Questions tagged [past-tense]
This tag is for questions about the usage of tenses to refer to the past.
1,971
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Using "is" to refer past event
I heard once my Boss salary.
"My Nephew came from US, He is sitting next to my seat and enjoyed front seat driving view. In US it is no allowed"
My question is He is sitting next to my seat ...
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hasn't have vs. didn't: which one is correct?
What is correct and what is the difference between:
I didn't see anybody there.
I haven't seen anybody there.
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2
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168
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stood vs standing
I was listening to a podcast and
person 1:
If you were stood on the station platform?
pedant:
Standing, if you were standing on the station platform?
What is wrong with stood in that sentence? as ...
- 2,159
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"He was dead for two years"
When we use past participle we should add other additional clause as past participle cannot usually stand alone on its own.
If we have to use a single clause we usually prefer simple past as in "...
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1
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Talking about a past habit in a story narration
I was watching a comedy show; the comedian was talking about going on a trip with his dad and he said "I was sharing a hotel room with my dad. I knew he snored.".
Is it right to use simple ...
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2
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1
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Why update is in the present after was?
Sentence: The only thing I did today was update the PDF file.
Can someone explain to me why the verb to update in the present after was?
Is this kind of grammar common?
I appreciate any help you can ...
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0
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0
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Can we use past simple here instead of past continuous
Mary was one of 185 passengers on a British Airways flight to Warsaw. She was feeling very excited when she got on the plane at Gatwick Airport. She had been waiting a long time for this day. She ...
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"Finish" or "finished" after the "always" adverb and "every day" in the end
The below simple test makes confuses me and the answer key for this test says the correct answer is "finished". Why "finish" is not the correct one? The first part of the sentence ...
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1
vote
1
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past tense with modal verbs
Here are two sentences extracted from the Harry Potter series:
1, The harder she tried to pull it(a sweater) over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a glove ...
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Had decided or decided in this context? [duplicate]
I don't remember exactly when I first heard of you. I think it was when I received the very first xxxx single ,
I had read a good review of it and decided to order it . I received it with a letter ...
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Is past perfect continuous possible in this case?
In a previous question I asked" what were the best choice?" "had been or has been", I was answered that "had been" was not possible but if I add "before all these ...
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What is the best choice here " had been playing or have been playing" [duplicate]
Do you still like them ( all these bands you have been playing with)?
Does" have been playing" convey this idea : the man does not play with this bands. All of them split a long time ago ...
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1
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Why did Mark Twain write: There laid a man on the ground
By and by I was close enough to have a look, and there laid a man on the ground.
I thought it would be correct to say:
There lies a man on the ground. (now)
There lay a man on the ground. (before)
If ...
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0
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24
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How do you use the present perfect after "since"?
My understanding is that "since" indicates the start of an event, so it's understandable to use the past simple after "since", as in
"It's been ten years since we met each ...
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Yesterday + for = past continuous?
There is a sentence:
Yesterday I (clean) for 3 hours.
Someone said that since we have "yesterday", it will be Past Simple and everything else doesn´t matter.
However, cleaning is a process,...
Viktoria
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13
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"I never paid attention to this point" vs "I had never paid attention to this point."
During a discussion somebody brings up a point that I didn't/hadn't paid attention to before, what is the correct way to express this:
I never paid attention to this point.
or
I had never paid ...
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0
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Asking questions in Past Tense [duplicate]
I came home and cooked dinner for myself.
Which one is correct?
Did you come home and cooked dinner for yourself?
Did you come home and cook dinner for yourself?
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0
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Could past simple fit in this case ?("question" in past perfect answer in past simple)
I ordered a copy of this new record on vinyl and postage was only 1,6 euros( it should have been around 10 euros) .Surprised I just double-checked to see if I had chosen the good option . Yes I ...
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for them to have left
a. It was possible for them to have left the house.
What does that sentence mean?
That it was possible that they had already left the house?
or
That they could leave the house, but they didn't.
?
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How to answer this question
As soon as he …………….. (get) under the shower, the doorbell …………….. (ring)
i was thinking to use past continues on the 'ring' but he go to the shower first. so I though to use past continues on the '...
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1
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When we almost finished / When we were finishing
When we almost finished planting the young trees, father brought 10 rose bushes.
When we were finishing planting the young trees, father brought 10 rose bushes.
Which sentence is more idiomatic? I ...
- 2,232
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2
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We used to live there five years ago - is it correct?
my question is actually in the title. I'm confused by the past time expression "ago"+ used to, although I don't see a proper explanation of whether it's possible or not. I usually see used ...
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3
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"Are nouns ever a closed class?", is this construction correct?
When I came across this question, the construction used for the question itself surprised me:
Are nouns ever a closed class?
Why the verb is in present tense? Does it make sense? Shouldn't be used ...
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2
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Past Perfect vs Present Perfect [closed]
everyone! I was reading a book and there was like "After we have done our home tasks we went to the cinema"
I wonder why it's present perfect , bit not past perfect ?
Thank you beforehand!
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Which tense should I use here: "didn't live up to" or "hadn't lived up to"? [closed]
What is the difference between:
Не said that the performance didn't live up to his expectations
and
Не said that the performance hadn't lived up to his expectations?
Should we use Past Simple or ...
