Questions tagged [tense]
This tag is for questions about tense, or location in time by grammatical forms and constructions rather than by semantics.
2,690
questions
0
votes
2answers
18 views
Tense difference ; subordinate clause "will" or "would"
I'm not a native speaker. So I'm confused with the tense as the following sentence.
1.I heard that they would hold a party.
I heard that they will hold a party.
The tense in main sentence is the ...
0
votes
1answer
13 views
XYZ has been attracting increasing attention vs attracting increased attention
I recently read two documents where I saw:
XYZ has been attracting increasing attention.
XYZ has been attracting increased attention.
Are both correct? Is there a difference in meaning?
0
votes
1answer
14 views
could be with past, present and future
is it ok to use could be with past, present and future actions.
the bridge could be removed yesterday but they decided to do it today.
the bridge could be removed today .
There are chances that the ...
1
vote
1answer
44 views
Past Simple, Past Perfect or Present Perfect before "which"
Which of the sentences is correct?
I don’t know whether you read my previous messages, which I unsent not long ago, ...
OR
I don’t know whether you had read my previous messages, which I unsent not ...
2
votes
0answers
41 views
British council says "We use the past continuous for something that happened again and again." Is this not true for "used to do"?
British council says "We use the past continuous for something that happened again and again. And they put some sentences below:
I was practising every day, three times a day.
They were meeting ...
0
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0answers
16 views
We have talked/had talked/have been talking/had been talking
Woman 1: Ben has just moved in with me.
Woman 2: Really?
Woman 1: Yeah. Last week. We have talked/had talked/have
been talking/had been talking about it for a while, so...
Hi. I wrote this piece of ...
2
votes
1answer
21 views
Sentence Construction with put up
So yesterday I was driving my friend back to his home and he wasn't sure where we were. So I asked him
"put up your address on Google maps"
Now I am wondering if the sentence above is ...
1
vote
1answer
15 views
"You find anything?"
I've encountered variations of this phrase ("You find anything?") a few times in different places but mostly in USA series. Could you please tell me why this is grammatically correct?
I ...
0
votes
1answer
20 views
difference between 'don't have' and 'aren't having'
This is an example in the Webster dictionary.
You are more than welcome to stay for dinner, but we aren't having
anything special.
What's the difference between
We don't have anything special
and
We ...
0
votes
0answers
27 views
had pp with that-clause : had expected that I would have got
I have english sentence writing problem
The only reason I agreed to do that with you is because I had expected that I would have got some profit.
I have confused about tenses of two parts : Since we ...
0
votes
1answer
23 views
Can I change the future tense into the past tense?
Can I change the future tense into the past tense when I change the direct speech into the indirect speech?
“I will open the door”
I said I would open the door.
I said I opened the door.
The door ...
0
votes
1answer
13 views
what is the type of this cluase?
what part of the sentence is embrace?
She saw them embrace on the station platform.
I expected it to be embracing.
0
votes
1answer
26 views
From what I understood vs understand
From what I understood, …
From what I understand, …
I always have trouble telling which one to use whenever asking a question, writing an email, etc. Are they interchangeable or are they used in ...
0
votes
0answers
32 views
Why is sometimes "he were" used (instead of "he was")? [duplicate]
In school we learned that the past tense of "to be" for "he" is "was". But now I stumbled upon the following phrase on the internet:
He wishes he were born rich.
Why is ...
5
votes
2answers
45 views
Why is present continuous used in this sentence?
I've just read this sentence in a medic book: "How do we know when someone is suffering from concussion?"
Would it be incorrect if I used the Present Simple form? For example, "...when ...
3
votes
1answer
136 views
"Could you not" vs "could you not have"
I was driving in the right lane and another driver wanted to turn right (from the left lane) so he crashed into my car (no one was injured).
The driver said “I didn’t see you” and I said “how could ...
1
vote
1answer
40 views
I'm too late to remind him
Suppose my brother's school is closed today (for some reason). I knew it and he did too. But he forgot it and left for school. After that I say this to our mother:
I'm too late to remind him his ...
0
votes
0answers
37 views
the verb "have" in present perfect: How can I express repetition of having?
I learned that you "have" not momentary, so you can say "I have had my dog for five years" or etc. using "had" in a meaning of continuation.
But I think in this case the ...
0
votes
1answer
40 views
What are you doing in your free time? or What do you do in your free time?
As I understand second variant should be correct, as question is not about current time. But when I tried to google the first phrase it appeared quite common as well. Why?
0
votes
1answer
35 views
Should it be "how about he take" or "how about he took" in the following?
This is in the past tense (third-person). Should I use took or take and why?
There was someone outside the door. How about he took/take a peek
through the peephole?
Note: he here is the observer.
0
votes
0answers
16 views
simple present vs present continuous
Are both of these sentences true? If yes, are there any differences in their meaning?
Jo says what she thinks without worrying about whether she might be ruffling anyone's feathers.
Jo says what she ...
2
votes
1answer
20 views
Emphasizing a Sentence in Perfect Tense
If we want to emphasize the predicate of a simple tense sentence, we only need to add the auxiliary verb “do” (or “did”). Example:
I came here.
I did come here. (emphasized)
However, what can we do ...
0
votes
0answers
26 views
a conjunction "when" and tense around it with "can"
How can I describe this situation?:
Can I say the following sentence:
I'm really glad when I can take a good picture.
I have heard that "can" may have several meanings. The sentence I ...
0
votes
0answers
25 views
"Over 7 past days" and "in past 7 days" [duplicate]
I would like to ask about "over the last 7 days".
Does it mean "in the past 7 days" or "more than 7 days"?
3
votes
3answers
40 views
Tense Usage in Personal Passive Voice Construction
Example Sentence:
They believed the bridge was constructed badly.
