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Thread: Help with sentences, please!

  1. #1
    Karura is offline Newbie
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    Default Help with sentences, please!

    Hello Everyone,

    Iīm having a hardtime with verbs, tenses and all, if you could give me some help, that would be much appreciably! My doubts are basically from how to transform one tense into another.

    1st sentence:

    "I went to get some popcorn. Why didnīt you told me?"
    How would I transform this sentence into PAST SIMPLE?

    "What were you doing yesterday?"
    Want to transform this into PAST CONTINUOUS

    "What have you done yesterday at 9 o`clock?"
    In this one I would lie to transform it in PAST PERFECT, if I change "What had you done yesterday at 9 o`clock would it be Past Perfect?

    Thanks for any help.

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    5jj
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    Default Re: Help with sentences, please!

    Welcome to the forum, Karura.
    Quote Originally Posted by Karura View Post
    Iīm having a hardspacetime with verbs, tenses and all,. i If you could give me some help, that would be much appreciablyted! My doubts are basically from about how to transform one tense into another.

    1. "I went to get some popcorn. Why didnīt you told tell me?"...How would I transform this sentence into PAST SIMPLE?
    Both verbs are already in the past simple.

    2. "What were you doing yesterday?"...W I want to transform this into PAST CONTINUOUS.
    It is already past continuous.

    3. "What have you done yesterday at 9 o`clock?"
    This is not an acceptable sentence. We do not use the present perfect with reference to a past time.
    In this one I would like to transform it in PAST PERFECT,. i If I change it to "What had you done yesterday at 9 o`clock", would it be Past Perfect?
    ' .... had you done...' is past perfect. However, there are a limited number of contexts in which this form would be natural here.
    Context is always important; labelling is rarely important.


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    Frank Antonson's Avatar
    Frank Antonson is offline Senior Member
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    Default Re: Help with sentences, please!

    Karura,

    Part of the issue here is that these sentences are questions, and in English we often use forms of "to do" to generate questions.

    Perhaps it would help to stick to declarative sentences at first. Then see how the word order changes for questions.

    Frank

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    Default Re: Help with sentences, please!

    confused!

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    Default Re: Help with sentences, please!

    Quote Originally Posted by Nersi View Post
    confused!
    Tell us one thing from the threads above that confuses you, and we'll try to sort it out. Then you can tell us another, if there is one.
    Context is always important; labelling is rarely important.


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    Karura is offline Newbie
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    Default Re: Help with sentences, please!

    Thanks for your corrections, not only in those sentences but also in my previous text, I must overcome my difficulties. HARD WORK HERE!

  7. #7
    Karura is offline Newbie
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    Threadstarter / Original Poster

    Default Re: Help with sentences, please!

    Thanks Frank, Iīm studiyng verbs and grammar by Murphy`s book, so I will get there (some day... )

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    Karura is offline Newbie
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    Default Re: Help with sentences, please!

    Sorry you all!

    Iīm the one who is confused here.

    The first sentences "I went to get some popcorn. Why didn`t you told me?"

    I want please some advice on changing it into PRESENT PERFECT, that`s my doubt..

  9. #9
    Karura is offline Newbie
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    Default Re: Help with sentences, please!

    And a couple more:

    "when did you saw him." is this PAST SIMPLE?? Or Should I say "When did you see him?"

    "I was eating when you called me." PAST CONTINUOUS?

    "When you arrived I was dressing myself." PAST CONTINUOUS? or should I say "When You arrive I am dressing my self?"

    "I was waiting there for five hours!" PAST CONTINUOUS?

    "I have wrote it slowly." PAST PERFECT?

    "I have cleanned the kitchen" PAST PERFECT?

    "I have gone when you arrive." arrived? PAST PERFECT?

    "When I was young, I was thiner." PAST PERFECT??

    "I have been studying chinese for five years." PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS?

    "I had been waiting for the doctor when you arrived." PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS?

    "She has been tired because has been working late." PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS?

    "I had brushed my theeth." PAST PERFECT

    "She had been playing tennis?" PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS??

    If you, Mr Moderator, could help me with these that would be great!

    All of you have a great day, please!

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Help with sentences, please!

    Quote Originally Posted by Karura View Post
    The first sentences "I went to get some popcorn. Why didn`t you told tell me?"

    I want please some advice on changing it into PRESENT PERFECT, that`s my doubt.
    You cannot change the tense without changing the meaning completely. "I have gone..." is possible only in a note left to tell people where you are.
    bhaisahab and Karura like this.
    Context is always important; labelling is rarely important.


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