Past Tense

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by jack

"I like it demolish." <--correct? why?
"I like it demolished." <--correct? why?
"I like it demolishes." <--incorrect? why? Why doesn't "it" makes "kill" plural?

I like it ________ (Fill in the blank with an adjective)

(a) demolish (verb) :(
(b) demolished (adjective) :D
(c) demolishes (verb) :(

I like it big.
I like it blue.
I like it soft.
I like it hot.
I like it demolished (like that).

[jack]

"I like it demolished." <--why doesn't "it" make "demolished" either "demolished" or "demolishes"?

eg.
It demolishes him.
It demolished him.

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by jack

"I like it demolished." <--why doesn't "it" make "demolished" either "demolished" or "demolishes"?

eg.
It demolishes him.
It demolished him.

Well, 'it' in "I like it" is not a subject. It's an object. It's the object of the verb "like". Remember that, only subjects agree in number with the verb:

I (subject) like (verb)
S/he (subject) likes (verb)
It (subject) likes (verb)

1. I like it (object) demolished (adjective) :D
2. I like it (object) demolishes (verb) :(

[jack]

The latest systems use the same sensors and additional technology to add stability control to the technological arsenal. Here the brake can be applied at one wheel during cornering to bring the nose or rear of the vehicle back into the intended line.

Why is "intended" past tense? Is it correct if it is in present tense? why?

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by jack

The latest systems use the same sensors and additional technology to add stability control to the technological arsenal. Here the brake can be applied at one wheel during cornering to bring the nose or rear of the vehicle back into the intended line.

Why is "intended" past tense? Is it correct if it is in present tense? why?

When you come across an -ed word, ask the question, "What kind of____?", like this,

the intended line => What kind of line? => the intended line.

"What kind of" tests for adjectives. intended functions as an adjective in that sentence. :D The line the car is intended to follow. (form: participle; function: adjective)

Other examples

a baked cookie (What kind of cookie?)
the walked dog (What kind of dog?)
our broken home (What kind of home?)
her driven father (What kind of father?)

All the best, :D

[jack]

"Now you can only hear half of what you can use to hear." <---is this sentence okay? It looks kind of odd to me.

"Now you can only hear half of what you can used to hear." <--is this incorrect? after certain auxiliary words, you would use the base form of the verb?

"Now you can only hear half of what you used to hear." <--is this correct? why?

[Casiopea]

"Now you can only hear half of what you can use to hear." (Not OK)

1. 'use to' should be 'used to'

2. 'what' refers to the object of 'to hear, like this,

what you used to hear => sounds you used to hear
you used to hear what => you used to hear sounds

3. 'used to' refers to something you did in the past and no longer do today. Note that, -ed is part of its basic form. :wink:

4. 'can' and 'used to' belong to the class "Modals"; they can't be used together (i.e., *will can, *can will, *shall can, *can used to, *used to can)


"Now you can only hear half of what you used to hear." (OK)

Also,

Now you can only hear half of what you used to be able to hear. (OK)

5. 'used to' takes 'to be able to hear' as its object.

All the best, :D

[jack]

"Now you can only hear half of what you can used to hear." <--this sentence is incorrect right?

*used to can <---why is this incorrrect? can you give me an example?

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by jack

"Now you can only hear half of what you can used to hear." <--this sentence is incorrect right?

It's incorrect. :wink:

*used to can <---why is this incorrrect? can you give me an example?

used to be able to (OK)
used to can (Not OK)

'can' is a modal; modals can't take infinitive 'to',

*to shall
*to can
*to used to
*to would

All the best, :D

[jack]

"Did you injure him?" <--correct?
"You injured him? <--correct?