Shows up OR show up

Question

Hi  Which one is correct? He might shows up OR He might show up Thanks

Miriam · Accepted Answer

The first sentence is incorrect; a conjugated verb (shows up) can't follow a modal verb (might).
"He might show up" is correct, the 'base' form of the main verb is used.

Miriam

Andrei · Answer

Miriam

He looks up the word in the dictionary.

He look up up the word in the dictionary.

My question is which is the correct sentence from the above two.

I know for sure it is correct to say ' He looked up' and 'He is looking up' .

Miriam · Answer

Hi, Andrei

"He looks up the word in the dictionary" is a grammatically correct sentence in the simple present tense.
"He look up..." is incorrect because there is no tense or modality implied in the verb. You are using the 'base' form of the verb, the infinitive. In other words, the verb is not conjugated, so it doesn't show tense. And you need at least one conjugated verb ~~or a modal plus a lexical verb~~ to make a sentence not only grammatically correct but also meaningful.

Bubu prasant · Answer

Mirium,

I have once heard from a British that "he look" is also possible sometimes

For example it is possible to say [about a student of english]

"i think It's my duty to advice him to look up words in a dictionary. I have done my duty and i have adviced him. Now it's up to him. If he look up, he look up if he don't, he don't"

Is such a use possible? I wonder how correct the Britishman was.

bubu

Miriam · Answer

It's like Murphy's law, you know? You spend a lifetime studying and doing your best to learn; and when you think you got it... someone changes it and things are no longer what they used to be ~chuckles~

Everything is possible, Bubu. Anything is possible. But possible doesn't necessarily mean "right". Some people may not have the possibility to choose how they will speak, they won't have options. There are others, though, who will choose freely. I don't know what their choice will be based on, and I can't understand why anyone would deliberately choose to sound "uneducated".
And I find it even more difficult to understand why on earth a language teacher would say such a thing.

I believe in "what is worth doing is worth doing right". Times may be changing, forms that were considered incorrect once upon a time may be accepted now, yet I personally don't like certain changes. Perhaps it all comes down to personal preferences in the end? I only know that no one will ever hear me speak like that, and no one will ever hear me speak my first language incorrectly on purpose. I'm an old-fashioned woman ~chuckles~

"I ain't got no moolah, sista" is also possible... but that's not sometihng I'd teach as an example of good English! ~laughs~

Bubu prasant · Answer

Nor would i Mirium,
but the man, i remeber, said that there was a special subjucntive use which allows such uses. so I thought u might know about this use.

Andrei · Answer

Mirium, I appreciate your informative reply.

I hope all my following sentence are grammatically correct regardless to any aspects of context or sense. Let me know if you found a flaw.

He may look up the word in the dictionary.

He might look up the word in the dictionary.

He could look up the word in the dictionary.

He would look up the word in the dictionary.

He will look up the word in the dictionary.

He has looked up the word in the dictionary. [ present perfect]

He looked up the word in the dictionary. [ simple past]

He had looked up the word in the dictionary before writing the essay. [ past perfect]

He will have looked up the word dictionary by 10.00pm this evening. [future perfect]

Miriam · Answer

Bubu,
You said:

"For example it is possible to say [about a student of english]
'i think It's my duty to advice him to look up words in a dictionary. I have done my duty and i have adviced him. Now it's up to him. If he look up, he look up if he don't, he don't.'"

Then, in your next post, you mentioned the subjunctive mood. The subjunctive and the example above are two different things. As an instance of the "marked" subjunctive in English, you can say:
"I suggest (that) he look up the word in a dictionary."
You use the 'base' form of the main verb for all grammatical persons in this case, usually after verbs such as suggest, recommend, demand, propose, order, command; in expressions with 'wish', in certain adverbial clauses.

I insist, however, that "he look up" isn't "good" English when it's used as a sentence and made to stand on its own.

Andrei,
all those sentences are grammatically correct.

And guys, please, the name is "Miriam".

Bubu prasant · Answer

Sorry
From next time i will make sure that i am writing to miriam. and not to mirium

Salam1101 · Answer

Thanks Miriam ,you are always great.

Shows up OR show up

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