Questions tagged [tense]
This tag is for questions about tense, or location in time by grammatical forms and constructions rather than by semantics.
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Why does Ash say "I choose you" instead of "I chose you" or "I'll choose you"?
In the Pokémon anime, Ash says "I choose you!" when he starts a battle. Why does he use the present tense instead of "I chose you" or "I'll choose you"? In the original ...
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I am happy now after I heard the news. - mixing tenses - is this correct?
If I heard the news in the past and the state of being happy is in the present, can I write it like Example 1 or Example 2?
Example 1
I am happy now after hearing the news.
Example 2
I am happy now ...
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It___ (rain) everyday so far this week . Choose correct form of verb [closed]
I can't understand which form of verb should be used with everyday so far this week..so plz help out
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answers
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past and present tense confusion: recounting a past event, of which something is still relevant in the present
The mix in use of Past and Present tense confuses me.
An excerpt from a complaint to an online shopping platform:
… Upon receiving my Bluetooth mouse, I discovered that the product was a counterfeit.
...
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1
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2
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I left a note on the table two days ago so that he "would/will" eat the food I prepared for him - which is correct?
I left the note two days ago, and he is going to come back two days from now.
So, the action is going of him eating my food is in the future.
What tense should I use?
Which example is correct?
Example ...
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3
answers
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It was the best ever vs it is the best ever?
What is the meaning of ‘It was the best ever?’ Is it different to ‘It is the best ever?’
I am just confused by simple past and it last ever. ( It was the best ever)
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I wish he would come. vs. I wished he would come
I wish he would come.
Does this sentence imply there is still a chance to come for him?
I wished he would come.
Does this sentence imply he didn't come in the past?
The only difference is wish vs. ...
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He asks if I would help. He asks if I will help
He asks if I would help.
He asks if I will help.
Is there any difference between the two sentences?
My dictionary says 'would' is another version of expressing the reinforced willingness of someone'...
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I was honored to be mentioned by such a wonderful boxer. (vs. to have been mentioned)
I was honored to be mentioned by such a wonderful boxer.
I was honored to have been mentioned by such a wonderful boxer.
Which one is more grammatical or idiomatic expression? Or both of them are ...
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vote
1
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Betraying her boyfriend "was/is" what she did - what is the difference?
Example 1
Betraying her boyfriend is what she did.
Example 2
Betraying her boyfriend was what she did.
What is the difference in meaning?
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Past perfect tense without following events
I am learning English and I have got a question about past perfect tense.
In textbooks it is said that this tense is used to describe a sequence of events, to emphasise that one
event happened before ...
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He didn't know that Chatgpt "can" write an article - If the statement is a true thing it doesn't have to be shifted back to past tense?
Example 1
He didn't know that Chatgpt "can/could" write an article.
Example 2
He didn't think that Chatgpt "can/could" write an article.
Are both of them correct English?
because ...
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"And now you will/would say that..."
I was wondering if the first sentence below is an abuse of grammar or if it is, unwittingly, better grammar than the second sentence.
The sentences are
1: And now you will say that they are going to ...
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The government has declared/declared a state of emergency. (present perfect vs. past)
The government has declared a state of emergency.
The government declared a state of emergency.
Is there any difference between the two sentences?
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I "just" watched the movie last week. - can just be used with a time verb like yesterday, last week, etc.?
Example 1
I just watched the movie last week.
Example 2
I recently watched the movie last week.
I know just and recently can be used with verbs in simple past, but can they be used with a time ...
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Yesterday I exercised so hard that my muscles "are/were" twitching right now - which to use? are or were?
I did exercises hard yesterday.
Right now, my muscles are twitching.
Example 1
Yesterday I exercised so hard that my muscles are twitching right now
Example 2
Yesterday I exercised so hard that my ...
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AmE_ thank you + simple past or present perfect
Context: I am a new student of a class. There is a friend, she has always helped me since I joined the class. Now I am still in the same class with her.
I feel grateful and just want to say thank you ...
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will be doing vs will, be going to
I often hear the announcement on a train say
"We will soon be arriving at XX station."
I understand the meaning of will, be going to, and will be doing. However, I wonder why the ...
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what is the difference between the past progressive form and simple past form in this sentence?
What is the difference between the past progressive form and simple past form in this sentence?
He purchased it at ten times the price the owner was asking and carefully hid it in his house.
If I ...
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She sells drugs "and" murdered a guy. - can you use a coordinating conjunction to joint verb phrases regardless of their tense structures?
Example 1
She sells drugs and murdered a guy.
Example 2
She murdered a guy and sells drugs.
Example 3
She murdered a guy or sells drugs.
I wonder if you can use a coordinating conjunction to ...
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AmE_ she (went out)/ (has gone out) to the supermarket
I know that AmE speakers tend to use the simple past in situations in which we should use the present perfect. I would like to ask if in the US, natives would use simple past in this context:
A ...
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Reported speech within conditionals - to backshift or not?
I might be very wrong in what I'm about to ask, so sorry in advance.
Imagine someone says to you:
I like cats.
Now you want to report what they said to some other guy/gal but with an added twist - ...
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The fact that she "would/will" come to see me on Friday bothered me. - "the fact that..." follows the rule of sequence of tense?
Assume the time of speaking is on Wednesday and the time of action of bothering happened way back, last week.
Example 1
The fact that she would come to see me on Friday bothered me.
Example 2
The ...
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The PE teacher made Tom run laps so hard that he was/is lying on the ground. - Tom is lying right now; which to use?
Right now, Tom is lying on the ground.
Example 1
The PE teacher made Tom run laps so hard that he is lying on the ground.
