Questions tagged [tense]
Tense is location in time by grammatical forms and constructions rather than by semantics.
2,057
questions
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1answer
20 views
Tense of subordinate clause after “I confirmed that”
Which is best among the following sentences, and why?
1. I confirmed that now the page was updated.
2. I confirmed that now the page is updated.
3. I confirmed that now the page has been updated.
1
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0answers
24 views
“Akkadians are/were referenced in the Bible”
I was talking about the Sumerians, a Mesopotamian people who are not just extinct but were all but forgotten about for millennia - unlike the Akkadians, a later people, who are also extinct but were ...
4
votes
1answer
381 views
They do something for 20 years. Isn't the phrase grammatically wrong?
I heard Matt Damon say:
Anyway, for 20 years now people ask, what happened to Loki at the end
of Dogma?
How do you explain the usage of Present Simple here with 20 years? Could you reference to ...
0
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1answer
20 views
“I wanted to say” is it because the lecturer made this video in the past and the audience necessarily watch the video later?
It sounds like that the lecturer is saying
i wanted to say
is it because the lecturer made this video in the past and the audience necessarily watch the video later?
0
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0answers
20 views
Is this sentence constructed correctly?
I am experienced in and also willing to conduct/conducting fieldwork.
I want to express the meaning that I am experienced in conducting fieldwork (in the past), and I am also willing to conduct more ...
0
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0answers
13 views
Over the past two days + correct verb form
I have written down the two examples below.
(1a) (Suppose that I am talking to my friend at night.)
Over the last two days, when I woke up in the morning, I heard a very scary sound from the ...
0
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0answers
9 views
Which is correct? …the same as one will feel, would feel, or feels
Which is correct?
If he pursues the breakthrough in technology for the sake of advancement in science and not for his own fame or desire, he will not feel the disappointment or despair as one who ...
0
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2answers
37 views
rains vs will rain in a condition
I've been wondering what is a more proper form to ask:
1) Will you go to the concert if it rains?
2) Will you go to the concert if it will rain?
As in would you still be willing to the concert if ...
0
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0answers
24 views
“If There Are” versus “If There Be”
I have begun to understand the subjunctive mood, but I have one question whose answer eludes me notwithstanding the means of the Web: "why do people say 'if there is' and 'if there are' when the ...
1
vote
1answer
18 views
actions done sequentially in the past
I received your feedback form, and I completed the changes and sent it
back for your review again.
I received your feedback form, and I have completed the changes and sent it
back for your ...
0
votes
0answers
17 views
Sequence of tenses for embedded clauses when the clauses are something unlikely to change
I think the tenses of embedded clauses complies with the tenses of the main verbs when they are objects. For example, "she asked me where I was going to go" and "she told me what I would need to do." ...
0
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1answer
25 views
Why use the“ have+p.p ”in this sentence?
Once you've obtained your precious ticket, you can relax in the cafe with a snack and an ice cold drink as huskies roam around on the hunt for some snacks.
Why use you've obtained in the sentence, ...
2
votes
1answer
50 views
Meaning of different tenses for 3pm
Am I right that:
I go there on 3pm
denotes I go there regularly on 3pm
I will go there on 3pm
denotes I have a plan to go there on 3pm
I will be going there on 3pm
denotes that the action ...
0
votes
0answers
24 views
A tense problem about “Before”
Imagine we are at a beach watching a boat coming, and when it is still far away from the beach, it sinks into the water without reaching the land. I want to tell my friend about it. How can I describe ...
0
votes
1answer
45 views
I have eaten lunch at 1 pm
I have eaten lunch at 1 pm
Is the sentence a correct statement to say in present perfect tense. Since I have learned the rules in present perfect tense that one should not use specific time ...
0
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2answers
32 views
“I was bornt with” and “like to have”
I feel that fun-loving nature is what I was bornt with. When I look
back when I was a child, I like to have fun with other kids.
