0
Guzhao67 Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

The meaning of "simple" in "simple tense form"

Hi there: I have a question about the name of a grammatical term. In the "simple present" and the "simple past, (or the "simple tense forms"), what's the meaning of "simple"? does it mean "easy", or "mere"; or "plain", or whatever. in my opinion, the meaning should be the opposite of "compound", e.g; "mere". could you help me? thank you
  

Top answer

The simple tenses are created by the most direct way of conjugating the verb. That might be the reason for them to be called "simple", but there is a different underlying simplicity - the time factor. The simple tenses are called simple because they show only the action described the verb with respect to a single time reference.

— AlpheccaStars

  • The simple tenses are created by the most direct way of conjugating the verb.
  • That might be the reason for them to be called "simple", but there is a different underlying simplicity - the time factor.
  • The simple tenses are called simple because they show only the action described the verb with respect to a single time reference.
  • These tenses are contrasted with the progressive tenses which show continuous action over an interval of time and the perfect tenses which refer to a second relative point in time.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

6 Answers
0
The simple tenses are created by the most direct way of conjugating the verb. That might be the reason for them to be called "simple", but there is a different underlying simplicity - the time factor.

The simple tenses are called simple because they show only the action described the verb with respect to a single time reference.
These tenses are contrasted with the progressive tenses
0
0
guzhao67what's the meaning of "simple"?
plain -- just one word -- unadorned by any grammatical machinery for creating the progressive or perfect aspects or the passive voice. It's a way of having a term that fits into the following paradigm.

simple perfect
progressive perfect progressive
0
0
CJ:
Thanks for the more detailed explanation. It's only a name, unadorned, plain and simple.

I do have a follow-up question - I thought that active/passive related to the dimension of "voice" rather than tense. Are the passive forms recognized as their own tenses? I had the impression that "tense" was only a temporal dimension, not the transitivity and subject / object inversion.
0
0
Simple form means, "the simplest form of conjugating a verb.".

It doesn't mean "easy". It doesn't mean "mere" neither. It doesn't mean "plain", not by any means.

Although it is "the simplest form of putting a verb in action", it doesn't mean it is "opposite to compound".

See what I mean.

I buy that car.

I do buy
0
0
CJ, thank you for you kink reply. I just want to say a few more words. At least in my case, the simple present tense is one of the most complicated tense forms in English. its usage covers almost the "entire time". we can see this by the special terms invented by grammarians, based on the occasions in which this simple tense forms occur, such as, timeless present, gnomic present, omnitemporal pre
0
0
hi hello!!!!!!!! simple tense does not have meaning or definition
0

Related Questions