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Sitifan Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

Two questions about tense

1.

John: Hey, why are you here? What's wrong?
Harry: My bike ___ stolen. What shall I do now?
John: You can ask the police officer for help.
Which word goes into the above blank - is or was?
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2.

John: Hey, why are you here? What's wrong?
Harry: The window ___ broken. What shall I do now?
John: You can ask the police officer for help.
Which word goes into the above blank - is or was?
  

Top answer

Hi Sitifan For 1, I would only choose "was". (was stolen = passive = reference to a past act) For 2, I would use "is". We frequently use "broken" as a predicate adjective, and in this case "is broken" refers to a current state.

— Yankee

  • Hi Sitifan For 1, I would only choose "was".
  • (was stolen = passive = reference to a past act) For 2, I would use "is".
  • We frequently use "broken" as a predicate adjective, and in this case "is broken" refers to a current state.
  • Basically, we don't use "stolen" as a predicate adjective.
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1 Answers
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Hi Sitifan

For 1, I would only choose "was". (was stolen = passive = reference to a past act)

For 2, I would use "is". We frequently use "broken" as a predicate adjective, and in this case "is broken" refers to a current state.

Basically, we don't use "stolen" as a predicate adjective.
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