Is it correct to say
I was bornt with
other possibilities could ...
0
votes
1answer
32 views
Which Tense should I put after “once/ as soon as” in these sentences?
I'd like to know which tense I should put after "once" (or as soon as) in these examples
I will wash the dishes as soon as she is/ will have finished / has finished
I would have washed the ...
1
vote
1answer
45 views
using will and will be in proper places
I have confusion in a sentence.
If restaurants sell pizza, their sales will double.
or, If restaurants sell pizza, their sales will be doubled.
Will / will be which one is correct and why?
their ...
0
votes
1answer
30 views
“It's done.” or “It's been done.”
When I just finished some work, which one below, A or B, is better to say and why?
A. It's done!
B. It's been done!
To me, A might sound simpler and more natural. But considering the grammar, I'm ...
0
votes
1answer
38 views
Single or habitual obligation
I am to report this to the police.
What is the correct explanation of this sentence?
a) It is a single future obligation for me to report. (Like, I must report this to the police)
b) It is my ...
1
vote
1answer
33 views
I (had / have had) no idea
Which is correct:
I (had / have had) no idea you were such a good chess player.
The book said that 'had' is correct, but why? Why the present perfect is not correct?
0
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0answers
21 views
“…tell he is coming” vs "…tell he was coming
Didn't Max tell he is coming to class today?
or
Didn't Max tell he was coming to class today?
What's the correct way to ask this and what is the difference of these two?
0
votes
1answer
34 views
“Did he say goodbye before he left?” OR “Does he say goodbye before he left?”
Which one is correct in this case:
Did he say goodbye before he left?
OR
Does he say goodbye before he left?
I think "Did he say goodbye before he left?" is correct but I'm not sure.
0
votes
1answer
26 views
Have you explained why you did/have done/had done?
Let’s say I know my friend has broken up with his girlfriend. I don’t know when, but I know he has. I want to know whether or not he’s given her brother an explanation. What should I ask?
Have you ...
0
votes
1answer
27 views
What tenses to use in writing meeting minutes?
I understand that you must use past tense when writing minutes. However, there are some instances when I am not sure if past tense should be used as it would either change the meaning of the sentence ...
0
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0answers
25 views
“having soiled” versus “soiling”
He took pictures of his children having soiled their pants.
I am wondering if this is the best way to say it.
Do we use "having soiled" or do we use "soiling", because soiling seems to imply he ...
0
votes
1answer
29 views
I don't think I did something or I don't think I do something or I think I didn't do something?
I want to say that I did something a few months ago and I don't remember whether I've done that.
Which one should I say?
I don't think I did something.
I don't think I do something.
I think I didn'...
2
votes
1answer
56 views
is it “I have traveled or I travel”
which is correct?
This is the third time I have traveled to Italy this year.
or
This is the third time I travel to Italy this year.
2
votes
1answer
55 views
Confused about the sequence of tenses in these sentences
I came across these recently:
She used to write this shopping list in squiggles, and then come back with only half the stuff that she'd gone for.
She might have forgotten something and come to fetch ...
1
vote
1answer
34 views
“Medical reports indicate that the murder was committed with a sharp instruments.”
Medical reports indicate that the murder was committed with a sharp instruments.
My question:
Is it possible to say the verb indicated in the past instead of the verb indicate in the present? And ...
0
votes
1answer
64 views
What's the difference between Present Perfect and Simple Past?
I have a question about English grammar.
At 1 minute 5 seconds of this video below, Batman says "This city just showed you".
Is it okay to replace it with "This city has shown you", "This city has ...
0
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1answer
43 views
Present perfect vs past
I've wanted to tell someone that this was how I wanted to close the week since 2016 when I stopped sailing...
But I didn't and I still don't know what was correct
That's how I wanted to close ...
0
votes
1answer
37 views
Should I backshift with “If you ever wondered…”?
Do I use present or past tense after the phrase "If you ever wondered"?
