sabrinak
Joined: 28 Sep 2007
Posts: 146
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 Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 11:37 pm Post subject: use of past simple tense |
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Hello,
I'm confused with the tense. Please help!
"Someplace nearby you may see a little hill of loose soil. That is a molehill. The mole made the hill when he was digging his tunnel. He had extra soil. He did not have any place to put it, so he pushed it up to the surface.
I think the present tense is more appropirate because the passage tells about the habit of the mole. Am I right?
Thank you. |
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Suzanne
Joined: 21 Apr 2008
Posts: 283
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
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| Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 5:01 am Post subject: |
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Hello,
This sentence is correct, because it's describing something the mole did that is finished.
It may seem confusing because the first two sentences are in simple present. But they're explaining something that has already happened.
If you use simple present, it changes to meaning to something that the mole does everyday. It describes the habits of a mole, but not what the mole has finished.
Does that make sense? |
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