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Just the truth Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
Not the norm so the structure is not the norm
"There is snow on some cars!"
I'm not looking at these cars now and I saw them before so a past tense 'should' be in order. No. I'm discussing something, ie. snow here, that, while not as rare as hen's teeth, is pretty rare.
My choice of present tense here isn't to remark on the normal winter condition of snow on cars as I would if this happened to be Sweden or Canada. Snow is NOT the normal condition here.
Context context context context and context.
Did you have snow this morning around the yellow submarine, Mr M?
I'm not looking at these cars now and I saw them before so a past tense 'should' be in order. No. I'm discussing something, ie. snow here, that, while not as rare as hen's teeth, is pretty rare.
My choice of present tense here isn't to remark on the normal winter condition of snow on cars as I would if this happened to be Sweden or Canada. Snow is NOT the normal condition here.
Context context context context and context.
Did you have snow this morning around the yellow submarine, Mr M?
Top answer
I don't altogether see the unusualness of the structure, JT: 1. ' – she fixes the time, so past tense. 2.
- I don't altogether see the unusualness of the structure, JT: 1.
- ' – she fixes the time, so past tense.
- 2.
- ' – she assumes that the snow's still there.
- ) But I'm interested to learn that you have snow too.
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3 Answers
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I don't altogether see the unusualness of the structure, JT:
1. 'There was snow on some of the cars on the forecourt this morning!' – she fixes the time, so past tense.
2. 'No, I can't believe it either – there's snow on some of the cars on the forecourt!' – she assumes that the snow's still there.
(Both uttered excitedly during a phone conversation several hours aft
1. 'There was snow on some of the cars on the forecourt this morning!' – she fixes the time, so past tense.
2. 'No, I can't believe it either – there's snow on some of the cars on the forecourt!' – she assumes that the snow's still there.
(Both uttered excitedly during a phone conversation several hours aft
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I don't altogether see the unusualness of the structure, JT:
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It isn't unusual at all, Mr P; it's quite commonplace. But there have been a raft of questions on precisely this issue. Students sometimes get more than a wee bit hidebound to their "grammatical side".
Mine was merely a preemptive strike to show that language is about life, not about
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It isn't unusual at all, Mr P; it's quite commonplace. But there have been a raft of questions on precisely this issue. Students sometimes get more than a wee bit hidebound to their "grammatical side".
Mine was merely a preemptive strike to show that language is about life, not about
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