Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[welkins2139]

I hear birds screech every time I wake.

I heard birds screech every morning I wake.

The birds were beaking when I got to the park.

Can I say birds " screech" or " beaking"?

Is it better to use "every morning" than "every time" in the above first two sentences?

Thank you

[CP]

"I hear birds screech every time I wake." OK.

"I heard birds screech every morning I wake." Not OK, but you could say, "I hear birds screech every morning as I wake" or "I heard birds screech every morning as I awoke."

"The birds were beaking when I got to the park." No. Birds do not beak. Beak is a noun, not a verb. You could say, "Birds were singing (or chirping) when I got to the park."

Yours truly, CP