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Ask for help > help with a grammar exercise
help with a grammar exercise
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debbiem
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help with a grammar exercise
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Hi, I gave this sententence on a test:
New flowers ......... in the town square every spring.
the answer in the book is :are planted and pupils wrote : were planted
Would you accept both? Are they both correct? If the pupi �s option is coorect can you explain it to me?
Thank you, Debbie |
5 Nov 2011
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stexstme
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Hello!
I �d say were planted is correct. But I do not know what you asked! ( I never give grammar quizzes...)
If your test was about the present simple passive, then, it �s wrong, of course. But New flowers were planted in the town square every spring is correct, it �s just past simple passive : Let �s say, 30 years ago, in my town ....
New flowers were planted.....
Blocks of flats were built,....
etc.
If just a quiz, I guess I would accept this answer. ;-))
Sylvie |
5 Nov 2011
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languaria
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Hi,
in my opinion, both sentences can be right - depending on the context and the assignment:
In the 50ies, new flowers were planted but nowadays...
Flowers are planted every spring (something that began in the past, happens at present and is not going to be changed)
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5 Nov 2011
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maryse pey�
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If you have specified only "in the passive voice" both answers are correct.
If you have specified the tense "present" or "preterit" then take in account the tense you asked. |
5 Nov 2011
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aneliz15
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I believe the correct answer is are planted.
New flowers are planted in the town square every spring. (This means that the action happens every year)
New flowers were planted in the town square every spring. (This would mean the action happened in the past.)
The sentence would not make much sense since the verb would be in the past but the rest of the sentence would asume the action continues on to the future.
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5 Nov 2011
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viccxx
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For it to be in the past tense, the time frsame had to be defined. Past simple is used for something in the past, when we know when it happened. It doesn �t matter if it in the passive or not...
So i would say are planted is correct becuase if it were �were planted � there would also have to be a time reference to specify that it is in the past... |
5 Nov 2011
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honeybel
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I agree with Aneliz15 �cause "every spring" gives the idea of a routine action.. in spring every year.
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6 Nov 2011
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