See... im not even sure should i put
- Deteriorates or
- Deteriorated
- HAS deteriorated
I have always had a problem with preposition.
- Should i say "Can i speak to _____" or "Can i speak with _______" ?
- Why is it I'm not IN the office but i'm AT home? When office and home seems to be the same kind of place you go INTO?
Worse... not sure should i use Simple present or past tense!
For example,
- I AM an ex-student of ________ or I WAS a student at ________
- What's the difference between "I walked a mile" and "I have walked a mile"?
- Is it correct to say "She WAS my consultant"? Whereas she is NOT dead and still IS a consultant.
- How about "She was the winner of YESTERDAY's contest." Wouldn't using a past tense mean that she is not the winner anymore? But the contest happened yesterday~ :S
Question: What other special words would "regulate" a tense other than "TO"?
But i most definitely am irritated when pple use Past Continuous tense somewhat wrongfully? Although i'm guilty of it myself.
Eg: I was telling him that he should do it like this.
Shouldn't it be, I TOLD him to do it like this. Because Past Continuous tense is supposed to be used when somehing else happens / happened (help!) while a certain action is carried out. Like, "I was walking down the lane when the rain started pouring down."
Anybody could clarify this for me? Or should i go back to school?
It's a wonder how i managed to scrape a B3 for English at O level and a C6 for General Paper at A level. Mind you, to pass GP is rather.... lucky? tough?
1 glasses of Juice:
OK lets see here.
1. both are correct, although "MAY I speak WITH" is more polite
2. hmm.... it makes more sense to say say "I am AT the office" or "I am at my house", but I guess you can say "In" as well
1. they both are technically correct, but I would personally go with "I was a student at _____"
2. same thing just one is a bit more "proper," if I can use that term
3. heh, OK this a bit tricky to explain. when you say "She WAS my consultant" that has nothing to do with her status of living or dead. this sentence is relating to you. she was your YOUR consultant, but is not any more. She still may be a consultant, but not yours any more.
4. another fun one :)
you are correct in saying that "yesterday" refers to the fact that it happened yesterday. Also she will always be the winner of yesterdays race, nothing can change that but she may not be the winner of today's race.
Hopefully that made sense
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