Past Tense

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jack

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Apr 24, 2004
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

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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

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Apr 24, 2004
"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

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jack said:
"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 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?

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

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Jun 15, 2004
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

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May 10, 2004
Francois said:
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

Good catch!
?

FRC
 

jack

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Apr 24, 2004
"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

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"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

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"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

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"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.

;-)
 

jack

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Apr 24, 2004
Somebody said it was you. <--correct? why?
Somebody said it is you. <--correct? why?
Somebody says it was you. <--correct? why?
Somebody says it is you. <--correct? why?
 

jack

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Apr 24, 2004
"I am looking for a worker name Alice." <--correct? what does it mean?
"I am looking for a worker named Alice." <--correct? what does it mean?
 

Tdol

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'called' would be better. However, the first would always be wrong- the second might be OK.;-)
 

Casiopea

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jack said:
1. "I am looking for a worker name Alice." <--correct? what does it mean?
2. "I am looking for a worker named Alice." <--correct? what does it mean?

1. is incorrect. "name" functions as an adjective here, so it takes -ed, like this,

I am looking for a worker named Alice.

Adjective Test
Question: What kind of a worker?
Answer: A worker who is named Alice.
 

jack

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Apr 24, 2004
"I will get you banned." <--correct?
"I will get you ban." <--incorrect? why? is it because "get" is in the sentence which is a 'to be' so "ban" should be "banned"?
 

Tdol

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'Get' is often used instead of 'be' in passive sentences, so you are quite right.;-)
 

jack

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Apr 24, 2004
"Are there any training roads with driving routes map out?" <--incorrect? why?

"Are there any training roads with driving routes mapped out?" Is this whole question written out correctly? why?
 

Casiopea

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jack said:
"I will get you banned." <--correct?
"I will get you ban." <--incorrect? why? is it because "get" is in the sentence which is a 'to be' so "ban" should be "banned"?

I will get you banned.

Structure
Subject: I
Verb: will get
Object: you
Object Complement: banned (adjective)
 

Tdol

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"Are there any training roads with driving routes mapped out?" Is this whole question written out correctly? why?

It is correct, but you could look at it as 'routes that have been mapped out'. ;-)
 

jack

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Apr 24, 2004
"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?
 
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