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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
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How many tenses used in common English?
Hello,
There's been a little debate fired in another newsgroup with an innocent question of how many tenses are used in common English in Ireland. Some people said you'd only need two to get by, others categorically claim you'll use all of the tenses and then some more!
It might be somewhat difficult to establish what "common English" is. I would agree ALL tenses can be used in speech to express certain... opinions. IF however the question was meant to be: "how many tenses are COMMONLY used in English" I'd personally say, up to 7 -10 perhaps, depending on social and educational background . Is it a fair or ridiculous estimate? And is grammatical "sophistication" irrelevant of social and educational environment ?
I'd be very interested to hear anybody's views on the subject. Perhaps it might even convince me to admit the unthinkable - that I was wrong
regards,
marek
There's been a little debate fired in another newsgroup with an innocent question of how many tenses are used in common English in Ireland. Some people said you'd only need two to get by, others categorically claim you'll use all of the tenses and then some more!
It might be somewhat difficult to establish what "common English" is. I would agree ALL tenses can be used in speech to express certain... opinions. IF however the question was meant to be: "how many tenses are COMMONLY used in English" I'd personally say, up to 7 -10 perhaps, depending on social and educational background . Is it a fair or ridiculous estimate? And is grammatical "sophistication" irrelevant of social and educational environment ?
I'd be very interested to hear anybody's views on the subject. Perhaps it might even convince me to admit the unthinkable - that I was wrong
regards,
marek
Top answer
marek wrote on 03 Jun 2004: [nq:1]Hello, There's been a little debate fired in another newsgroup with an innocent question of how many tenses are used ... all of the tenses and then some more! [/nq] No problem.
- marek wrote on 03 Jun 2004: [nq:1]Hello, There's been a little debate fired in another newsgroup with an innocent question of how many tenses are used ...
- all of the tenses and then some more!
- [/nq] No problem.
- It's either "standard English" or it's "the English that most people speak and understand" or it's "the English of the common people".
- It doesn't matter.
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41 Answers
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marek wrote on 03 Jun 2004:
[nq:1]Hello, There's been a little debate fired in another newsgroup with an innocent question of how many tenses are used ... all of the tenses and then some more!
[nq:1]Hello, There's been a little debate fired in another newsgroup with an innocent question of how many tenses are used ... all of the tenses and then some more!
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[nq:1]Most grammar books will identify more than two tenses because they count the adornments of aspect as separate tenses, but ... verb ending. Look at English, and you will see that each verb has only two indicative forms: present and past.[/nq]
So who gets to decide that a tense is identified solely by a 'verb ending'? What difference does it make that you use an auxiliary to express a 'ten
So who gets to decide that a tense is identified solely by a 'verb ending'? What difference does it make that you use an auxiliary to express a 'ten
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Dylan Nicholson wrote on 03 Jun 2004:
[nq:2]Most grammar books will identify more than two tenses because ... each verb has only two indicative forms: present and past.[/nq]
[nq:1]So who gets to decide that a tense is identified solely by a 'verb ending'? What difference does it make ... people call some Asian languages just that, but I'm sure they must have the ability to express the equi
[nq:2]Most grammar books will identify more than two tenses because ... each verb has only two indicative forms: present and past.[/nq]
[nq:1]So who gets to decide that a tense is identified solely by a 'verb ending'? What difference does it make ... people call some Asian languages just that, but I'm sure they must have the ability to express the equi
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"Dylan Nicholson" (Email Removed) schrieb im Newsbeitrag
[nq:2]Most grammar books will identify more than two tenses because ... each verb has only two indicative forms: present and past.[/nq]
[nq:1]So who gets to decide that a tense is identified solely by a 'verbending'? What difference does it make that ... people call some Asian languages just that, but I'm sure they must have the abi
[nq:2]Most grammar books will identify more than two tenses because ... each verb has only two indicative forms: present and past.[/nq]
[nq:1]So who gets to decide that a tense is identified solely by a 'verbending'? What difference does it make that ... people call some Asian languages just that, but I'm sure they must have the abi
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[nq:2]Most grammar books will identify more than two tenses because ... each verb has only two indicative forms: present and past.[/nq]
[nq:1]So who gets to decide that a tense is identified solely by a 'verb ending'?[/nq]
Whoever is doing the defining, of course. I can define "green cheese" as "what the moon is made of". But there are more useful and less useful definitions.
[nq:1]Wha
[nq:1]So who gets to decide that a tense is identified solely by a 'verb ending'?[/nq]
Whoever is doing the defining, of course. I can define "green cheese" as "what the moon is made of". But there are more useful and less useful definitions.
[nq:1]Wha
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[nq:2]Most grammar books will identify more than two tenses because ... each verb has only two indicative forms: present and past.[/nq]
[nq:1]So who gets to decide that a tense is identified solely by a 'verb ending'? What difference does it make ... people call some Asian languages just that, but I'm sure they must have the ability to express the equivalent notion).[/nq]
What Franke sketc
[nq:1]So who gets to decide that a tense is identified solely by a 'verb ending'? What difference does it make ... people call some Asian languages just that, but I'm sure they must have the ability to express the equivalent notion).[/nq]
What Franke sketc
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[nq:1]There are only two tenses in English: past and present. The verb forms and auxiliaries associated with these two tenses ... : I ran. progressive aspect: am/was running perfect aspect : have/had run prefect & progressive aspects combined: have/had been running[/nq]
That's the simple, and in my opinion, less useful explanation of the tenses. Others include the perfect forms as tenses, and
That's the simple, and in my opinion, less useful explanation of the tenses. Others include the perfect forms as tenses, and
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Stefano MacGregor wrote on 03 Jun 2004:
[nq:2]There are only two tenses in English: past and present. ... have/had run prefect & progressive aspects combined: have/had been running[/nq]
[nq:1]That's the simple, and in my opinion, less useful explanation of the tenses.[/nq]
It's the technical linguistic characterization, but it's only one. It makes sense to me, but I agree that it isn't
[nq:2]There are only two tenses in English: past and present. ... have/had run prefect & progressive aspects combined: have/had been running[/nq]
[nq:1]That's the simple, and in my opinion, less useful explanation of the tenses.[/nq]
It's the technical linguistic characterization, but it's only one. It makes sense to me, but I agree that it isn't
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[nq:1]Hello, There's been a little debate fired in another newsgroup with an innocent question of how many tenses are used ... only need two to get by, others categorically claim you'll use all of the tenses and then some more!
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I wouldn't have a problem with saying English has the ability to express the pluperfect tense.
I can use one of the various online verb conjugation tools to look up the pluperfect of 'walk', and it gives me "I had walked". (out of curiosity how many languages do express the pluperfect with just a verb form? Latin did, but do any surviving romance languages? Romanian perhaps?)
[nq:1]Why do
I can use one of the various online verb conjugation tools to look up the pluperfect of 'walk', and it gives me "I had walked". (out of curiosity how many languages do express the pluperfect with just a verb form? Latin did, but do any surviving romance languages? Romanian perhaps?)
[nq:1]Why do
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