Past Tense

[jack]

That is how i did so good. <--correct? why?
That was how i did so good. <--incorrect? why? what does it mean if it is incorrect so i know why is it wrong?

Were you supposed to work today? <--correct?
Were you suppose to work today? <-incorrect? why? Is it b/c if I change it to sentence form, it is "You were supposed to work today." ?

I think he saw me. <--correct? What does it mean?
I think he sees me. <--correct? What does it mean?
I thought he saw me. <--correct? What does it mean?
I thought he sees me. <--correct? What does it mean?

[Casiopea]

1. That is how i did so good. :(
2. That was how i did so good. :(

==> That is (the reason) why I did so well. :D
==> That was (the reason) why I did so well. :D

3. Were you supposed to work today? :D
4. Were you suppose to work today? :(

==> supposed to is a set phrase. :D

Is it b/c if I change it to sentence form, it is "You were supposed to work today." ?

Excellent! Yes. That's a good test for grammaticality. :D 8)

5. I think he saw me. :D
6. I think he sees me. :D

==> I think THIS. (THIS can be past, present or future.) e.g., I think he will see me. (OK)

7. I thought he saw me. :D
8. I thought he sees me. :(

==> thought is past tense, so 'see' needs to be past as well;

I thought he saw me.
I thought he had seen me.
I though he would see me.
I thought he could see me.

All the best, :D

[jack]

"I heard that bullet flew pass me." <--correct?
"I heard that bullet fly pass me." <--incorrect? why?


"I thought he saw me. "
" I thought he sees me. "
==> thought is past tense, so 'see' needs to be past as well; <--I don't really get this, why?

I think he saw me.
I think he sees me.

==> I think THIS. (THIS can be past, present or future.) e.g., I think he will see me. (OK) <--I don't really get this, why?

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by jack

"I heard that bullet flew pass me." <--correct?
"I heard that bullet fly pass me." <--incorrect? why?

I heard (someone say then at that time in the past) that that bullet flew passed me. (OK)
I heard that bullet fly pass(ed) me. (OK; fact)

I think that bullet flew passed me. (OK; I'm thinking now about something that happened to me in the past)

I think that bullet fly past me. (Not OK; I'm thinking now about something that is happening to me right now: I think that bullet is flying passed me. (OK))

"I thought he saw me. "
"I thought he sees me. "
==> thought is past tense, so 'see' needs to be past as well; <--I don't really get this, why?

I though then at that time in the past about something that happened then in the past (i.e. I thought he saw me).

*I thought he sees me (ungrammatical). 'thought something' happened in the past. The word something is replaced by the action "see". "see" also happened in the past , so "see" should also be in past form (i.e. I thought he saw me.)

I think he saw me.
I think he sees me.

<--I don't really get this, why?

I am thinking at this time, now, about something that is happening now (i.e. I think he sees me) or about something that will happen in the future (I think he will see me.

I thought at the time, then, about something that happened then, in the past (i.e. I thought he saw me).

[Francois]

I heard (someone say then at that time in the past) that that bullet flew passed me. (OK)
I heard that bullet fly pass(ed) me. (OK; fact)

I think that bullet flew passed me. (OK; I'm thinking now about something that happened to me in the past)

I think that bullet fly past me. (Not OK; I'm thinking now about something that is happening to me right now: I think that bullet is flying passed me. (OK))

Shouldn't it be:
I heard that bullet fly past me
I think that bullet flew past me
I think that bullet is flying past me
?

FRC

[twostep]

Originally Posted by Francois

Shouldn't it be:
I heard that bullet fly past me
I think that bullet flew past me
I think that bullet is flying past me

Good catch!
?

FRC

[jack]

"I wonder what caused this." <--incorrect?
"I wonder what cause this." <--correct? b/c "wonder" is not "wondered" so "cause" should be "cause"?
"I wonder what causes this." <--incorrect? "causes" is used for 3rd person.

[Tdol]

"I wonder what caused this."correct?- I am wondering now, but the cause was in the past
"I wonder what cause this." incorrect
"I wonder what causes this." correct- third person singular

[jack]

"This film is playing in select cities." <--correct? why? What does it mean?
"This film is playing in selected cities." <--correct? why? What does it mean?

[Tdol]

"This film is playing in select cities." <--correct? why? What does it mean? This would mean special, smart cities.
"This film is playing in selected cities." <--correct? why? What does it mean? This would mean cities that they have chosen.