An example of a dangling participle is “running at great speed, the dog’s nose started twitching.”
This includes a participial phrase, “running at great speed,” that seems to describe the wrong noun. Although it should describe the dog, the noun that follows the phrase is “the dog’s nose,” making it sound like the nose is running instead of the dog. A better way to phrase this sentence is “as the dog was running at great speed, its nose started twitching.”
Continue reading: What is an example of a dangling participle?
The past tense form of “fly” is “flew.” It is used to describe an action that occurred in the past (e.g., “She flew to Tokyo from London”).
The past participle of “fly” is “flown” (e.g., “We had already flown to Chicago when we found out the wedding was canceled”).
A QuillBot grammar check can help ensure you’re using the past tense of “fly” correctly.
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The past tense form of “teach” is “taught.” It is used to describe an action that occurred in the past (e.g., “My parents taught me how to ride a bike”).
The past participle of “teach” is also “taught” (e.g., “He had taught for thirty years when he retired”).
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The past tense form of “dream” is dreamed or dreamt. “Dreamed” is more common in American English, and “dreamt” is more common in British English. The past tense form is used when describing a past action (e.g., “I dreamed/dreamt I was a bird”).
The past participle of “dream” is also “dreamed” or “dreamt” (e.g., “I had dreamed/dreamt of being a doctor for years”).
QuillBot’s grammar check tool can help ensure you’re using the past tense of “dream” correctly.
Continue reading: What is the past tense of dream?
An indicative sentence is a sentence that states a fact or opinion or asks a question (e.g., “I worked all day,” “Basketball is more fun than baseball,” “Do you like coffee?”).
The verbs of indicative sentences are considered to be in the indicative mood, which is the most common of the three moods in English: indicative, imperative, and subjunctive.
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The indicative mood is used to state facts or opinions and to ask questions (e.g., “Stella is an engineer,” “That is the cutest dog I’ve ever seen,” “Will you go with me?”). It is the most common grammatical mood in English and can be used with every verb tense.
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Both the simple past and the present perfect are verb tenses that are used to refer to past actions, but there are some differences in their use:
- The present perfect describes an action that happened in the past and has present effects or that began in the past and might continue (e.g., “I have seen that movie three times”).
- The simple past typically describes an action that happened at a specific time in the past and won’t continue (e.g., “I ate a waffle for breakfast”).
Continue reading: What is the difference between the present perfect and the simple past?
The present perfect and the present perfect continuous (present perfect progressive) are both verb tenses that are used to refer to the current effects of a past action or event. There are some differences between the two tenses, though:
- The present perfect is used to refer to past occurrences that may continue in the present (e.g., “I have traveled to six countries”).
- The present perfect continuous describes occurrences that started in the past and are ongoing (e.g., “I have been trying to talk to the doctor since last week”).
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The present progressive tense (also known as the present continuous) is used to describe an action that is currently happening (e.g., “He is working now”) or plans or intentions (e.g., “I am starting a new job next week”).
The present progressive differs from the simple present, which is used to describe a general truth (e.g., “Birds fly south for winter”), a habit (e.g., “Monica teaches on Thursdays”), or a fixed state (e.g., “He looks like his dad”).
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The verb form that ends in “-ing” is known as the present participle. Present participles are used in progressive verb tenses (e.g., “I am studying,” “she had been eating”) and as adjectives (e.g., “a tiring hike”).
The “-ing” form of a verb is also used in gerunds, but gerunds operate as nouns (e.g., “Skiing is dangerous”).
Continue reading: What is the “-ing” form of a verb?
