Bits and Pieces of English Grammar & Usage: Tenses

Last Hermit wrote:

The English tense is no easy topic to discuss. The following discussion is based largely on the CGEL (A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language, by Randolf Quirk et al.). Your participation is most welcome.

Prior to the discussion, I would like to kindly ask you to do a small test.


Which of the following are incorrect or unacceptable?
1a)Since when do you read newspapers?
1b)Since when did you read newspapers?
1c)We live near Toronto since 1949.
　
2a)Uncle Yeti tells me that he is coming to Guangdong soon.
2b)Uncle Yeti told me that he was coming to Guangdong soon.
2c)Uncle Yeti has told me that he is coming to Guangdong soon.
2d)I hear that Uncle Yeti has gone to Guangdong.
　
3a)In The Brothers Karmazov, Dostoevsky draws his characters from sources deep in the Russian soil.
3b)In The Brothers Karmazov, Dostoevsky drew his characters from sources deep in the Russian soil.
　
4a)"To us finalists, LH and me, the last section is most exciting as well as most difficult," said LD.
4b)"To us finalists, LH and me, the last section was most exciting as well as most difficult," said LD.
4c)The author says that Apelles had a good personal reason for wanting to do a picture about slander, because he'd once been falsely accused himself, and almost executed.  A rival artist called Antiphilus was jealous of him, and denounced him to the king.  He told the king that Apelles had been seen whispering in the ear of one of the provincial governors and inciting him to revolt. (Fiction)
4d)I stop the car in the lake that collects in the dip by the wood where we found the dead tramp.(Fiction)
4e)The clock on the tower of St Michael-in-the-Moor chimed nine as he came onto the road.  The milkman's van was on the green;  Mrs Southworth from the Hall was at the pillar box, posting a letter.  He walked on away from the green and the houses up the bit of the Jackley road from which Tace Way turned off. (Fiction)

5a)MEAT PRICES RISE AGAIN (Newspaper headline)
5b)MEAT PRICES ROSE AGAIN (Newspaper headline)
5c)MEAT PRICES HAVE RISEN AGAIN (Newspaper headline)
5d)WOMAN CLAIMS DRUG CAUSED CANCER, SUES (Newspaper headline)
5e)WOMAN CLAIMS DRUG CAUSES CANCER, SUES (Newspaper headline)
 

[Edited at 2006-06-10 05:42]

Last Hermit wrote:

The following discussion is just an attempt to give you some fresh views on the English grammar. Hopefully, and ultimately, it will resolve some of your grammatical issues in relation to the English tenses. But please be advised that even grammar gurus are not able to offer a cure-all for all issues. So you wouldn't expect me to resolve all of yours. That means some of them, as Bus Uncle puts it, will remain unresolved.



[Edited at 2006-06-10 17:35]

[Edited at 2006-06-10 17:49]

[Edited at 2006-06-10 17:51]

redred wrote:

写文章是讲求语感的，看得多自然会写，多读优秀文章是很有裨益。中文所教授的主、谓、宾和定语等，作为母语者，至今也弄不明白，但这丝毫不影响我写文章及与人沟通。推已及人，英语为母语的人，是否如我们那般学习语文，也要拘泥于主、谓、宾和定语等，在斟字酌句之时，上述句子成份也要按序排次？如这样的方式去撰文，人会很累。

以would为例，I would like to meet you．还有其他，would在英语国家日常是经常用到。然而打自我学习英语之时，在国内课本上，这个字鲜见谋面。籍此贴子，也想学一堂关于would用法的课。

redred wrote:
以would为例，I would like to meet you．还有其他，would在英语国家日常是经常用到。然而打自我学习英语之时，在国内课本上，这个字鲜见谋面。籍此贴子，也想学一堂关于would用法的课。

Lew Shiong Fong wrote:

"Would" is just like "red" in the sense that there are a few shades of meaning.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=would

Last Hermit wrote:

When it comes to the English tenses, many of us may feel tense. Because, first, the English grammar is difficult in nature. Second, there are no tenses in the Chinese languages. Last but no least, most of the grammar rules taught in schools throughout the Chinese Mainland are not keeping abreast of the times. To my best knowledge, most of them are based on some grammar books compiled and published as early as in the 1930s, not least that most of them are based on prescriptive grammars. Students therefore have to commit those dumb and bored rules to memory. This makes the learning of the English grammar even harder.

Last Hermit wrote:

The following discussion is just an attempt to give you some fresh views on the English grammar. Hopefully, and ultimately, it will resolve some of your grammatical issues in relation to the English tenses. But please be advised that even grammar gurus are not able to offer a cure-all for all issues. So you wouldn't expect me to resolve all of yours. That means some of them, as Bus Uncle puts it, will remain unresolved.

It will be based largely on the 《朗文英语语法大全》, the Chinese version of the world-acclaimed CGEL (A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language, by Randolf Quirk et al.). Your participation is welcome. Your correction and enlightenment are more than welcome.

Prior to the discussion, I would like to kindly ask you to do a small test.