I am starting this discussion for those who want to improve their knowledge of grammar. Dear learners! If you have any questions, I'll be glad to answer to them.
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I would like to know about two things belonging to grammar.First, what are ergative verbs ? .
Second ,Are there specific rules about affixes ?.I mean that it is known when we make a sentence like the following:He unhides himself very faster.I want to say can we put the following prefixes dis,de,none..etc instead of "un" without changing the meaning of the abovementioned sentence? or we cann't and why ?
Kevin asks:when using the word ´and ´ in the subject, such as " Bob and Jack" is "and" a conjunction or is it included as a part of a subject ?
When we use "and" in the subject that is the first word in the sentence, it is a part of the subject. For example:
Bob and Jackare my friends. My husband and Ihave been there.
"And" is a conjunction anyway. It is a part of speech. Here, the matter is in a compound subject and general structure of the sentence.
If we use such a subject in "There is/are" construction or some others like it, the number of the verb "be" (or other) is related to the first word of the compound subject:
There isa girl and two boys in the yard.
There aretwo boys and a girl in the yard.
Dear Senthil! It is my last answer this week. I will be absent till July 4. You are one of the most curious learners here and I appreciate it very much.
So, your question is about English Tenses. It is uneasy to explain them in a few words because the Tenses make a strict logical system. Anyway, I will try to explain the difference between The Simple Past and The Present Perfect Tenses.
All structures you wrote are right. The matter is when to use them.
1. We use The Simple Past Tense when we mean that the action took place (happened, occured) in the past, is not related to the present (or we don't know about that) and we mention it as a fact (we don't emphasize its duration). We also use this tense when we describe regular action in the past or enumarate a few consecutive actions. In such sentences we usually use a time modifier that describes the past. Here are a few examples:
He called me up yesterday. (Affirmative) (a fact) Did he call you yeasterday? (Interrogative)
He didn't call me yesterday. (Negative)
I often called home when I was on business trip. (Regular action)
She came home late, took a shower and went to bed (Enumeration)
2. We use The Present Perfect Tense when we want to say that the action has already taken place but its result is related to the present. In such sentences we never use the past time modifier. There are many so called "standard" cases when we use this tense. Here are a few of them:
a) there is no time modifier.
I have bought a car (I still have it)
b)There is a present time modifier
I have seen him this week
c) with the adverbs of uncertain time: just, ever, never, already, yet, recently, lately, before, etc.
I have just come in ( I am at home now)
I haven't met him before (I don't know him in person) Hasn't he come yet? ( He is not here)
I have seen that movie recently (I remember it)
d) when we want to say that some action has been taking place for some time till now.
I have known him for ages.
I haven't smoked for a month. (I don't smoke now and it is OK with me)
I have lived here since the childhood (I still live here and I am not going to move out)
e) when we mention the number of times.
I have been here twise.
f) there are a few special expressions:
This is the first time I have been here.
It has been two years since we finished the school.
There are some other cases. But the principle thing is to realize what this or that tense for. Here is a very understandable example.
I have bought a new car. The meaning is that you still have it.
I bought a car last year. It is only information. In the most of cases natives will ask you:"Are you still driving it?" It is not clear that you still have the same car.
As to using auxiliaries in affirmative sentences, please, read what I told Mir above.
senthil said:
Hi Tanya.. I want to know Where to use "I have said ","I said","I did say"...? also is "have i said?" correct one..? if so what does it mean..? Where to use "have i said?" and "Did i say?"..?
Dear Van! Nice to meet you, too. First of all, I'd like to ask you and all others to post your questions in the appropriate discussions. This one should have been posted on the discussion "Synonyms". It is not principle, but I'd like to make some order here because there are very many members of this group.
It is not that easy to answer to your question, but I will try.
First of all, you should consult a good dictionary and find out their exect thanslation to your native language. It will help you a little. Then, I will explain what I can.
1. "correct" and "right" are synonyms, but not 100% ones. "Correct" means there is no mistake, "right" means that it is true. So, in some sentences we can use each of these words but not in all of them. You should "feel" the difference, so to say, readind the following examples.
My watch is right. It tells the correct time.
Your sentence is correct. You are right.
We usually use "correct" with an inanimate subject but it is not the rule.
2. "true" means that it is real or a fact. Examples:
- Is it true that he has got married?
- That's true.
- Kiev is the capital of Ukraine.
