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The dreaded Past Indefinite
Somehow I have noticed that a lot of people have a particular aversion to using the past indefinite tense in the correct way and it is more so with the negative and interrogative rather than the affirmative.
I have encountered a good number of people who can speak quite adequate English but their proficiency is undermined by the occasional but serious mistake of verb tense in this particular situation.
I would like ot just give a few example of some sentence and I hope that would help, at least some of us.
Example 1.
I went to school. (positive)
I did not 'go' to school. (negative)
Did I 'go' to school? (interrogative)
Example 2.
The servants knew. (positive)
The servants did know (emphatic positive)
Example 3.
He used to drive few years ago.
The following sentences are grammatically INCORRECT and must be avoided.
1. I did not went to school.
2. The servants did knew.
3. He used to drove a few years back.
I hope this effort is worth some while.
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Comments
kiwiinqatar123 said
The pot calling the kettle ...The pot calling the kettle black?
"adequate English" should be 'English adequately'.
"like ot just" should be 'like to just'.
"a few example of some sentence" should be 'a few examples of some sentences' or 'an example of a sentence' or 'an example of some sentences'.
"The servants knew. (positive)" should be ' The servants knew (positive).
"The servants did know (emphatic positive)" should be 'The servants did know (emphatic positive).'
"INCORRECT" should be 'incorrect'.
"I hope this effort is worth some while." doesn't make sense. Should be 'I hope you found this useful.'
Does it really matter that much on QL? As long as people are communicating and are being understood, who really cares?
Khanan said
I agree KIQ ...'Does it really matter that much on QL? As long as people are communicating and are being understood, who really cares?'
.sun26872 said
hahaha.........one Noble ...hahaha.........one Noble Prize in English literature.
.sun26872 said
Sorry, English Grammar. ...Sorry, English Grammar.
painther said
so the preacher (segmund) ...so the preacher (segmund) needs a lesson from kiwi in qatar...LOL
funny!
Molten Metal said
kiwi ...Thanks for your righteous deed .. correcting mistakes .. God bless you !
.. .. .. .. .. ..
.sun26872 said
This great favor of yours to ...This great favor of yours to the human kind (QL kinds) shall be remembered on the ' Day of Judgement'.
TheDarkKnightRises said
Grammar Nazi schooled.. ...Grammar Nazi schooled..
Mike Shamrock said
Yo no hablo ingles ...Yo no hablo ingles
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THIS ACCOUNT WILL BE DELETED BY THE OWNER'S REQUEST
QL'S MODERATION: PRETTY LAME
LincolnPirate said
Even in your language, Mike, ...Even in your language, Mike, 'ingles' should have a capital 'I' at the beginning!
Physics is like sex. Sometimes we get some practical results, but that's not why we're doing it!
Prism said
OP seems to have got carried ...OP seems to have got carried away by a couple of compliments on QL....:)
"If you do not want your enemies to know the facts, take care that your friends do not know them"- Machiavelli
strawberry_shisha said
mafi malum englisi :D ...mafi malum englisi :D
"Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History" ~ Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
tinkerbell10 said
What is da aapeening in ...What is da aapeening in ere??? Eh???? we are learning he engleees???? oh my dear Gaaaddd!....:P
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"One of the hardest things in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn"
painther said
tinker what is gaaaaddd :P, ...tinker what is gaaaaddd :P, missing spellings??
Rizks said
ROFL paint..her ! :) ...ROFL paint..her ! :)
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I do all the Wrong Things in the Right Way...:)
fred2265 said
It is more important to make ...It is more important to make yourself understood than to be grammatically perfect.
.sun26872 said
Look at the ungratefulness of ...Look at the ungratefulness of these QL kinds, OP you certainly deserve better than this.Next time, try future perfect indefinite.
.sun26872 said
Sentences like 'I shall have ...Sentences like 'I shall have to be get going'
RyanCanuck said
(No subject) ...AngelinaBallerina said
Also the usual spelling of ...Also the usual spelling of 'to' is 'to' NOT ot.............
Segmund said
Kiwi ...Thanks for your correction. I agree, you are right.
As to whether it is relevant to QatarLiving, certainly it is. Because so far I have seen this specific problem with too many people with otherwise adequate English. It sounds a bit awkward, at least to me, to find someone make such a silly mistake.
I am not saying I am any authority on English. My own English needs a great deal of overhaul. And I should ever be so thankful to you, if you could continue, with the same zeal, provided the zeal is genuine in nature, and provided no criticism for the sake of criticism is what you mean by it.
