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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Questions on modal verb and tenses
1. Does the modal "could" indicate the possiblity in the present? If I am not mistaken, I tend to think the use of present perfect as something that happened a short while ago (eventhough it might be continuing to the present - I am not too sure what this means).
He looked up every place he could see and didn't come up with anything.
He checked out every place he could find and didn't come up with anything.
2. Could we use past perfect like this?
He passed the ball to Joe who was next to him. He had passed to Joe a few minutes before.
He was handed a pizza that he had ordered before/a few minutes ago/a few minutes before.
3. Should we use past or present perfect with the phrase "in the past"?
I did/have done it in the past.
He looked up every place he could see and didn't come up with anything.
He checked out every place he could find and didn't come up with anything.
2. Could we use past perfect like this?
He passed the ball to Joe who was next to him. He had passed to Joe a few minutes before.
He was handed a pizza that he had ordered before/a few minutes ago/a few minutes before.
3. Should we use past or present perfect with the phrase "in the past"?
I did/have done it in the past.
Top answer
1. -- It could. -- That is often true.
- 1.
- -- It could.
- -- That is often true.
- -- 'Could' is past 2.
- Could we use past perfect like this?
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3 Answers
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1. Does the modal "could" indicate the possiblity in the present?-- It could.
If I am not mistaken, I tend to think the use of present perfect as something that happened a short while ago (eventhough it might be continuing to the present - I am not too sure what this means).-- That is often true.
He looked up every place he could see and didn't com
1. Does the modal "could" indicate the possiblity in the present?-- It could.
If I am not mistaken, I tend to think the use of present perfect as something that happened a short while ago (eventhough it might be continuing to the present - I am not too sure what this means).-- That is often true.
He looked up every place he could see and didn't com
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Thanks. If I change the tenses in the main clauses of my sentences to present perfect, what the modal "could" may denote, a possibliity in the present or a possibility in the past?
He has looked up every place he could see and didn't (hasn't - better?) come up with anything.
He has checked out every place he could find and didn't (hasn't - better?) come up
He has looked up every place he could see and didn't (hasn't - better?) come up with anything.
He has checked out every place he could find and didn't (hasn't - better?) come up
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They are now past. 'Hasn't' is better, because of 'has'.
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They are now past. 'Hasn't' is better, because of 'has'.
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