- That's true.
3. "exact" is different. Its meaning is close to "precise" but not the same. Examples:
It was exactly like this ( It was like this)
He always knows exactly what he wants (He knows, no doubts)
I hope you've got it. If not, ask some particular questions.
Son Nguyen Van - SmallMountain said:
Nice to meet you, Tanya! i has a question: what difference among correct/incorrect, true/false and right/wrong when its mean is exactly/inexactly? how can i use its?
" Is that true?
They corrected my mistake.
I am right. "
I know those mean. but in some of special case i do not know that what word i should use in there?
Dear Mir! We use "do" ("does" for the third person, singular) as an auxiliary in The Simple Present Tense ("did" in the Simple Past). It is the must to use them in questions and negative sentences. We must also use them in the short answers:
Do you know him? No, I don't. Does he live here? Yes, he does. Did you see him yesterday? Yes, I did.
We can also use them in affirmative sentences if we want to stress the predicate.
I do know that! (I tell you, I really know)
He did call! (I didn't expect that or something like that)
You can say such sentences without auxiliaries but they won't be emotional.
I know that (Just a fact)
He called me (Just a fact)
Is it clear?
Mir J said:
Hi Tanya!
can you plz put some light on "empathic do" (its uses, with which tense it is usable, what the impact will be on the sentence if we don't use it etc). as in one of your reply, you wrote "I do know that it is an old one".
Dear Ika Tan! I have already answered to this question (See page 3 of this discusssion, my reply to Sandy)
ika tan said:
Hello Tanya, My name Ika, from Indonesia. I want to ask a question, may be its a stupid question. Is grammar important for daily conversation?
Thank you,
Hello Tanya,
My name Ika, from Indonesia. I want to ask a question, may be its a stupid question.
Is grammar important for daily conversation?
Thank you,
Dear Gary! In fact, I can't correct your text and you know why: it is a translation. I can only write it over in my style. The following is your text with the corrections in bold of grammar mistakes only. If I delete a word or its part, I type"_". If I don't like some expression, I underline it.
The world was over yesterday. While I was sleeping. They have stolen my beloved one along with her sparkling shades. I remained alone and I heard voices. The world was over yesterday. They voiced come closer do not be
weak-kneed. You have slept for long
eras. The land is no
longer dwellings. Illusion of love has abounded emotionality the era of human.
The world was over yesterday. The world that belonged to us has gone.
The world was over yesterday.
Let me explain. As you can see, there is the only one grammar mistake. As to expressions I've underlined.
1. "world is over". You see, if we say that someting is over it means that we know the exact time of its duration. This expression doesn't sound good for me. I would say "The life is over on this planet" or something like this.
2."sparkling shades". I am sure it is not right word combination. Maybe, "flashing (sparkling) memories" but I am not sure at all. The one you used doesn't sound right.
3. "for long eras". It is better to say "for ages".
4. "They voiced come closer do not be weak-kneed." It is 100% wrong. It is not clear.
Maybe "Those voices come closer not to be kneeled down" or something lite that.
I sincerely believe that only native speakers can correct it right. I am sorry. But, pay attention to my notes because I have a good "feeling" of English (I've been speaking it since my early childhood and lived in the US long)
Replies
Second ,Are there specific rules about affixes ?.I mean that it is known when we make a sentence like the following:He unhides himself very faster.I want to say can we put the following prefixes dis,de,none..etc instead of "un" without changing the meaning of the abovementioned sentence? or we cann't and why ?
When we use "and" in the subject that is the first word in the sentence, it is a part of the subject. For example:
Bob and Jack are my friends.
My husband and I have been there.
"And" is a conjunction anyway. It is a part of speech. Here, the matter is in a compound subject and general structure of the sentence.
If we use such a subject in "There is/are" construction or some others like it, the number of the verb "be" (or other) is related to the first word of the compound subject:
There is a girl and two boys in the yard.
There are two boys and a girl in the yard.
So, your question is about English Tenses. It is uneasy to explain them in a few words because the Tenses make a strict logical system. Anyway, I will try to explain the difference between The Simple Past and The Present Perfect Tenses.
All structures you wrote are right. The matter is when to use them.
