tenses + but I've been too busy recently

Status
Not open for further replies.

joham

Key Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2007
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
China
Current Location
China
Are all the seven sentences reasonable in terms of the tenses? Thank you in advance.

1. I did all the cooking (in the past), but I've been too busy recently.
2. I do all the cooking, but I've been too busy recently.
3. I was doing all the cooking (in the past), but I've been too busy recently.
4. I'm willing to do/ I'll do all the cooking (from now on), but I've been too busy recently.
5. I would do all the cooking, but I've been too busy recently.
6. I would have done all the cooking, but I've been too busy recently.
7. I would have been doing all the cooking, but I've been too busy recently.
 

Chicchick

Junior Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
1 I used to do all the cooking in the past but...

2 I usually do all the cooking but...

3 Okay
4 Not really
5 Okay but not as good as the others
6 Okay
7 Okay
 

konungursvia

VIP Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2009
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
English
Home Country
Canada
Current Location
Canada
Agreed; but for 4), just reverse the two clauses.
 

e2e4

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2007
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Serbo-Croatian
Home Country
Bosnia Herzegovina
Current Location
Bosnia Herzegovina
Would this work?

4. I'll be doing all the cooking, hence. I've been too busy recently.
5. I would have been doing all the cooking if I hadn't been too busy recently.
 

konungursvia

VIP Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2009
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
English
Home Country
Canada
Current Location
Canada
Or,

I've been busy recently, but I'm willing to do all the cooking [from now on].
 

e2e4

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2007
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Serbo-Croatian
Home Country
Bosnia Herzegovina
Current Location
Bosnia Herzegovina
/A learner/

Or,

I've been busy recently, but I'm willing to do all the cooking [from now on].
Your example isn't for now on, I'd say.

Seems to me
It is for the particular cooking that should be done this time.
 

konungursvia

VIP Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2009
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
English
Home Country
Canada
Current Location
Canada
We don't say "all the cooking" in reference to just one meal, but as a sum of kitchen chores on an ongoing basis.
 

e2e4

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2007
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Serbo-Croatian
Home Country
Bosnia Herzegovina
Current Location
Bosnia Herzegovina
So I can't say
I'll do all the cooking this time. You take a seat and read your magazine.
And it doesn't mean I'll prepare the lunch this time and you..

Would you say

I'll do cooking this time...
 
Last edited:

konungursvia

VIP Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2009
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
English
Home Country
Canada
Current Location
Canada
No your first one is possible, given all the contextual limiters. But among the previous examples, you misunderstood the most likely meaning of "all the cooking".

As for your last one, you still need the definite article.
 

e2e4

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2007
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Serbo-Croatian
Home Country
Bosnia Herzegovina
Current Location
Bosnia Herzegovina
No sweat:)

The cooking.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top