Collins Cobuild English Grammar (91 page)

Time adverbials with reference to the past

4.40
    When you are using past verb forms, you normally use a time adverbial to indicate that you are talking about the past.

At one time
the arts of reading and writing were classed among the great mysteries of life for the majority of people.
I’ve made some poor decisions
lately
, but I’m feeling much better now.
It was very splendid
once
, but it’s only a ruin now.
It’s Mark who lost his wife.
A year last January
.
It was terribly hot
yesterday
.

types of time adverbial

4.41
    Time adverbials can refer either to a specific time, or to a more general indefinite period of time.

The lists below give the most common indefinite time adverbials that are used mainly with past verb forms. With the exception of
since
and
ever since
, which come at the end of a clause, you put them after the auxiliary or modal in a verb phrase that has more than one word; if you use them with the past simple you put them in front of the verb.

The words in the following list can be used with all past verb forms:

again

already

earlier

ever since

finally

first

in the past

just

last

previously

recently

since

The words in the following list can be used with all past verb forms except the present perfect:

afterwards

at one time

eventually

formerly

immediately

next

once

originally

subsequently

Note that
once
here means
at some time in the past
. For its uses as an adverb of frequency, see paragraph
4.115
.

For the uses of
since
as a preposition in time adverbials, see paragraph
4.137
.

Some time adverbials used with past verb forms are more specific. They include words like
yesterday
,
ago
,
other
, and
last
. Note that
ago
is placed after the noun phrase.

I saw him
yesterday evening
.
We bought the house from her
the day before yesterday
.
Three weeks ago
I was staying in San Francisco.
I saw my goddaughter
the other day
.
It all happened
a long time ago
.

BE CAREFUL

4.42
    You say
last night
, not
yesterday night
.

used for emphasis

4.43
    There are some cases where you have to specify the time reference. In other cases, you may simply want to make the timing of the action clear, or emphatic. These cases are described below.

used with the past simple

4.44
    When you use the past simple to describe habitual or regular activities, you can use an
adverbial of frequency
to indicate the regularity or repetition of the activity.

He
often agreed
to work quite cheaply.
Sometimes
he
read
so much that he
became
confused.
Etta
phoned
Guppy
every day
.

The use of the past simple to describe habitual actions is explained in paragraph
4.30
.

used with the past progressive

4.45
    If you are using the past progressive to talk about repeated actions, you can add an adverb of frequency such as
always
or
forever
after the auxiliary to emphasize the frequency of the action or to express your annoyance about it.

In the immense shed where we worked, something
was always going wrong
.
She
was always knitting
– making sweaters or baby clothes.
Our builder
was forever going
on skiing holidays.

The use of the past progressive to describe repeated actions is explained in paragraph
4.31
.

used with the present perfect

4.46
    When you use the present perfect to mention something that is still relevant to the present, you can add an adverb of frequency to show that the action was repeated.

I’ve
often
wondered why we didn’t move years ago.
Political tensions have
frequently
spilled over into violence.

The use of the present perfect to talk about situations that are still relevant is explained in paragraph
4.33
.

4.47
    Note that if you are talking about a quality, attitude, or possession that still exists or is still relevant, you need to use the present perfect with an adverbial of duration.

We’
ve had
it
for fifteen years
.
He’
s always liked
you, you know.
I
have known
him
for years
.
My people
have been
at war
since 1917
.

4.48
    If you use the present perfect and the present perfect progressive to mention a continuing activity that began in the past, you can add an adverbial of duration to show how long it has been going on.

For about a week
he
had been complaining
of a bad headache.
They
have been meeting
regularly
for two years
.
He
has looked
after me well
since his mother died
.

The use of the present perfect and the present perfect progressive to talk about activities that began in the past is explained in paragraph
4.35
.

used with the past perfect

4.49
    When you use the past perfect to describe a repeated event that took place before a particular time in the past, you use an adverbial of frequency to show how often it was repeated.

Posy
had always sought
her out even then.
The housekeeper mentioned that the dog
had attacked
its mistress
more than once
.

The use of the past perfect to describe events that occurred before a particular time in the past are explained in paragraph
4.37
.

4.50
    If you are using the past perfect to talk about a situation that did not change in the past, you use an adverbial of duration to emphasize the length of time during which it existed.

They weren’t really our aunt and uncle, but we
had always known
them.
All through those many years
he
had never ever lost track of
my father.
His parents
had been married for twelve years
when he was born.

4.51
    If you are using the past perfect progressive to mention a recent, continuous activity, you can specify when it began.

The Home Office
had until now been insisting
on giving the officers only ten days to reach a settlement.
Since then
, the mother
had been living
with her daughter.

Adverbials of frequency or duration can also be added for emphasis.

The drive increased the fatigue she
had been feeling for hours
.
The rain
had been pouring all night
.

The use of the past perfect progressive to talk about a recent, continuous activity is explained in paragraph
4.38
.

Expressing future time

4.52
    It is not possible to talk with as much certainty about the future as it is about the present or the past. Any reference you make to future events is therefore usually an expression of what you think might happen or what you intend to happen.

Indicating the future using
will

4.53
    If you want to say that something is planned to happen, or that you think it is likely to happen in the future, you use the
modal
will
in front of the base form of the verb.

Nancy
will arrange
it.
These
will be
dealt with in
chapter 7
. ‘I
will check
,’ said Brody.
When
will
I
see
them?
What do you think Sally
will do
?
You
will come
back, won’t you?

If the subject is
I
or
we
, the modal
shall
is sometimes used instead of
will
to talk about future events.

I
shall do
everything I can to help you.
You
will stay
at home and
I shall go
to your office. ‘
We shall give
him some tea,’ Naomi said.

     This is not common in modern American English.