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Sonja_muc Posted 19 years ago
Grammar
Present tense simple vs. continuous
0 Hi everybody, 02 br
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00 I am wondering why it is possible to write in a business letter, e.g.: 02 br
02 br
00 a) I 01 b 00 enclose 02 b 00 a brochure of our full range of products (read this many times in sample letters) 02 br
02 br
00 but it sounds very odd to say something like 02 br
02 br
00 b) As the invoice amount is incorrect, we 01 b 00 return 02 b 00 the invoice to you. 02 br
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00 I would actually write 01 b 00 we are returning 02 b 00 or 01 b 00 we will return 02 b 00 in this case. 02 br
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00 I can justify the use of the continuous in sentence b) (we are doing it now) but I can't find any explanation for the use of the simple form in sentence a) although I've read this sentence quite often and it doesn't bother me 02 br
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00 This is just my gut feeling though and I have no explanation whatsoever why sentence a) seems to be correct while sentence b) doesn't ... 05 0 02 br
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00 Anybody got an idea? 02 br
02 br
00 TiA 02 br
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00 Sonja 010id 6
02 br
00 I am wondering why it is possible to write in a business letter, e.g.: 02 br
02 br
00 a) I 01 b 00 enclose 02 b 00 a brochure of our full range of products (read this many times in sample letters) 02 br
02 br
00 but it sounds very odd to say something like 02 br
02 br
00 b) As the invoice amount is incorrect, we 01 b 00 return 02 b 00 the invoice to you. 02 br
02 br
00 I would actually write 01 b 00 we are returning 02 b 00 or 01 b 00 we will return 02 b 00 in this case. 02 br
02 br
00 I can justify the use of the continuous in sentence b) (we are doing it now) but I can't find any explanation for the use of the simple form in sentence a) although I've read this sentence quite often and it doesn't bother me 02 br
02 br
00 This is just my gut feeling though and I have no explanation whatsoever why sentence a) seems to be correct while sentence b) doesn't ... 05 0 02 br
02 br
00 Anybody got an idea? 02 br
02 br
00 TiA 02 br
02 br
00 Sonja 010id 6
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7 Answers
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0 As the invoice amount is incorrect, we 01 b 00 return 02 b 00 the invoice to you 02 br
02 br
00 In main clauses, the simple present may suggest that a future event is certain to take place. 0-
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00 In main clauses, the simple present may suggest that a future event is certain to take place. 0-
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0 Hi Inchoateknowledge, 02 br
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00 Thanks for your suggestion. Not sure whether this applies here though. 02 br
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00 I think for the certainty of a future event to be expressed in present tense you would need a sentence like: 02 br
02 br
00 The train leaves at four o'clock or 02 br
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00 Easter Sunday is (will be) on Marc
02 br
00 Thanks for your suggestion. Not sure whether this applies here though. 02 br
02 br
00 I think for the certainty of a future event to be expressed in present tense you would need a sentence like: 02 br
02 br
00 The train leaves at four o'clock or 02 br
02 br
00 Easter Sunday is (will be) on Marc
00
0 01 blockquote
01 cite 10 Sonja_muc 12 cite 10 Hi everybody, 12 br
12 br
10 I am wondering why it is possible to write in a business letter, e.g.: 12 br
12 br
10 a) I 11 b 10 enclose 12 b 10 a brochure of our full range of products (read this many times in sample letters) 11 b 11 font
00
*71*0 01 p
00 Hi Sonja, and welcome to the forums. I answered with this in the other post you made on the same topic. For future reference, if you ever forget to sign on and make a post, you just have a wait a bit for it to appear. Please don't sign in and then post the same question, or you'll have different people answering the same question in different threads, like what happened her
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0 "As the invoice amount is incorrect, we return the invoice to you." 02 br
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00 This use of the present tense is perfectly OK. It means "we are returning the invoice". It is often used in the phrase "we return herewith" (meaning "attached" or "enclosed"). 02 br
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00 If the writer means that he will (in the future) return the invoice, in a separate later p
02 br
00 This use of the present tense is perfectly OK. It means "we are returning the invoice". It is often used in the phrase "we return herewith" (meaning "attached" or "enclosed"). 02 br
02 br
00 If the writer means that he will (in the future) return the invoice, in a separate later p
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0 01 blockquote
01 cite 10 Philip 12 cite 11 blockquote11 cite 20 Sonja_muc 22 cite 20 Hi everybody, 22 br
22 br
20 I am wondering why it is possible to write in a business letter, e.g.: 22 br
22 br
20 a) I 21 b 20 enclose 22 b 20 a brochure of our full range of products (read t
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0 Hi Kooyeen 02 br
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00 The use of 'will' in this context would tend to suggest "I'm willing to do this 01 u 00 at a later date 02 u 00 ". 01 blockquote
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00 The use of 'will' in this context would tend to suggest "I'm willing to do this 01 u 00 at a later date 02 u 00 ". 01 blockquote
00 The meaning is practically "present" though, the same as "That's too heavy for you, I'll help you..." (I'm about to help you). 12 blockquote10 Your sentence (above) has a
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