The beast gradually comes down.

[Kii]

1. The beast gradually comes down.

2. The beast gradually came down.

In my understanding, the first sentence suggests an expected course of action, an observation, and that it is gradual.

The second sentence confuses me a little: I thought that because of the word 'gradually', there is an emphasis on the duration of time while an action is done. Isn't it, for instance, also the same as saying "It came down for five hours"? Or is 'gradually' here only synonymous with 'after' wherein "It came down after five hours"?

 

[5jj]

Neither sentence sounds likely to me. Where did you find them? What sort of 'beast' are they talking about? Where is the beast coming down from/to?

 

[Kii]

I created the sentences for comparison. The beast is a monstrous creature usually in hiding at the top of the hill. One of the villagers living down the hill might say those words from observation.

 

[jutfrank]

What are you trying to compare? Present and past simple? I assume you understand that the second sentence refers to a past time action. Or is this a question about how to use the word 'gradually'?

It isn't helpful to create sentences that confuse you. Work out exactly what you want to know, or say, and let us know.

 

[Kii]

These are my notes on some contexts of the simple past tense that relate to my question:

Adverbs expressing the passage of time
Ex: After the show, we ate spaghetti.

Span of remote time/duration in the past
Ex: Mr. Johnson taught at Yale for 30 years.
_____________________________________________________
Here are my example and questions:

The rain gradually stopped.

Which context is being used? Or do they both apply?

1. Adverbs expressing the passage of time
   • The rain stopped after some time.
2. Span of remote time/duration in the past
   • It rained for some time until it stopped.

Are my applications of these contexts correct?

 

[Tarheel]

What do you mean by "gradually" there? Do you mean the rain lessened in intensity until it stopped altogether?

 

[Kii]

What do you mean by "gradually" there? Do you mean the rain lessened in intensity until it stopped altogether?

Yes.

 

[jutfrank]

Adverbs expressing the passage of time
Ex: After the show, we ate spaghetti.

What do you mean by 'Adverbs expressing the passage of time'? Are you talking about the phrase After the show? That's not an adverb, and it doesn't express the passage of time.

Span of remote time/duration in the past
Ex: Mr. Johnson taught at Yale for 30 years.

What do you mean by 'remote time'? The phrase for 30 years expresses a duration, yes.

The rain gradually stopped.

Which context is being used? Or do they both apply?

I can't quite identify your question. The sentence means that the intensity of the rain faded until it was no longer raining. The adverb gradually modifies the verb by manner.

 

[Kii]

What do you mean by 'remote time'?

A time in the past.

I can't quite identify your question. The sentence means that the intensity of the rain faded until it was no longer raining. The adverb gradually modifies the verb by manner.

The rain gradually stopped.

Does the sentence not express or at least suggest a before-and-after that changes the aspect of the verb? How about this sentence?:

"All of us gradually made successful adjustments in the project."

If that is true for both sentences, then the aspect of those verbs is only describing an action/event that is completed, regardless of gradually. Correct?

 

[teechar]

Putting the tenses aside, the problem I see with your sentences is that they're unnatural. "Stop" is an instantaneous action, not a gradual one, and "come down" in your first post is not all that clear. What do you mean by it?

 

[tedmc]

I think gradually is a wrong choice of word. The OP probably meant "eventually". It wasn't that the action of the bear descending was slow but the bear took some time to get around to doing it.

 

[Tarheel]

I have noticed that ESL learners frequently have trouble with adverbs.