Question

Identify the verb tense in the following sentences.
1. Zach stopped to call a friend
Past continuous
2. What are you doing?
present continuous
3. I was hoping to hear from you.
Simple past
4.The guy makes his own instruments.
simple present

Answers

Ms. Sue
1. What makes you think that "stopped" is an ongoing (continuous) action?

2. Correct.

3. Did he hope for just a moment? Did he only hope once?

4. Correct.
Ms. Sue
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/simplepresent.html
Jim Collum
1.Simple present

3.Simple past

Ms. Sue
1. Present???

3. No.

Please study the page I posted for you. You'll also find links to other tenses there.

Jim Collum
1. present continuous
3. past continuous
Ms. Sue
I don't understand what is so hard about number 1. Zach stopped once. Isn't that simple past?

2. Yes. Past continuous.

Jim Collum
If he stopped to make a call why isnt that now
Ms. Sue
The verb ends in <i>-ed</i>, making it past tense.

Present: Zach stops for red lights.
Present continuous: Zach is stopping for a red light.
Past: Yesterday Zach stopped to make a call.
Past continuous: Zach was stopping for a red light when he got a phone call.
Jim Collum
thanks

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