Yes, you rock! Thanks again.
kiwiinqatar123 said
Sorry. Just in a bit of a bad ...Sorry. Just in a bit of a bad mood and feel like being a Negative Nelly.
AngelinaBallerina said
Who cares unless one is ...Who cares unless one is writing an academic paper??!!!
dohabunny said
TFS Segmund. ...TFS Segmund.
RyanCanuck said
Is TFS like FFS? ...Is TFS like FFS?
dohabunny said
Ryan, TFS like Thanks For ...Ryan, TFS like Thanks For Sharing.
RyanCanuck said
I see. So...complete ...I see. So...complete opposite meaning to FFS. Good to know!
Segmund said
Bunny ...Thanks a bunch.
blisteringbarna... said
WTF... I thought I landed on some e-learning website... ...WTF... I thought I landed on some e-learning website...lol
britexpat said
Past indefinite... ...My Cuban Shotputter rolled a Havana on her thighs.
My Cuban Shotputter did not want to leave Qatar.
Did my Cuban Shotputter leave Qatar of her own accord ?
LincolnPirate said
I heard she had left because ...I heard she had left because you couldn't carry her put. (Past Perfect used in reported speech).
Physics is like sex. Sometimes we get some practical results, but that's not why we're doing it!
kiwiinqatar123 said
Brit, that should be 'an' ...Brit, that should be 'an' Havana. ( o Y o )
Segmund said
Kiwi ...In some Maori accents yes, but in British English, which is the gold standard by far, it is a Havana, not an. Why do you not look it up in a dictionary.
kiwiinqatar123 said
Didn't you see the titties? ...Didn't you see the titties? English has always had the rule 'an before an H word'. Yank English = butchered English.
"In some Maori accents" How many Maori accents do you know? And what ones start their sentences with 'An'?
You telling me to look it up? Clearly you have not. Make sure your advice and accusations are factual before commenting.
Segmund said
Only in your kia ora ...You can say this only in the English your mommy taught you:
An hot summer. An high road. An Hell.
Your mommy probably taught you this:
A hour. A honorable lord.
Your mommy was right, as long as the conversation was limited to the four walls of your house, but nowhere else in New Zealand, nor in Britain, nor in the United States of America the above can be deemed grammatically correct.
I was seriously thinking you knew a little bit of English, but now I am convinced that by calling you stupid, I would just be insulting the whole community of people with a low intelligence. Get a life loser.
nomerci said
I think it is AN hour, but a ...I think it is AN hour, but a house...simply because the H is not pronounced in hour, but it is in house. Words beginning with
a,e,i, o u need AN.
" Those who come to a conclusion by a process without rational, logical thought, cannot be dissuaded from that conclusion by logical, rational argument.
RyanCanuck said
Segmund, are you calling ...Segmund, are you calling people names again?
britexpat said
I have always been under the ...I have always been under the impression that If the word is pronounced with a hard "h", then use an "a". (house, hotel). Use an "a" if the "h" is silent. (honour, hour)
nomerci said
Brit, isn;t that what I just ...Brit, isn;t that what I just said?
" Those who come to a conclusion by a process without rational, logical thought, cannot be dissuaded from that conclusion by logical, rational argument.
britexpat said
Yes you did :O) Well done ! ...Yes you did :O)
Well done !
Segmund said
nomerci ...You just dont think only, you are perfectly correct. It has something to do with phonetics. When two vowels come together, they can only make a dipthong which usually belongs to a single word. It is phonetically impracticable. Just try to say the following sentence.
A apple a hour is always a amazing treat. You will see how difficult it becomes to say it in fast speech.
Whenever a word beginning with h is pronounced with a vowel (usually an a), 'an' and not 'a' has to be used. Whenever the consonant 'h' is used, only 'a' is acceptable and never 'an'.
... I take a high road, and you take a low road. [Bernard Shaw]
My kingdom needs an heir; I need a son. [Beowulf]
Segmund said
Brit ...The expression hard h and silent h are not accurate. A word beginning with h may be pronounced with a consonant or a vowel.
britexpat said
To be honest (silent "h"), ...To be honest (silent "h"), I've never really thought about it. It just comes naturaly and feels right.
Segmund said
Brit ...Well, the concept of a word being silent was present in many grammar books until just a couple of decades ago. Nowadays, it is, however, not used that often.
For someone who is fluent in English, this should just come naturally without giving it any thought. But for learners, it can, and often does, cause problems. They are better off aware of the rules.
ghazalz said
Jio aor jeeney do... ...Please...
TheDarkKnightRises said
It is surprising that someone ...It is surprising that someone can type with his head so far up his a**