0
votes
1
answer
27
views
They went to Paris and I went to Rome. / They were going to Paris and I was going to Rome
I met Tom and Jane at the airport a few weeks ago. They went to Paris and I went to Rome. We had a chat while we were waiting for our flights.
I met Tom and Jane at the airport a few weeks ago. They ...
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42
views
Past Simple or Present Perfect in a Subordinate Clause with 'Until'
I waited until he found out the truth before I attempted to explain myself.
OR
I waited until he had found out the truth before I attempted to explain myself.
Is Past Perfect necessary here? I ...
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1
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Explain the grammatical difference between "My parents would've never allowed that behavior." and "My parents would had never allowed that behavior."
What is the difference between "My parents would've never allowed that behavior." and "My parents would had never allowed that behavior."
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didn't notice with past simple or perfect [duplicate]
I didn't notice he fell.
I didn't notice he'd fallen.
I didn't notice he stole my money.
I didn't notice he'd stolen my money.
what's the difference and what's more correct?
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Tense for events that went on over the same period of past time
My textbook says:
When we talk about two events or activities that went on over the same period of past time, we can often use the past continuous or the past simple for both . . .
However, it doesn’...
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did or had done [duplicate]
1a) I didn't know what he did.
1b) I didn't know what he'd done.
The context is "He stole from my house, and I didn't know it at the time of speaking" what would I use? Do they both mean the ...
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3
votes
2
answers
137
views
"has risen" and "rose"
I'm really confused about tense:
The percentage of the employees has risen from 20 percent to 24 percent over the past five years.
The university's four-year graduation rate rose from 20 percent in ...
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30
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Let me know once/when/after you got/get/bought/buy the laptop
Let me know once/when/after you got/get/bought/buy the laptop.
Which choice of words should I use, and what are the differences?
I am always confused about the tenses, and don't know which kind of ...
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23
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Past perfect or simple with time duration
1a) He was craving pizza because he didn't have it for months.
1b) He was craving pizza because he hadn't had it for months.
2a) he smelled so bad because he didn't have shower for 10 days.
2b) he ...
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0
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He is one of the people to find out what happened or he was one of the people to find out what happened? Which one is grammatically correct?
He is one of the people to find out what happened.
He was one of the people to find out what happened.
If we talked about what already happened it seems like I should use "he was" but then ...
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was living/lived - last year
1 Last year, I visited a music Festival in my town. I liked it.
2 Last year, I was visiting a music festival in my town. I liked it.
Do you agree that 1 is correct while 2 is wrong?
I think that 2 is ...
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I built/was building/in/for
Do you agree?
I built this house for 5 years. - wrong
I built this house in 5 years. - correct
I was building this house for five years. - correct
In what contexts could "I was building this ...
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past continuous vs. past simple
When I was first living in New York, I ate a lot of pizza.
When I first lived in New York, I ate a lot of pizza.
Is it true that the first one is natural but the second one is not?
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Past continuous vs past perfect continuous
1a) He went through her phone and found out she'd been lying to him all the time.
1b) He went through her phone and found out she was lying to him all the time.
2a) My friend asked me to watch that ...
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Why the past perfect is used in the sentence and is it correct?
The sentence:
Remove products that are part of a bundle from the cart when the
bundle has been added to the cart.
Why using the past perfect here "when the bundle has been added to the cart&...
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Why did the writer choose this form in this text"
When the gig was over Johnny's hand had swollen to the size of a catcher's mitt. The patron came over to Johnny, his face cut and swollen, gave Johnny a hug and in his english brogue, said it was the ...
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simple past + by 6pm
This question helped me construct the next sentences and I want to make sure if they're correct:
By 6pm I had given him the
money, and then I went home. (Would "gave" be incorrect?)
I gave ...
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3
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Should "realized" be used with the past perfect or simple?
A few example sentences:
I woke up late and realized I overslept (or) had overslept.
I went to market yesterday bought some clothes while paying the bill I realized I left (or) had left my wallet at ...
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2
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What is the difference between "didn't" and "hadn't"
I was tired because I didn't sleep / hadn't slept.
I was hungry because I didn't eat / hadn't eaten.
which one is right and what's the difference ?
I want to give information and cause of myself ...
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2
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1k
views
Can I use 'was' twice in a sentence?
For example:
"I was salivating on the food he was cooking."
Thank you in advance.
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The past of something routinely done
I watch a movie every Monday.
I know this sentence is in the present tense and it indicates something routinely done.
How could I say that in the past as I no longer watch movie.
My guess is:
In the ...
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Was used to / used to / got used
Do these constructions mean the same ?
I used to play football when I was a child.
I was used to play football when I was a child.
And
I got used to play football.
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When / while + past continuous/simple
I´m studying the use of while and when with simple past/past continuous.
I´ve watched some videos about it, but I cannot fully understand when I should use "while" or "when" and if ...
Leandro A
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DID you work/were you working
Did you work at the same job 5 years ago?
Where you working at the same job 5 years ago?
What are the nuances discriminating the two meanings? I like 2 better.
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how to understand where it is better not to use Past Perfect?
I am confused, because I use Past Perfect even where it's not needed. Please, help me to figure out.
For instance, why we don't say:
We had had nothing in common with her, so we quickly lost contact....
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