has or had

[jack]

When i ask questions do i use "had" or "have"?
how do i know which one to use?

can you give me some examples on using "had" and "have" to ask questions? thanks in advance.
Links would really help too thanks again.

[Tdol]

I have two brothers. (present)
I had a lot of work yesterday. (past)

[jack]

I mean like examples on asking questions, do i use have or had?

like if i asked these questions:
Have you seen Kill Bill? <--does this mean,i dont care when he seen it?
Had you seen kill bill? <---does this mean, i want to know the exact time of when he saw it?

do i use have or had? How do i know which one to use?


"Had you started studying yet? <--is this even correct? so when i ask questionss, i can use had without using the past perfect rules? like this questions im asking doesn't have a subsequent event to it or anything?

"Have you started studying yet?"
What difference does it make when i ask questions using "had" or "have" ? when would i use "had" and "have" when asking questions?



Had you seen "Kill Bill"? <--is this correct? That means before another event in the past.
If it is correct, how come i dont need a subsequent event? Like how come i don't need to use past perfect rules when asking past perfect questions?

[jack]

a)I filled up the gas two times this month.
b)I have filled up the gas two times this month.
c)I had filled up the gas two times this month.

Are A&B&C the same?
What is the difference between have and had for b and c. How would i use "have" when i'm speaking and "had"?


http://www.grammarmudge.cityslide.co...29424/8972.htm

Present perfect tense indicates two types of continuing action – action that began in the past and is now finished or action that began in the past and continues in the present.

> Professor Jones has written a book on the mating habits of zebras. (The continuing action that began in the past the writing of the book – is completed.) <---if i use had, what would the sentence mean? would it mean that he doesnt write anymore? , if i use has does it mean that sometime in the future he might write again?

> He has adored her ever since the day they met. (The continuing action – adoring her – began in the past, with the implication that it continues in the present.) <--if i use "had" would the sentence mean?

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by jack

I mean like examples on asking questions, do i use have or had?

like if i asked these questions:
Have you seen Kill Bill? <--does this mean,i dont care when he seen it?
Had you seen kill bill? <---does this mean, i want to know the exact time of when he saw it?

do i use have or had? How do i know which one to use?

Have you seen "Kill Bill"? This asks if the person has see it yet, at any time prior to the present.

Had you seen "Kill Bill"? This should contain a past time reference, but that may be understood from a previous statement.

For example:

A: I had to write an essay last week about a gory movie. I couldn't think of one.
B: Had you seen "Kill Bill" (before you were in that position)?

Remember that past perfect is used to indicate that something happened before something else in the past.

"Had you started studying yet? <--is this even correct? so when i ask questionss, i can use had without using the past perfect rules? like this questions im asking doesn't have a subsequent event to it or anything?

"Have you started studying yet?"
What difference does it make when i ask questions using "had" or "have" ? when would i use "had" and "have" when asking questions?

I wouldn't use "yet" with the past perfect.
Had you started studying before the dog ate your book?

[jack]

Had you seen "Kill Bill"? This should contain a past time reference, but that may be understood from a previous statement.

Thanks Mike, I had heard people using "had" like that before but i did not understand why. <---did i use "had" correctly b/c i am talking about 2 past tense? Or should it be have b/c [but i did not understand why. ] can be written as another sentence?

I still need help on my 2nd last post thanks.




http://www.geocities.com/gwyni_99/prfgreen.html

Walter had been taking Spanish lessons since he was in high school, so he should have been pretty good. <-- i don't get this? "since he was in high school" isn't that a unspecific time? shouldn't they use "have"? If i used have what difference would it make?

*Remember that past perfect is used to indicate that something happened before something else in the past. <--i don't see the difference events in that "Walter" sentece?

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by jack

Had you seen "Kill Bill"? This should contain a past time reference, but that may be understood from a previous statement.

Thanks Mike, I had heard people using "had" like that before but i did not understand why. <---did i use "had" correctly b/c i am talking about 2 past tense? Or should it be have b/c [but i did not understand why. ] can be written as another sentence?

I still need help on my 2nd last post thanks.

Yes, you used "had" correctly there. It means that you had heard this usage before you read my message. You could also have used "have". Then it would mean that have heard that usage at sime time in the past.

[jack]

http://www.geocities.com/gwyni_99/prfgreen.html

Walter had been taking Spanish lessons since he was in high school, so he should have been pretty good. <-- i don't get this? "since he was in high school" isn't that a unspecific time? shouldn't they use "have"? If i used have what difference would it make?

*Remember that past perfect is used to indicate that something happened before something else in the past. <--i don't see the different events in that "Walter" sentence?

Same with this sentence, i don't see the different events
The man had been waiting to see a doctor for two hours.
Can you explain why did they use had? and not have?

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by jack

http://www.geocities.com/gwyni_99/prfgreen.html

Walter had been taking Spanish lessons since he was in high school, so he should have been pretty good. <-- i don't get this? "since he was in high school" isn't that a unspecific time? shouldn't they use "have"? If i used have what difference would it make?

You have to look at the rest of the paragraph. It sounds as if the entire story is set in the past. Once one is in the past, then things that occurred before the time of the story, would be in the past perfect. If the story were in the present, we would say, "Walter has been taking Spanish lessons since he was in high school, so he should be pretty good."

Now, imagine that someone is talking about their friend Walter in the past tense.

Walter I went to Mexico ten years ago. We were walking down the street looking for a place to eat. Walter walked up to a guy on the street and spoke Spanish to the man. The man became very angry and Walter was shocked. After all, Walter had been taking Spanish lessons since he was in high school and he should have been pretty good. As it turned out, instead of asking about a restaurant, Walter had mistakenly propositioned the man.

The entire story is set a time ten years ago. Everything was ten years ago, except Walter's Spanish lessons, which began a time prior to ten years ago. So the "has been taking" became "had been taking" and the "should be pretty good" became "should have been pretty good".

Same with this sentence, i don't see the different events
The man had been waiting to see a doctor for two hours.
Can you explain why did they use had? and not have?

Again, the story is set in the past, and the man began waiting before the time reference of the story.

[jack]

woohooo, thanks for the clear explanation. I get it now:P

a)I filled up the gas two times this month.
b)I have filled up the gas two times this month.

What is the difference between a & b?