What is a simple way to explain the various verb tenses?

1 Answer

Answer :

answer:I have found that doing it backwards works best for me. If I find a sentence with an elaborate verb structure, I will look up the verb tenses in order to be able to explain it formally. For example; Chart Conditional Perfect If I had been smarter, I would have remained at home.

Related questions

Description : The combination of tenses?

Last Answer : I don’t know if “were” should be interpreted as past tense. It might be a subjunctive. When you say “We have thought”, it creates a hypothetical.

Description : Can you help me with these English sentences and tenses?

Last Answer : answer:Don't open the box if the seal has been broken. Is basically the same meaning, either can be used in this case; has been or is. The second sentence is more tricky. The sentence ... been resolved, is correct also. I am American, there might be subtle differences with British English possibly.

Description : all verb tenses are formed using the -General Knowledge

Last Answer : All verb tenses are formed using the principal parts.

Description : I ripped apart my toys and then I hide them around the house.verb tenses?

Last Answer : i need it for my sister as fast as possible

Description : How many verb tenses are there in the English language? a) 1 b) 2 c) 3 d) 4

Last Answer : c) 3

Description : Grammar question: where is the line between the passive voice and (to be) as a linking verb?

Last Answer : Here is how I see it. For a word to be an adjective, it must be describing some object. If you say, The pot was watched , watched is not a property of the pot. There is an irony in ... would ordinarily be on the current state of the pot rather than acts of tarnishing that had been made on it.

Description : What is the verb form of daunting ?

Last Answer : Daunt

Description : Does this verb form strike a strange note with anyone but me?

Last Answer : I don’t assume everyone here is a native English speaker.

Description : What's the deal with plural verb tense applied to a singular corporate entity?

Last Answer : It’s a British English convention.

Description : Present Perfect Simple?

Last Answer : um, @Gailcalled?

Description : Could someone explain to me what present/past perfect tenses are?

Last Answer : answer:Does it just mean the word can be both simple or continuous? So He said that he had played the piano. Is past perfect as it’s not certain if that’s just once or many times?

Description : How would you explain the uses of "that" in English, or the uses of the gerund, in a comprehensive way?

Last Answer : answer:That That is a great word. It has so many uses. The best way would be to explain it in terms of parts of speech. That can be a pronoun, adjective, adverb, or conjunction. 1. Pronoun ... walking. (Object) 3. We always talk about walking, but we never do it (object of preposition), etc.

Description : I like to be blue and have been since '63, but I could be anything if my circuit was fixed. I'm small yet infinitely bigger. I was grown but I'm made of metal. I am the last of my kind just like ... time correctly described by a Lord. What will I be, what have I been, or is it, what am I? -Riddles

Last Answer : The T.A.R.D.I.S. from Doctor Who.

Description : What two English three letter words are both past tenses, in which one of them can be gotten when the other is written backward? -Riddles

Last Answer : Was and Saw.

Description : how many tenses are in English language?

Last Answer : There are only two grammatical tenses in English. The past and the present.

Description : When is it okay to shift tenses when you want to signal a change?

Last Answer : time

Description : What are the tenses of the word legion?

Last Answer : Legion is a noun. it does not have a tense

Description : hello what is perfect tenses?

Last Answer : hello what is perfect tenses

Description : Would you post good links that explain when to use who and whom?

Last Answer : Where would you find a “good” link? Maybe a book on grammar?

Description : Can anyone explain the "cot-caught merger" ?

Last Answer : I pronounce them differently—they don’t even sound the same to me. I pronounce cot as thought it rhymes with pot and “caught” more like cast/cought (rhymes with ought). Cot is one syllable sound when I say it and caught is a diphthong.

Description : What is the correct way to affirm a question that contains a negative?

Last Answer : That's a a good question, and one that confuses new comers to North America (I don't know if it's all English speaking or just in North America) who are thinking Yes, you're right, I don't ... guess an English teacher would say No is correct, but I've never read or heard about what is correct.

Description : Quick grammar question: not superlative but on its way?

Last Answer : They’re called “comparative adjectives”.

Description : What is the proper way to let a Spanish speaker know it's okay to use informal pronouns?

Last Answer : Just tell her, “por favor, no tienes que usar usted conmigo, prefiero tú.” Not sure if that is the “right” way, but she will know what you mean. If your Spanish isn’t great it won’t matter if it isn’t perfect.

Description : In days of yore, your and you're were separate words. Should it stay that way today?

Last Answer : answer:Dropping the spelling distinction? Wrong. Wrong. WRONG! I will picket city hall, should that become the standard! I won’t lay down my rights for fair spelling!

Description : What is the best way to solve this modifier issue?

Last Answer : Would adding the word “both” after “likes” solve the problem?

Description : What is an easy, no fail way to remember the difference between "effect" and "affect", and when to use them?

Last Answer : answer:When you affect a situation, you have an effect on it. I memorized this in school & it always helped me.

Description : How do you use the word 'Infest' in the right way?

Last Answer : Hahaha. Sorry, couldn't help but smile when I read your example sentence. Nah, infest' is the wrong word to use. If someone's being bad towards me, I'd say something along the lines ... when mean little disgusting foul creatures are taking over and swamping an area, such as children at the library.

