New answers tagged tense
1
vote
Mary couldn't (possibly) go to jail for the crime. - "possibly" necessary here to express future impossibility?
Your example has no context, being a made-up sentence in a list of made-up sentences. But if I imagine someone’s uttering the sentence in a real, natural conversation, the possibly would be included ...
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2
votes
Accepted
past tense after 'in order that'
[1] His group members tried several recipes and prepared all the
ingredients in order that they made delicious sandwiches.
Generally, "in order" is followed by either a finite that clause ...
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0
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He could feel yesterday that his mother would/will bombard him with new information. - which one?
Today, they can sense that it will rain soon.
Yesterday, they could sense that it would rain soon.
Today, they can sense that it is about to rain.
Yesterday, they could sense that it was about to rain....
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1
vote
I will ask the staff member whether I (will) have applied for the test. - with or without "will"?
Yes, 1. is better than 2.
The reason isn't to avoid repeating "will," the first "will" is unrelated to the second. "I will ask him whether I will have applied for the test.&...
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3
votes
Is "covered wagons rolling access the prairies" wrong?
This example is a sentence fragment, not a complete sentence. In particular it is a noun phrase, headed by the noun "wagons" modified by the adjective "covered" and the participle &...
- 195k
0
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You could've been a leader vs you could be a leader for the past and not for possibility
For three of the modals in English (will, can, and shall), the historical past forms are indistinguishable from the potential forms, except by adding another auxiliary (be = not perfect; have been = ...
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1
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You could've been a leader vs you could be a leader for the past and not for possibility
You could've been a leader
You are right that this "sentence implies something that could have happened in the past but it never did."
You could be a leader
You say this "might be ...
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0
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What tense to use when a subjunctive mood sentence has nested clauses
That sentence is in the irrealis mood, and is commonly known as an "unreal conditional". In irrealis mood broadly, it is always correct to use a verb tense that is one tense in the past from ...
- 43.7k
2
votes
Accepted
JUST - the present perfect, JUST NOW - the past simple
"Just now" makes a more explict reference to time. It means the immediate past. It tends to get placed, like other time references at the start or end of the sentence. And it means "in ...
- 195k
0
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What's the main difference of "If you go to see him, he will be delighted." and "If you went to see him, he would be delighted."
Actually someone answered my question a minute ago.
The difference between these two sentences lies in the tense and the level of probability:
"If you go to see him, he will be delighted." -...
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1
vote
Accepted
Is "you could've have had this" grammatically correct?
"You could've have had this" is incorrect grammar. The extra "have" is not only unnecessary, it is forbidden. It is a plausible mistake for someone to make, especially in writing ...
- 195k
4
votes
How time flies or flew?
When referring to a particular period or experience, I would use the appropriate tense with the time:
When we were at that festival, how the time flew [by]!
How the time has flown this past week!
...
- 73.3k
6
votes
How time flies or flew?
"How time flies" is a common exclamation - meaning 'doesn't time go quickly?'.
You would use the present tense, "How time flies", when referring to time in general ('doesn't time ...
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8
votes
How time flies or flew?
People often write The time flew by when describing a past experience such as an enjoyable holiday. However, you have written it as an exclamation, so the present tense is appropriate. "Time ...
- 47.3k
2
votes
Accepted
Is it correct to use the word 'made' in the present continuous or simple present tense?
This sentence is in the passive voice, where the simple present is is made and the present progressive is is being made.
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0
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Tense: shapes vs has shaped
Both. Your two example sentences have slightly different readings (besides the tense). The first can be paraphrased as
As more and more things happen—and move into the past—that’s what shapes the ...
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