The contest is /was over. help me please.

Question

Dear Teachers A newspaper headline:  “Woman form  wins ten thousand dollars in a cooking contest.”A: Emma can cook well. She can win money too.B: Sorry Emma. The contest is over. Teachers, I sometimes feel confused about when I should use simple past tense and when I should use simple present tense.I mean as above person B answered: The contest is over.  I wonder why person B didn’t answer: The contest was over.  In the context I know that the contest began in the past and ended in the past.So I think I have to use the verb of past tense for be verb. I mean “was” is right and “is” is not right. What is the different when Person B answers as below?1. The contest is over.2. The contest was over.Thanks a lot.

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

Jacky56LinWhat is the different when Person B answers as below?
1. The contest is over.
2. The contest was over.

The moment in time that we reference tense is the moment that the person speaks the sentence.

1. The contest is over. Right now, as of this moment, you can't enter the contest because it is over. This is just a simple statement of the state of the contest when the person says the sentence - "in play" or "over".

2. The contest was over two hours ago. The contest ended two hours ago. You have to put in an adverb of time for the past tense because you are "right now" talking about a past state.

Jacky56Lin · Answer

Dear Teacher AlpheccaStars

I try hard to understand what you say. but a little difficult to.

The moment in time that we reference tense is the moment that the person speaks the sentence.

Q1:

I can’t clearly understand what that sentence above means. Can you make some examples for me thanks?

Q2:

A: Oh! The test is so long. The test took a while.

Person A says two sentence. The first one in blue is simple preset tense. The second one is simple past tense.

Why speaker use “took” in second sentence? Why not use “takes”.

Sometimes preset tense, Sometimes past tense, I feel so confused.

Thanks a lot.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Hi Jacky

I will try to make an illustration:

Speaker's Time ---->
Past Present Future
|
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

CONTEST TIME:

Contest is open | Contest is closed (over).

---------------------XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

At the present time, when the speaker says the sentence (Speaker's time), the contest is closed. (Contest's time.)

The time reference point (red X) is the time when the speaker is talking.
That is "present tense."

Jacky56LinA: Oh! The test is so long. The test took a while.

This is not quite right, because in the first sentence, the speaker has not finished the test. "This test is long."
In the second sentence, the speaker is talking after the test. It is finished.
"That test took so long."

Speaker's Time ---->
Past Present Future
|

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Test time:
Start Finish

| |
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

This test is so long! The test is taking a long time.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Speaker's Time ---->
Past Present Future
|
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxxxxx
Test time:

Start Finish

| |

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXxxxxxxx

The test took a long time. (The test is over.)

Jacky56Lin · Answer

Dear Teacher AlpheccaStars

Thank you very much for you to spend lot of time with me to make so wonderful illustrations.

I read it and think about it. I spent a lot of time on it too. Some question for your help.

A: Oh! The test is so long. The test took a while.”

This is not quite right, because in the first sentence, the speaker has not finished the test. "This test is long." In the second sentence, the speaker is talking after the test. It is finished. "That test took so long."

According to your explanations as above:

Speaker A should say: 1 and 2. Please tell me if 3 or 4 (I make) are correct?

1. A: Oh! This test is so long! The test is taking a long time.

2. A: Oh! The test took a long time.

3. A: Oh! This test was so long! The test took a long time.

4. A: Oh! This test was so long! The test really took me a long time.

In sentence 3, tell me if “This test was so long!”= “The test took a long time.” ?

So that will cause unnecessary duplicate sentence and make it too wordy. Right?

Thanks again

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Jacky56LinThis is not quite right, because in the first sentence, the speaker has not finished the test. "This test is long." In the second sentence, the speaker is talking after the test. It is finished. "That test took so long."
According to your explanations as above:
Speaker A should say: 1 and 2. Please tell me if 3 or 4 (I made) are correct?
1. A: Oh! This test is so long! The test is taking a long time.
2. A: Oh! The test took a long time.
3. A: Oh! This test was so long! The test took a long time.
4. A: Oh! This test was so long! The test really took me a long time.
In sentence 3, tell me if “This test was so long!”= “The test took a long time.” ?
So that will cause unnecessary duplicate sentence and make it too wordy. Right?

These are correct:

1. A: Oh! This test is so long! The test is taking a long time. (Long version)
1. A: Oh! This test is so long! It's taking a long time. (Short version)
2. A: Oh! The test took a long time.
3. A: Oh! That test was so long! The test took a long time. (Long version)
3. A: Oh! That test was so long! It took a long time. (Short version)
4. A: Oh! That test was so long! The test really took me a long time. (Long version)
4. A: Oh! That test was so long! It really took me a long time. (Short version)

In the short versions, the pronoun it stands for test. People use pronouns to avoid redundancy and repetition of words.

In (3) and (4), we would use "that test." This is used for things that are very near to us in space or time. So if you are taking a test, you call it "this test." If the test is finished, and you are talking about it with your friends, you call it "that test."

Jacky56LinIn sentence 3, tell me if “This test was so long!”= “The test took a long time.” ?
So that will cause unnecessary duplicate sentence and make it too wordy. Right?

When people are complaining about tests, they can get very wordy!

CalifJim · Answer

Jacky56LinA newspaper headline: “Woman form Hope Lake wins ten thousand dollars in a cooking contest.”
A: Emma can cook well. She can win money too.
B: Sorry Emma. The contest is over.
Teachers, I sometimes feel confused about when I should use simple past tense and when I should use simple present tense.

over = finished.

Once something is "over" it is finished for all time. It is over tomorrow. It is over next month. It is over next year.

It's like being dead. Once someone is dead, they are always dead. Next week you say, "He is dead". Next month you say, "He is dead". Next year you say, "He is dead". He's never going to be "not dead".

Whenever something changes and can never go back to how it was before, you can use the present tense to describe its present state -- forever.

CJ

Jacky56Lin · Answer

Dear Teacher AlpheccaStars and CalifJim

Thank you very much for your so detailed explanation, I really learned much about those things.

I would like to ask some more questions.

Q1

When someone comes into a place, they see a friend over there. But they didn’t make an appointment in advance. and they say:

1. A: Hello! I don’t know you are here.

2. A: Hello! I didn’t know you are here.

3. A: Hello! I didn’t know you were here.

I saw this discussion before; they all agree #2 is right.

If #1 and #3 is not correct, what situation or contexts can they say two of them. Help me make examples. Thanks.

Q2: if someone has a baby face but he actually is a teacher. So that many students think he is a student in the school. So those students are so surprised about him. And says:

1. A: You are a teacher? Really? I don’t know you are a teacher.

2. A: You are a teacher? Really? I didn’t know you are a teacher.

3. A: You are a teacher? Really? I didn’t know you were a teacher.

Which one is correct? Why the others are not?

Q3: about arithmetic.

1. A: I don’t know 3 + 6 = 9.

2. A: I didn’t know 3+ 6= 9.

In my thought it seems #1 and #2 are correct.

I’m so confused about “I don’t know” and “I didn’t know” in Q1.Q2 and Q3.

Is there any method to draw an illustration to explain it? Please Help! (Maybe not workable).

Thanks again.

The contest is /was over. help me please.

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions