How would you define the future time?

[MrPedantic]

Originally Posted by shun

I just brag of your way of avoidance. If of any assistance to me, will you define 'the present time' now?

I'll certainly try.

What context did you have in mind?

All the best,

MrP

[shun]

Originally Posted by MrPedantic

I'll certainly try.
What context did you have in mind?

My reply: Context? You are again arguing against yourself.

If you had noticed the importance the context, you would not have claimed "without preamble":

Originally Posted by MrPedantic

If I approach a perfect stranger in the street and say, without preamble,
1. I go to work by train.
the perfect stranger may reasonably infer that the routine relates to the past, the present, and the expected future. The utterance does not focus on any particular time.

Tense is used to express time. If you now know the importance of the context, you will now be aware of the importance of the preamble.

[MrPedantic]

On the contrary. The simple present tense without context doesn't suggest present time, which is what you wanted to know about.

With context, or in the case of the present progressive, it's a different matter.

MrP

[shun]

Originally Posted by MrPedantic

The simple present tense without context doesn't suggest present time.....

My reply: It is your vicious circle. You don't know how to define the present time, but will claim that Simple Present doesn't suggest the present time.

Simple Present doesn't suggest what you don't know. So, you don't know what it suggests.

[Tdol]

Originally Posted by shun

Tense is used to express time.

I disagree with this- tense can be used to express time, but it can do many other things in English- I can use the present to talk about past, present or future time.

[shun]

Originally Posted by Tdol

I disagree with this- tense can be used to express time, but it can do many other things in English- I can use the present to talk about past, present or future time.

My reply: If we should be able to "use the present to talk about past, present or future time", are you sure we cannot use the past or the future to talk about the present? If we really can, what a mess in time expression.

Actually, we don't use the present second to talk about the past second.
Also, we don't use Today to talk about Yesterday.

[riverkid]

Originally Posted by shun

My reply: If we should be able to "use the present to talk about past, present or future time", are you sure we cannot use the past or the future to talk about the present? If we really can, what a mess in time expression.

Actually, we don't use the present second to talk about the past second.
Also, we don't use Today to talk about Yesterday.

There's a good reason that we don't use today to talk about yesterday, Shun. The reason is, they have different meanings. But we do use different tense FORMS to create nuances in language.

We can use the present tense to talk about a past event. It's called the Historical Present and as much as you seek to deny these things with your theories, ENLs do it all the time.

Try googling "so I walk into this bar" and you'll see 61 pages where ENLs relate stories, in the present tense, that are over, finished, finito.

Here are a few examples:

so I walk into this bar in Laredo (sse cash, john r.) and I see all these girls, latinas...right.. you know where this is going, but Imma keep going for the ...

Ok, so I walk into this bar.. I sit down on the south end of the bar, and wave the barkeeper over for some ale. I notice two guys braging and telling ...

So I walk into this bar and I head straight for the bathroom to see what my night may consist of. I open a stall and I see Gary Busey. ...

Next try, "this duck walks into a bar" and you'll see 3643 pages of ENLs relating past time events in, what else, the present simple, in the Historical Present.

So this duck walks into a bar and says to the bartender, “Man, do I have an amazing talent act. I’m telling you, it could fill Broadway for months! ...


A duck walks into a bar...
This duck walks into a bar and asks the bartender, "Do you have any grapes?"
The bartender says no, and the duck leaves.
The next day, the duck returns and asks, "Do you have any grapes?" The bartender again says no, and the duck leaves.
Two days later the duck returns walks up to the bar and asks the bartender, "Do you have any grapes?"
The bartender, losing his patience, screams at the duck, "I told you duck, I don't have any grapes and if you ask me again I will nail your feet to the floor!!"
The duck looked startled and leaves.
Two days later the duck returns walks up to the bar and asks the bartender, "Do you have any nails?"
The bartender replied, "No," and the duck said, "Good! Got any grapes?"

[MrPedantic]

Originally Posted by shun

My reply: It is your vicious circle. You don't know how to define the present time, but will claim that Simple Present doesn't suggest the present time.

Simple Present doesn't suggest what you don't know. So, you don't know what it suggests.

Hello Shun

Suppose I'm writing a letter to President Bush.

Someone says to me: "Who are you writing to, MrP?"

In your opinion, should I reply:

1. I write a letter to the President of the United States of America.

Or:

2. I'm writing a letter to the President of the United States of America.

MrP

[shun]

Originally Posted by riverkid

There's a good reason that we don't use today to talk about yesterday, Shun.

My reply: Thank you for agreeing with me.

How will you define "the present time"?

[shun]

Originally Posted by MrPedantic

Suppose I'm writing a letter to President Bush.
Someone says to me: "Who are you writing to, MrP?"
In your opinion, should I reply:
1. I write a letter to the President of the United States of America.
Or:
2. I'm writing a letter to the President of the United States of America.

My reply: I will choose #2. What do you want to say?

Now you have a context, will you define "the present time"?