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Kinga Żet Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
Three grammar questions
Hello,
my questions concerns general speaking about actions that happened consecutively in the past (1), past simple vs. past perfect (2) and present perfect (3). (all used not in speaking, but in writing, formal language)
1) What is the best way to speak about two attempts which happened repeatedly in the past ? (For example: a competition held in May and then in June.)
I mean: "the last time and the time before the last time"
Is the phrase above correct? Is there something better I could use instead writing a long form: ? (especially in very official, writing English)
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2) Is this sentence correct?
"I wrote my test better than I did before"
(in the situation when I have had tests few times).
Is just the past simple correct or should I use... the past perfect? (I wrote my test better than I ... had done it before) ??? hm, I am not convinced...
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3) When I speak about two actions in the Present Perfect tense (and they are connected with "and") - can I omit the form "has/have been" the second time?
I mean: "The letters have already been completed and sent"
(I have always been almost certain that I can, but I really wanted to make sure, however the first and the second questionss are those which really concern me!)
Thank you, forum users, for help,
K.
my questions concerns general speaking about actions that happened consecutively in the past (1), past simple vs. past perfect (2) and present perfect (3). (all used not in speaking, but in writing, formal language)
1) What is the best way to speak about two attempts which happened repeatedly in the past ? (For example: a competition held in May and then in June.)
I mean: "the last time and the time before the last time"
Is the phrase above correct? Is there something better I could use instead writing a long form: ? (especially in very official, writing English)
----
2) Is this sentence correct?
"I wrote my test better than I did before"
(in the situation when I have had tests few times).
Is just the past simple correct or should I use... the past perfect? (I wrote my test better than I ... had done it before) ??? hm, I am not convinced...
---
3) When I speak about two actions in the Present Perfect tense (and they are connected with "and") - can I omit the form "has/have been" the second time?
I mean: "The letters have already been completed and sent"
(I have always been almost certain that I can, but I really wanted to make sure, however the first and the second questionss are those which really concern me!)
Thank you, forum users, for help,
K.
Top answer
1) What you wrote is correct English, but it seems wordy. You can say it more concisely as "the last time and the time before that" or simply "the last two times". 2) In careful writing, the past perfect seems more precise to me.
- 1) What you wrote is correct English, but it seems wordy.
- You can say it more concisely as "the last time and the time before that" or simply "the last two times".
- 2) In careful writing, the past perfect seems more precise to me.
- In practice you may see the simple past used too.
- 3) Yes, that's OK.
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1 Answers
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1) What you wrote is correct English, but it seems wordy. You can say it more concisely as "the last time and the time before that" or simply "the last two times".
2) In careful writing, the past perfect seems more precise to me. In practice you may see the simple past used too.
3) Yes, that's OK.
2) In careful writing, the past perfect seems more precise to me. In practice you may see the simple past used too.
3) Yes, that's OK.
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