17
votes
Accepted
How to fill the blank in "Many of the world's great novels are reported ___ (make) into movies last year."?
The correct answer is C, "to have been made".
You need an infinitive because the sentence already has a verb, "reported". That rules out A and D, which are not infinitives.
"...
4
votes
We went to a meeting yesterday. We would ask questions if we had any. - past real conditionals?
The first example doesn't work. Leaving out the object of "had" makes it read as "if we had [gone to the meeting]", but you've said that you went, so it doesn't make sense.
...
3
votes
Accepted
Why is present tense used on past hobby
It is reasonable to use the present tense, if the intended meaning of "He paints well" is "He can paint well".
Here it is a bit surprising, as it is saying that he has an ability ...
3
votes
Accepted
Present, past simple and present perfect
The example, from the linked question, is one that mixes many tenses, and has a few oddities. It's perfectly okay to mix tenses in one sentence; we just have to make sure that it still makes sense.
...
3
votes
Accepted
I call fathers who "graduated / have graduated" from law school fathers in law. - which one to use?
Both are possible, but since there is a clear connection to the present (we are talking about what we call these people now) the present perfect would be most natural (in it's reduced form "...
3
votes
How to fill the blank in "Many of the world's great novels are reported ___ (make) into movies last year."?
You are correct in that were reported is more natural. For the nonpast form "are reported" to make sense, the sentence has to be framed in the context of some discussion of some report, ...
2
votes
How to fill the blank in "Many of the world's great novels are reported ___ (make) into movies last year."?
made
Possible, but awkward. In this case, "made" functions as an adjective, not as a past participle. Similarly, one could say "many people were reported dead", but not "... ...
2
votes
Get or Have Something Done with Past Participle Verb (Participle Adjective or Passive Voice)
I add to what @BillJ said.
The examples the OP listed are passive voice constructions as described here with similar examples:
Other structures that have passive characteristics are the get-passive ...
2
votes
Get or Have Something Done with Past Participle Verb (Participle Adjective or Passive Voice)
I get my home [cleaned every other week].
I'm having my office [painted].
They had their toilet [fixed].
The past participles are all verbs.
Note that the main clauses here are not passive. It’s just ...
2
votes
Get or Have Something Done with Past Participle Verb (Participle Adjective or Passive Voice)
In a simple active voice sentence, the subject does something; in a passive voice sentence, something is done by the object.
Your examples are all slightly more complex. In all of them, the subject is ...
2
votes
Why is present tense used on past hobby
You are correct. The example is bad grammar. If he no longer paints, then it should be "painted", past tense.
We commonly describe things like this with the present tense, but with the ...
2
votes
have worked vs worked
"I worked in the hospital for five years" implies that I don't work there anymore. "I have worked in the hospital for five years" means that I started work there five years ago (...
1
vote
have worked vs worked
The sentence "I have worked in this hospital" means that the person has previously worked in the hospital, but it does not necessarily mean or emphasize that they are still working there.
...
1
vote
Is it for the verb itself (to smile) that the Past Indefinite is used instead of the Past Continuous?
Yes, "he wasn't smiling as he walked to his desk" works as well. The difference is that did not (or didn't) and was not (or wasn't) can be used in slightly different settings.
To Do vs To Be
...
1
vote
Present, past simple and present perfect
Sample: If recent: Michael has been warned from the moment he entered the factory that Andy is a local version of a grim reaper. He was warned because everyone has worked with Andy.
OK, first point:
...
1
vote
Accepted
Present perfect tense "duration"
It is more natural to state, "I have owned this jacket for ten years."
"Bought" describes a single event, at a single point in time. If it is a long process, I'd use the infinitive,...
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