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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

Present or past tense?

Hi,may I know which is correct?

1.He catches a colourful butterfly in his net.
2.He caught a colourful butterfly in his net.

1. She rides on a motorcycle for the first time in her life.
2. She rode on a motorcycle for the first time in her life.

These were taken from a grammar exercise book. I would really appreciate some explanation on these. Thank you very much.

Regards,
jaml
  

Top answer

The second sentence of each pair is correct. Obviously, context is very important when deciding which tense to use. In the first example, in order for "catches" to make sense, you really need a plural noun there.

— Ivanhr

  • The second sentence of each pair is correct.
  • Obviously, context is very important when deciding which tense to use.
  • In the first example, in order for "catches" to make sense, you really need a plural noun there.
  • He catches colourful butterflies in his net.
  • (this indicates habitual behaviour) He caught a colourful butterfly in his net.
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1 Answers
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The second sentence of each pair is correct. Obviously, context is very important when deciding which tense to use.

In the first example, in order for "catches" to make sense, you really need a plural noun there.

He catches colourful butterflies in his net. (this indicates habitual behaviour)
He caught a colourful butterfly in his net. (this indicates an occasion when he caug
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