⇒ The bridge was believed to [be/have been] constructed badly.
Which should I use in this case, "to be" or "to have ...
1
vote
0answers
30 views
Was to do sth v. would do sth
This discovery was to have a major effect on the treatment of heart disease.
This sentence is from the Longman dictionary. While I understand how it differs from "the discovery had [...]" (...
0
votes
1answer
295 views
Can 'He will be late. It is certain.' be merged into 'He is certain to be late'?
I was asked in my exam to combine the sentences-
He will be late.
and
It is certain.
I merged them into-
He is certain to be late.
Was it correct?
1
vote
1answer
19 views
Is it okay to use present perfect in this sentence?
You've seen how it happened. So, you're the next that they will come for.
Is it okay to use "have seen" in this sentence, or would past simple be more acceptable? I'm not sure which is ...
0
votes
1answer
43 views
I had got to eat burger
I know "I had had to eat burger" is the "past perfect tense" and "I had to eat burger" is "simple past tense" and we normally not use "got" in the ...
2
votes
1answer
72 views
Conditionals without 'if'
I can see lots of sentences like
"You touch my bag again, I kill you."
I guess this is also a conditional, even though I don't see any 'if' clauses. (Am I right?)
In this case, can I say &...
1
vote
1answer
24 views
When to use -ed form of a word instead of -ing when both feel correct
I have a few examples illustrating my problem.
There, the three figures rested became immobile, lied down on their stomach, deep in a secret game.
VS
There, the three figures rested became immobile,...
0
votes
0answers
13 views
Present Perfect Or Past Indefinite [duplicate]
Do they convey the same meaning, or is there a difference?
I saw her today.
I have seen her today.
1
vote
1answer
30 views
Is this correct? (past tense vs past perfect)
I thought you would have picked him up from school.
I had thought you would have picked him from school.
In the first case "thought" verb on the timeline comes after the "picking"...
2
votes
1answer
63 views
Does the present simple have future meaning in these sentences?
According to my grammar book (a student's version of CaGel) the present tense is used in English for future events that are planned/already known. Based on this, am I correct in assuming that the (a) ...
1
vote
1answer
31 views
What's the difference between "That picture is scary" and "That picture was scary"? [duplicate]
What's the difference between "That picture is scary" and "That picture was scary"?
I don't know the difference in meaning
1
vote
0answers
22 views
was/is a great invention of
Which tense should be used in the following? If both are okay, what's the difference in their use?
The light bulb was/is a great invention of Thomas Edison.
1
vote
2answers
81 views
" I got selected" =I am or I was selected (specially in british english)
"I got selected for a job today."
Apart from "have been", could I replace "got" with "Was" or "Am"? "I was or I am selected"?
I reckon if I ...
0
votes
1answer
43 views
Prove that he didn’t/hadn’t
Let’s say someone interviewed someone else for a job, and the candidate thought about complaining about discrimination but eventually he didn’t.
Now the interviewer and a third party are talking about ...
1
vote
1answer
31 views
Using participles to short long sentences
I am confused about using participles to shorten long sentences.
There's a situation where I tried to study but after an hour I found myself getting nowhere as I didn't even read a single paragraph.
...
0
votes
0answers
13 views
If..., he would have thought you "worked" as a doctor - work or worked?
Question 1
If the action in a reported speech in a past unreal conditional sentence is unreal or fictional, is it written in simple past tense?
Example 1
A and B are school students. They are talking ...
2
votes
1answer
53 views
Verb tense with "already"
Can you please check the answer of this question?
A test for the disease …………… already, but the new one will be quicker and cheaper.
a. exists
b. has existed
c. is existing
d. has been existed
I ...
0
votes
0answers
23 views
Which of this usage is correct 'have not been understood' or 'have not been understanding'? [duplicate]
They have not been understood the problem till now.
They have not been understanding the problem till now.
Which of this is correct?
I think I can't use 'understanding' because 'to understand' can't ...
2
votes
1answer
21 views
My question is about the structure ''is + learn'' in the sentence [closed]
I saw the structure ''is + learn'' in a sentence in a book but I wonder whether it is correct. Please see the original sentence as: '' When something is inevitable, all you can do is learn to accept ...
0
votes
0answers
19 views
Usage of while and continuous: "Tom watches/is watching TV while he eats/is eating."
A) Tom watches TV while he eats.
B) Tom watches TV while he is eating.
C) Tom is watching TV while he eats.
D) Tom is watching TV while he is eating.
I was wondering which one is natural and which ...
-2
votes
1answer
46 views
What are the tense and aspect of this sentence? [closed]
What is the tense of the verb in the sentence?
He is beaten.
And what is its aspect?
0
votes
0answers
22 views
why is "I have been to a place last year" not correct [duplicate]
The sentence is "I have been to a place last year".
Why is this sentence not correct and how can I correct it.
2
votes
1answer
52 views
Academic writing Simple Past/Simple Present in passive form
As per online guides, actions or events completed are to be written in simple past in academic papers. In that case, specific calculations and observations are to be in the past tense as well. For ...
-1
votes
1answer
37 views
I ___ there until I was 12
I saw the following tense question the other day:
I _____ there until I was 12.
Verb to be used was "live", and it was a negation.
The student answered "wasn't living", it got ...
-1
votes
1answer
38 views
Should I use "once I have" or "once I had" in this type of sentence?
I have a question here and I'm not sure which one to use since they both seem correct, the question goes like this.
once I ... this novel, I'll give it to my old friend".
In place of ellipsis (....
1
vote
1answer
43 views
When the enrollments were done?
For example,
Staff members who enroll in courses related to business over the
summer will have their tuition fees reimbursed in September.
The current problem for me of the above sentence is totally ...