1. We use The Simple Past Tense when we mean that the action took place (happened, occured) in the past, is not related to the present (or we don't know about that) and we mention it as a fact (we don't emphasize its duration). We also use this tense when we describe regular action in the past or enumarate a few consecutive actions. In such sentences we usually use a time modifier that describes the past. Here are a few examples:
He called me up yesterday. (Affirmative) (a fact)
Did he call you yeasterday? (Interrogative)
He didn't call me yesterday. (Negative)
I often called home when I was on business trip. (Regular action)
She came home late, took a shower and went to bed (Enumeration)
2. We use The Present Perfect Tense when we want to say that the action has already taken place but its result is related to the present. In such sentences we never use the past time modifier. There are many so called "standard" cases when we use this tense. Here are a few of them:
a) there is no time modifier.
I have bought a car (I still have it)
b)There is a present time modifier
I have seen him this week
c) with the adverbs of uncertain time: just, ever, never, already, yet, recently, lately, before, etc.
I have just come in ( I am at home now)
I haven't met him before (I don't know him in person)
Hasn't he come yet? ( He is not here)
I have seen that movie recently (I remember it)
d) when we want to say that some action has been taking place for some time till now.
I have known him for ages.
I haven't smoked for a month. (I don't smoke now and it is OK with me)
I have lived here since the childhood (I still live here and I am not going to move out)
e) when we mention the number of times.
I have been here twise.
f) there are a few special expressions:
This is the first time I have been here.
It has been two years since we finished the school.
There are some other cases. But the principle thing is to realize what this or that tense for. Here is a very understandable example.
I have bought a new car. The meaning is that you still have it.
I bought a car last year. It is only information. In the most of cases natives will ask you:"Are you still driving it?" It is not clear that you still have the same car.
As to using auxiliaries in affirmative sentences, please, read what I told Mir above.
senthil said:
It is not that easy to answer to your question, but I will try.
First of all, you should consult a good dictionary and find out their exect thanslation to your native language. It will help you a little. Then, I will explain what I can.
1. "correct" and "right" are synonyms, but not 100% ones. "Correct" means there is no mistake, "right" means that it is true. So, in some sentences we can use each of these words but not in all of them. You should "feel" the difference, so to say, readind the following examples.
My watch is right. It tells the correct time.
Your sentence is correct. You are right.
We usually use "correct" with an inanimate subject but it is not the rule.
2. "true" means that it is real or a fact. Examples:
- Is it true that he has got married?
- That's true.
- Kiev is the capital of Ukraine.
- That's true.
3. "exact" is different. Its meaning is close to "precise" but not the same. Examples:
It was exactly like this ( It was like this)
He always knows exactly what he wants (He knows, no doubts)
I hope you've got it. If not, ask some particular questions.
Son Nguyen Van - SmallMountain said:
ika tan said:
Do you know him? No, I don't.
Does he live here? Yes, he does.
Did you see him yesterday? Yes, I did.
We can also use them in affirmative sentences if we want to stress the predicate.
I do know that! (I tell you, I really know)
He did call! (I didn't expect that or something like that)
You can say such sentences without auxiliaries but they won't be emotional.
I know that (Just a fact)
He called me (Just a fact)
Is it clear?
Mir J said:
ika tan said:
My name Ika, from Indonesia. I want to ask a question, may be its a stupid question.
Is grammar important for daily conversation?
Thank you,
Have a nice day!
The world was over yesterday. While I was sleeping. They have stolen my beloved one along with her sparkling shades. I remained alone and I heard voices. The world was over yesterday. They voiced come closer do not be
weak-kneed. You have slept for long
eras. The land is no
longer dwellings. Illusion of love has abounded emotionality the era of human.
The world was over yesterday. The world that belonged to us has gone.
The world was over yesterday.
Let me explain. As you can see, there is the only one grammar mistake. As to expressions I've underlined.
1. "world is over". You see, if we say that someting is over it means that we know the exact time of its duration. This expression doesn't sound good for me. I would say "The life is over on this planet" or something like this.
2."sparkling shades". I am sure it is not right word combination. Maybe, "flashing (sparkling) memories" but I am not sure at all. The one you used doesn't sound right.
3. "for long eras". It is better to say "for ages".
4. "They voiced come closer do not be weak-kneed." It is 100% wrong. It is not clear.
Maybe "Those voices come closer not to be kneeled down" or something lite that.
I sincerely believe that only native speakers can correct it right. I am sorry. But, pay attention to my notes because I have a good "feeling" of English (I've been speaking it since my early childhood and lived in the US long)
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