing a psychiatrist? Can either be used?
1
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1answer
32 views
How should I write about done tasks?
When I finish my work, I need to write a simple report about completed tasks. What time should I use?
Now my report usually looks like:
Fix bag with this
Update that
Clean up
Should I use past ...
0
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0answers
34 views
past simple or past perfect progressive
This is an example from a book: "I had been teaching English in Japan when the earthquake hit." To me this means that I had been teaching for a while at the time the earthquake hit. If I just want to ...
1
vote
3answers
226 views
How to identify passive voice or simple past
Can we change sentence having no subject into Passive voice?
E.g.
a) 2 person were killed.
b) A person was electrocuted.
Is possible to identify if sentence is Passive voice or informative or ...