Examples:
If you ever wondered what hell looks like, ...
If you ever wondered what hell looked like, ...
0
votes
2answers
146 views
The difference between has and had
What's the difference between the two sentences?
The singer has a nice voice.
The singer had a nice voice.
0
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0answers
67 views
Using ALL tenses in this text
I wrote an imaginary text in which I used all tenses (12 tenses) to familiarize with them. The tenses are:
PAST: Past simple, Past perfect simple, Past continuous, Past perfect continuous.
...
1
vote
1answer
25 views
“The day someone does something” or “the day someone will do something”?
Tell me please if I need to use the helping verb will when referring to the future in the following context.
The day I (will) get my diploma, I will celebrate it with all my friends.
0
votes
1answer
26 views
Past perfect: “had heard”
I had heard they started training exercises outside of town a few days ago.
Why (had heard) not heard ? Don't we use pp to talk about something that happened before another action in the same ...
1
vote
0answers
18 views
How can I distinguish when 'would' is modal verb or Future in the Past?
In some scientific article I saw this sentence.
For example, using the vanilla Damerau-Levenshtein edit distance (defined as the minimum number of point changes required to transform a string into ...
0
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0answers
46 views
“everyone has read that book in high school” — “has read” vs. “read”
I feel like virtually everyone has read that book in high school.
(The book in question is To Kill a Mockingbird.)
Would it be correct to use the simple past here, provided that the speaker has ...
0
votes
1answer
29 views
In spoken English, is it correct to reply with a verb phrase in its simple present form?
In spoken English, is it correct to reply with a verb phrase in its simple present form when the speaker omits the subject? Or the phrase should be used in the corresponding tense.
Example 1
A: ...
1
vote
1answer
32 views
Sequence of tences
Should you say me which is correct?
Our teacher said the place where we were going to stay IS supposed to have beautiful paysages.
Our teacher said the place where we were going to stay WAS ...
0
votes
1answer
28 views
Past Simple or Past Continuous - “make friends”
"While they were travelling abroad, they were making a lot of friends" or "while they were travelling abroad, they made a lot of friends"
0
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1answer
32 views
I got you vs I've got you
In this trailer of Frozen 2, there's this line:
00:46 OLAF: I’m gonna blow!
00:47 KRISTOFF: I got you.
It sounds to me more like "I've got you" but the subtitles say it's "I got you."
...
-2
votes
1answer
32 views
Can you use “had” for the present tense?
Your suggested edit is pending review.
Editor Stats
CJ Dennis had 2 edit suggestions approved, and 0 edit suggestions rejected
Is "had" correct in that sentence? It is the number I ...
1
vote
1answer
34 views
How should we use simple past after present perfect?
Is this sentence correct?
I have called him but he did not answer.
Is there any other way to say it?
What about these two?
I am calling him but he will not answer.
I am calling him but he ...
0
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2answers
66 views
Is it ok to use past simple where past perfect actually would be more precise?
I could say: I had been shown a footage.
Or: I was shown a footage.
Or: I saw a footage.
I still can say about it using past simple, like it happened at some time in the past. Right?
0
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1answer
28 views
Had gone ///went
This sentence has been nagging me since morning.
She had gone home as she had probably come (Source)
Why is it "had gone" and "had come", not "went".
And came ?!
0
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1answer
16 views
Use of tense to express frequency
I'd like to know if I am right about these two sentences:
He was expelled because he had been misbehaving.
This means he misbehaved on several occasions, probably over a period of time.
He ...
1
vote
1answer
58 views
How does it write correctly?
How does it write correctly and why? How can I write this in the past tense? and also in question form how to say this? I mean the second action that did not happen and then you don't know how to ...
0
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1answer
42 views
Can we use Present perfect tense to talk about past?
In a given linked video (around 1:09) Mom is explaining past to her daughter. But While explaining her she used Present perfect tense in between, why? Is to correct to use?
Girl: Mom, so why are we ...