Example 2
The PE teacher made Tom run laps so hard that he was lying on the ...
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How to express "since X" for an event that ended in the past?
She has been the CEO since 2000
A question on ELU explores the matter of present vs. past tense in the context of the usage of "since". The conclusions that it is much better to use the ...
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votes
1
answer
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Seemed vs seems
Before A.D.900, manuscripts of the Koran (the book containing the teachings of the Islamic religion) seem to have been the most common type of book produced and decorated, but after that date a wide ...
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Freeze up or Froze up
Which one is correct sentence?
I'd had the bladder and drinking hose "freeze up" in races before.
I'd had the bladder and drinking hose "froze up" in races before.
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Meaning of the present perfect
I have visited Paris 2 times. It is a beautiful country. I think you should visit it once in your life.
I know that the simple past is also correct as answer in this thread link. But, In this post, I ...
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What tenses is "I have a few questions"?
I have a few questions regarding the S22 ultra.
have is perfect tense, my question is in this sentence which is the verb?
Because have in this sentence indicates he has a question when he informs it, ...
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Be or have question
If I want to write this statement in future perfect tense, will this statement be correct?
We will have been dead by then.
Or should it be
We will be dead by then.
In the second sentence we can't use '...
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A sentence with that: grammatical?
"Tom talked about the phenomenon that youngsters like going shopping nowadays has sparked off a debate." Is this sentence grammatically correct? First, I would like to know whether that can ...
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1
answer
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Past tense for future actions?
I have come across the following sentence by a native speaker:
In addition to simply answering my questions, it would be great if you
could also provide the source code that you used to answer those
...
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How to use "be : was or were " for as if/as though ( the unreal information in the present)
For As if/As though, if the sentence expresses the information which is unreal in the present, we use "past subjunctive" and to be : were for all the subjects? Is it correct or incorrect?
...
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I "was eating food" and "scrolling my phone", and I found that the teacher was calling me - past continuous to provide the background info?
Can we use continuous tense to provide some background information before we talk about other things?
Example 1
A: What happened?
B: I was watching a movie, and my mom called me, and my brother also ...
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Difference between "If i see it,i will tell you." and "If i saw it, i would tell you."
Is "If I see it, I will tell you." the declarative mood, and "If I saw it, I would tell you." the subjunctive mood?
Dose "I see" show more probability of seeing it than &...
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Is "I am given" wrong in this sentence?
I am given by Jesus Christ forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
Is "I am given" wrong in this sentence? Could you please also explain why it is wrong? What is the difference between that ...
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A stupid guy has thrown/threw trash here! - do they use the past tense or the present perfect tense when they don't know when the thing happened?
Example 1
A: A stupid guy threw trash here!
B: When did it happen?
Example 2
A: A stupid guy has thrown trash here!
B: When did it happen?
When the speaker does not know when an event happened, ...
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Tense: shapes vs has shaped
A native speaker told me to use "shapes".
X: History has little to tell us.
Y: I disagree because it is what has happened in the past that
shapes the world we live in today.
But my ...
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I've been wasting or I've wasted?
Which tense is used in this sentence?
Oh no! This is the wrong paint! I _____________ a lot of time. Now I have to paint all the walls again!
A. Have been wasting
B. Have wasted
What's the right ...
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The possibility of using perfect tenses in complex sentenses referring to the sphere of the past that play themselves the role of the direct object
The usage of the present perfect tenses with the markers of past time has been noticed in as much as 20% of BE colloquial speech. But it is still difficult for the non-native speakers to discern ...
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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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Sequence of verbs: present perfect after past simple
For a while I have been using this table of sequences of verbs as a reference. Today I found this sentence, which doesn't correspond to either of the rules form the table:
You didn't answer the ...
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Tenses: which one is correct
Which is correct:
I have been to Australia 2 times in 5 years.
I went to Australia 2 times in 5 years.
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verb tense: Present Perfect vs Simple Past
Of course, I don't think you broke the window. The thought never even ....... my mind.
crossed
has crossed
Which one is correct? Are both possible here?
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We played table tennis yesterday. Oftentimes, when I smashed the ball to him, he "would/used to" return the ball by touching the ball - correct?
Example 1
(1) We played table tennis yesterday. Oftentimes, when I smashed the ball to him, he would/used to return the ball by touching the ball.
(2) We played table tennis yesterday. Oftentimes, ...
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Tense in the subordinate clause when the main clause in the present perfect tense
Which tense should I use in the subordinate clause when the main clause in the present perfect tense.
I'm thinking about this particular scenario: "I've seen a great nation fell." versus &...
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2
answers
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Difference between "have been doing", "was doing" and "have done"
What's the difference between the following:
(1) I have been playing tennis for 5 years.
(2) I was playing tennis for 5 years.
(3) I have played tennis for 5 years.
I'm trying to understand the use ...
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"From time to time, I do my homework, and I will get distracted by my phone." - does this tell something that keeps happening?
Example 1
(1) "From time to time, I came home from work, and I would see my brother watching a movie."
(2) "From time to time, whenever I came home from work, I would see my brother ...
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What <did you do><were you doing> yesterday between 8 and 9 p.m.?
Dialog 1
Mary: What did you do yesterday between 8 and 9 p.m.?
Susan: I studied French.
Dialog 2
Judy: What were you doing yesterday between 8 and 9 p.m.?
Nancy: I was studying French.
[Question] ...
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The book I read yesterday <is><was> this one
(1) Mary said to Susan, "The book I read yesterday is this one."
(2) Mary said to Susan, "The book I read yesterday was this one."
[Question] Which is correct if Mary is holding ...
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