Agreement and tenses

Question

Hi,1.In the following language function question:   A:''I'd like to go bungee jumping"   B:...........................................(express disagreement)a student wrote the following answer:"No,you can't.''My questions: Is the sentence stated itself eligible for disagreement?                     What function does the sentence:"I'd like to go bungee jumping" offer?                      Does "No,you can't" express disagreement or refusing permission or other functions?2.Can "for" be used in the past continous eg:''It was raining for 3 hours."3."By the time Columbos arrived ,Indians (were already living, had already been living, had already lived) in the Americas."Which choice is the most correct?I chose "were living" and "had already been living".Could you please eaborate on this.Lots of thanks.

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

Anonymous1.In the following language function question:
A:''I'd like to go bungee jumping"
B:...........................................(express disagreement)
a student wrote the following answer:
"No,you can't.''
My questions: Is the sentence stated itself eligible for disagreement?
What function does the sentence:"I'd like to go bungee jumping" offer?
Does "No,you can't" express disagreement or refusing permission or other functions?

It is denying permission. It is a frequent answer of mothers to their children.

The statement of disagreement is:

No, you wouldn't.

or possibly:

I don't think you'd like that.

Anonymous2.Can "for" be used in the past continous eg:
''It was raining for 3 hours."

Yes.

I was working on that problem for hours.

Anonymous3."By the time Columbos arrived ,Indians (were already living, had already been living, had already lived) in the Americas."

had already been living

Columbus' arrival was in the past. This action (the Indians' residence) is in the past time relative to that event, thus past perfect is the best choice. The best form is continuous because the action is not a one-time event, but something that had happened continuously over a long period of time.

Anonymous · Answer

AlpheccaStars
Anonymous1.In the following language function question:A:''I'd like to go bungee jumping"B:...........................................(express disagreement)a student wrote the following answer:"No,you can't.''My questions: Is the sentence stated itself eligible for disagreement?What function does the sentence:"I'd like to go bungee jumping" offer?Does "No,you can't" express disagreement or refusing permission or other functions?
It is denying permission. It is a frequent answer of mothers to their children. The statement of disagreement is:No, you wouldn't.or possibly:I don't think you'd like that.
Anonymous2.Can "for" be used in the past continous eg:''It was raining for 3 hours."
Yes.I was working on that problem for hours.
Anonymous3."By the time Columbos arrived ,Indians (were already living, had already been living, had already lived) in the Americas."
had already been living Columbus' arrival was in the past. This action (the Indians' residence) is in the past time relative to that event, thus past perfect is the best choice. The best form is continuous because the action is not a one-time event, but something that had happened continuously over a long period of time.

thanks for your explanation.But

does declinemean thatrefuse can't be used with permission?

Is It was raining for 3 hours itself wrong?

Can by the timemean when? If so, can the past continuous be used in the above sentence meaning the arrival happened at a point of livingwhich was continuous?

Thanks

AlpheccaStars · Answer

AnonymousDoes decline mean that refuse can't be used with permission?

No. Both verbs are OK.

AnonymousIs It was raining for 3 hours itself wrong?

No, I was just giving another example.

AnonymousCan by the time mean when?

By the time has the nuance that puts attention on the action going on before the event. The past perfect is the best tense. If you use when, there is not a sense of the previous activity.

By the time the firemen arrived, the building had already been damaged beyond repair.

When the firemen arrived, the building was already damaged beyond repair.

Anonymous · Answer

AlpheccaStars
AnonymousDoes decline mean that refuse can't be used with permission?
No. Both verbs are OK.
AnonymousIs It was raining for 3 hours itself wrong?
No, I was just giving another example.
AnonymousCan by the time mean when?
By the time has the nuance that puts attention on the action going on before the event. The past perfect is the best tense. If you use when, there is not a sense of the previous activity. By the time the firemen arrived, the building had already been damaged beyond repair.When the firemen arrived, the building was already damaged beyond repair.

Thanks once more.

What about When Colombus arrived in America, Indians were already living there?

What different meaning does the sentence convey compared with the previously mentioned example using ''by the time '' and the past perfect continuous?

AlpheccaStars · Answer

AnonymousWhat about, When Colombus arrived in America, Indians were already living there?

That's fine. It describes an event (Columbus' arrival), and what he found (Indians were living there.)

By the time, Colombus arrived in America, Indians had already been living in the Americas.

It describes a sense of time. Indians had had a long history of living in the Americas before Columbus arrived. Columbus arrived a long time after they did.

CalifJim · Answer

Anonymous A:''I'd like to go bungee jumping"
B:...........................................(express disagreement)

I would just like to put my two cents in. The exercise is bizarre. You express disagreement with opinions, not with feelings or emotions.

This is like asking how to express disagreement with "I love chocolate". Are we supposed to disagree by saying, "No, you don't"?

CJ

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