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JungKim Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
Are these tenses possible?
(1) The case was so heavy that I can't lift it.
(2) So many people enrolled for the course that we have to move to a large room.
(3) It happened so quickly that we are taken completely off guard.
(4) They left before the meeting ends.
The second boldfaced verbs of each sentence above are usually in the past tense (couldn't/had/were/ended).
Under appropriate context, however, would the present tenses (can't/have/are/ends) ever possible?
Specifically, the appropriate context for all the underlined clauses is such that what these clauses represent is still applicable and relevant at the time of uttering them.
For example, in (1) I still can't lift the case. In (2), our moving to a larger room is still something we have to do. In (3), we are still taken off guard. In (4), the meeting has yet to end at the time of speaking (4).
(2) So many people enrolled for the course that we have to move to a large room.
(3) It happened so quickly that we are taken completely off guard.
(4) They left before the meeting ends.
The second boldfaced verbs of each sentence above are usually in the past tense (couldn't/had/were/ended).
Under appropriate context, however, would the present tenses (can't/have/are/ends) ever possible?
Specifically, the appropriate context for all the underlined clauses is such that what these clauses represent is still applicable and relevant at the time of uttering them.
For example, in (1) I still can't lift the case. In (2), our moving to a larger room is still something we have to do. In (3), we are still taken off guard. In (4), the meeting has yet to end at the time of speaking (4).
Top answer
(1) After it was packed the case was so heavy that I can't lift it any more. (2) Fine. Enrolling was a past action, meeting up is a different later (present) event.
- (1) After it was packed the case was so heavy that I can't lift it any more.
- (2) Fine.
- Enrolling was a past action, meeting up is a different later (present) event.
- (3) It happened so quickly that we are taken completely off guard whenever we encounter a similar occurrance.
- (4) Probably not possible without inserting a semicolon.
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7 Answers
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(1) After it was packed the case was so heavy that I can't lift it any more.
(2) Fine. Enrolling was a past action, meeting up is a different later (present) event.
(3) It happened so quickly that we are taken completely off guard whenever we encounter a similar occurrance.
(4) Probably not possible without inserting a semicolon.
d
(2) Fine. Enrolling was a past action, meeting up is a different later (present) event.
(3) It happened so quickly that we are taken completely off guard whenever we encounter a similar occurrance.
(4) Probably not possible without inserting a semicolon.
d
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meteorquake(1) After it was packed the case was so heavy that I can't lift it any more.(2) Fine. Enrolling was a past action, meeting up is a different later (present) event.(3) It happened so quickly that we are taken completely off guard whenever we encounter a similar occurrance.(4) Probably not possible without inserting a semicolon.Thanks, meteorquake!
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4. They left; before the meeting ends, another four people leave.
If you are describing the past using the present, you can just about inject a real past tense but I'd suggest it will always sound awkward to some degree and always sound best for the two verbs to match - "they leave before the meeting ends" or "they left before the meeting ended/the meeting's end". I would expect most tran
If you are describing the past using the present, you can just about inject a real past tense but I'd suggest it will always sound awkward to some degree and always sound best for the two verbs to match - "they leave before the meeting ends" or "they left before the meeting ended/the meeting's end". I would expect most tran
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I get it.
If you could, then is there any difference in meaning between the two?
meteorquakeHowever if someone came up with a sentence that worked it wouldn't surprise me.In the last sentence, could you have said instead "However if someone came up with a sentence that works it wouldn't surprise me."?
If you could, then is there any difference in meaning between the two?
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When someone 'came' up with a sentence, that's at a certain point in time, but that it 'works' is unrelated to time. The word 'before' puts two items into an order, and to put two items in an order you need a common thing with which to order them, so they'll need to have tenses that you can compare. You can't compare 'came' (time-based) with 'works' (not time-based).
In particula
In particula
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I was just asking if "works" would be possible there.
I gather that it is possible.
And thanks for the reasoning behind why "works" works and "ends" doesn't.
I gather that it is possible.
And thanks for the reasoning behind why "works" works and "ends" doesn't.
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Yes, both work.
1. If someone came up with a sentence that worked it wouldn't surprise me.
2. If someone came up with a sentence that works it wouldn't surprise me.
with (1) the working at a particular point in time of something in practice rather than theory.
d
1. If someone came up with a sentence that worked it wouldn't surprise me.
2. If someone came up with a sentence that works it wouldn't surprise me.
with (1) the working at a particular point in time of something in practice rather than theory.
d
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