Description : Best way to notate an inexact quote in an academic paper?

Last Answer : Use [] around the pieces of the quotation you have changed and then cite it as normal. Example: He stated, “You are [the only] person who knows” (Person 3).

Description : What is the fastest way to learn dutch?

Last Answer : Someone alerted me to Livemocha just yesterday. I haven’t had a chance to check it out myself so I don’t know how good it is, but it’s something you might want to look into.

Description : What is the grammatically correct way to write p.m. and a.m.?

Last Answer : 11:00 a.m. Pacific time is the correct way to write it

Description : Which sentence is a simple sentence with a compound verb and a simple subject?

Last Answer : Two women discussed politics and ate cake.

Description : What is the simple subject a noun verb adjective adverb or preposition?

Last Answer : A simple subject is a noun or a pronoun.A complete subject can be a noun, a pronoun, a noun phrase, or a noun clause.Examples:Bob washed the car today.The noun 'Bob' is the simple ... washed.The pronoun 'what' is the simple subject.The relative clause 'what she wants' is the complete subject.

Description : Can both first person and third person be used in an autobiography?

Last Answer : It might be used effectively by a really skillful author but it sounds like your friend is a novice so I would steer her away from that idea. Generally it would not be used.

Description : Why is it upper bound and lower bound and not higher bound and lower bound?

Last Answer : My first search revealed this is a mathematical concept. So you should direct this question to whoever first coined the term. The definition is below. https://www.mathsisfun.com/definitions/upper-bound.html

Description : Please may you identify and resolve the problems in my online test taking?

Last Answer : I can't offer a diagnosis, but I can readily tell you your grammar is good. You rarely make errors in your writing on here, and we look for poor English. I think taking online tests is ... would not put great importance on the result. Perhaps you could view it lightheartedly. You could try anyway.

Description : What are some tricks to discover a bot?

Last Answer : RedDeerGuy1, could you please restate the question? I can’t tell whether you’re talking about here on Fluther or elsewhere, and if you’re thinking of texts or email or some other medium. And I don’t quite know what you mean by tricks. I assume you’re referring to spambots, but maybe not—?

Description : How far can I raise my test scores, from going on a low FODMAP diet for IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)?

Last Answer : How are we supposed to be able to answer this? Keep up the good work and let us know how you are doing. You have nothing to lose and stand to gain in health and getting into a university. Are you still planning to go to a university? How many years has it been?

Description : Who is the instigator of the action in this combination?

Last Answer : I interpret it as I don’t like the fact he’s reading books. I don’t completely understand either of your interpretations.

Description : The use of the word "warrant"?

Last Answer : They aren't incorrect. They are a bit awkward. People don't use warranted in that manner in everyday speech, especially in the second example. Warranted implies ether a sort of authorization, ... reason or justification. Those sense would not be used in a conversation about someone seeking a job.

Description : What is the best spell checker website that doesn't require you to sign up?

Last Answer : I don’t know that a best spell checker is required. You just need something that checks spelling. GOOGLE “spell checker” for lists of free services.

Description : Should exclamation points and question marks be at the beginning of a sentence?

Last Answer : Perhaps. They do do that in Spanish.

Description : Famous with or among?

Last Answer : You could say either, preferably among of those two, but neither is a common preposition to sue with famous . Much more common (by a ratio of 9:1) is famous in , though that requires not ... in US teenage pop culture. See https://lingohelp.me/preposition-after-adjective/famous-for-in-of-by-as/

Description : What is the difference between these two sentences? (Have been/were)

Last Answer : There are two possibilities. She might start wondering before you arrive, in which case I would say, If you are late she will be wondering where you are. Alternatively, she might start wondering at the time ... in which case I would say, If you are late, she will be wondering where you had been.

Description : Is the use of "have eaten" correct in this sentence?

Last Answer : have not

Description : What is the difference between these two sentences?

Last Answer : Was is in the past.

Description : The use of articles?

Last Answer : No 1 is correct. No native English speaker would use 2 or 3.

Description : What periods of time are implied?

Last Answer : Can you illustrate when studying takes place in each of them. When? In all three sentences, the studying took place before the exam. How long before the actual exam? It is unclear. We can only ... exam. It suggests that the person put more effort rather than more time in studying for the exam.

Description : What is the difference among "have been", "having been", and "have been doing"? What is the difference between "have been doing" and "have been here"?

Last Answer : I am drafting a response to your questions, but also want to know why you are being so analytical of this sort of thing: 1. To be able to explain this to your mom? 2. To strengthen ... the differences of the verb forms you are wanting to understand without having some basic knowledge of the above.

Description : What is the difference between "being" and "having been"?

Last Answer : This is why literacy is important. Being able to read the words helps to understand grammar and pronunciation. In fact, we can observe that dialects partly evolve from illiteracy, although to be clear ... it wrong again. There are exceptions in English since the spelling of so many words is unusual.

Description : Can "que" ever translate to "it" or does "que" only translate to "that"?

Last Answer : Que can translate to that, than, who , whom , which , what , or and in English. I don't see a way to make que mean it . See https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary ... com/questions/38119/what-is-the-meaning-of-que-fu%C3%B1enga Sounds like it is sort of like how crappy or something.