In which tense is this sentence:
I know when the boat will leave.
I know when the boat will leave.
Anonymous Quiz
31%
Present Simple
42%
Future Simple
27%
Future Time-Clause
English Grammar in Use
In which tense is this sentence:
I know when the boat will leave.
I know when the boat will leave.
Noun Phrases
Be careful, because the future tense may still be used if the time adverb introduces a noun clause. The difference is if the clause is the object of a verb, and not a time clause.
I know when the boat will leave.
"when the boat will leave" is an NP functioning as the object of the verb "know".
This answers the question "What do you know?" rather than "When will the boat leave?".
This is why the sentence is in the SIMPLE PRESENT Tense (I know). 😊
Still not clear? Please, feel free to let us know via a comment.
Be careful, because the future tense may still be used if the time adverb introduces a noun clause. The difference is if the clause is the object of a verb, and not a time clause.
I know when the boat will leave.
"when the boat will leave" is an NP functioning as the object of the verb "know".
This answers the question "What do you know?" rather than "When will the boat leave?".
This is why the sentence is in the SIMPLE PRESENT Tense (I know). 😊
Still not clear? Please, feel free to let us know via a comment.
⚡️Further reading on the uses of can, could, (be) able to, and managed to⚡️
♦️Can: uses♦️
1- Permission: (We often use "can" to ask for or give permission.):
- Can take Daisy for a walk?
- Students can use calculators during the exam.
2- Ability: (We often use "can" to talk about ability to do something in the present or future.):
- I can speak some English.
- We can go swimming after school if you like.
📌 Notice: We often use can with verbs of perception such as "hear, see, smell, taste", and mental process verbs such as "guess, imagine, picture, understand and follow (in the sense of ‘understand’)":
- I can hear you.
- Can you smell something burning?
3- General truths: (We use "can" to talk about things which we think are usually, but not always, true.):
- Reducing cholesterol through diet can be difficult. (It’s not always difficult for everyone, but in general, it is difficult.)
- Swans can be very vicious.
📌 Notice: (We don’t normally use "could" to talk about what we believe to be true in the present). Compare:
- Exercise can help reduce stress. (I believe this is a general truth or fact.)
- Exercise could help reduce stress. (I see this only as a possibility.)
- Finding a hotel in August can be difficult. (I believe this is a general truth or fact based on my experience or knowledge.)
- Finding a hotel in August could be difficult. (I see this only as a possibility.)
4- Possibility: (We use "can" to express possibility or to question possibilities.):
- I'm afraid I can't come to the party on Friday.
- how can you be on a diet if you buy so much chocolate?
♦️Could: uses♦️
1- Possibility: (We often use "could" to express possibility in the present and the future.) Compare:
- It is blue. (I am certain that it is blue. It is a fact.)
- It could be blue. (I’m not certain that it is blue.)
- The storm will get worse. (I’m certain that the storm will get worse.)
- The storm could get worse. (I’m not certain that the storm will get worse.)
2- Permission: (Like "can", we use "could" to ask for permission. "Could" is more formal and polite than "can".):
- Could I ask you a personal question?
🚫 Warning: We don’t use "could" to give or refuse permission. We use "can":
A: Could I leave early today?
B: Yes, you can./ No, you can’t.
Not:Yes, you could./ No, you couldn’t.
3- General Past Ability: (We usually use "could" or "couldn't" to talk about general abilities in the past.) General ability means that a person had the ability to do something at all times and in all situations. These are skills or talents a person once had rather than specific occasions. In the past tense, English speakers almost always use “could.”
- She could paint before she started school.
- In high school, she could beat anyone in a running race.
📌 Notice: We don’t usually use "could" to talk about single events that happened in the past (past achievements). When actual past achievements are mentioned, we usually use "was/were able to" or "managed to" but not "could" in affirmative clauses. This is because they are facts, rather than possibilities:
- I was able to/managed to buy a wonderful bag to match my shoes.
Not: I could buy a wonderful bag to match my shoes.
- We hired a car and we were able to/managed to drive 1,000 miles in one week.
Not: We hired a car and we could drive 1,000 miles in one week.
4- Past Possibility: (We use "could have + -ed" form to talk about possibility in the past:
- I could have been a lawyer.
- They could have taken a taxi home instead of walking and getting wet.
📌 Notice: We use "could" with some verbs to refer to single events that happened in the past; with verbs of the senses (smell, taste, see, hear, touch, etc.) and mental processes (think, believe, remember, understand etc.):
- The food was terrible. I could taste nothing but salt.
- We knew they were in there. We could hear voices inside.
♦️Can: uses♦️
1- Permission: (We often use "can" to ask for or give permission.):
- Can take Daisy for a walk?
- Students can use calculators during the exam.
2- Ability: (We often use "can" to talk about ability to do something in the present or future.):
- I can speak some English.
- We can go swimming after school if you like.
📌 Notice: We often use can with verbs of perception such as "hear, see, smell, taste", and mental process verbs such as "guess, imagine, picture, understand and follow (in the sense of ‘understand’)":
- I can hear you.
- Can you smell something burning?
3- General truths: (We use "can" to talk about things which we think are usually, but not always, true.):
- Reducing cholesterol through diet can be difficult. (It’s not always difficult for everyone, but in general, it is difficult.)
- Swans can be very vicious.
📌 Notice: (We don’t normally use "could" to talk about what we believe to be true in the present). Compare:
- Exercise can help reduce stress. (I believe this is a general truth or fact.)
- Exercise could help reduce stress. (I see this only as a possibility.)
- Finding a hotel in August can be difficult. (I believe this is a general truth or fact based on my experience or knowledge.)
- Finding a hotel in August could be difficult. (I see this only as a possibility.)
4- Possibility: (We use "can" to express possibility or to question possibilities.):
- I'm afraid I can't come to the party on Friday.
- how can you be on a diet if you buy so much chocolate?
♦️Could: uses♦️
1- Possibility: (We often use "could" to express possibility in the present and the future.) Compare:
- It is blue. (I am certain that it is blue. It is a fact.)
- It could be blue. (I’m not certain that it is blue.)
- The storm will get worse. (I’m certain that the storm will get worse.)
- The storm could get worse. (I’m not certain that the storm will get worse.)
2- Permission: (Like "can", we use "could" to ask for permission. "Could" is more formal and polite than "can".):
- Could I ask you a personal question?
🚫 Warning: We don’t use "could" to give or refuse permission. We use "can":
A: Could I leave early today?
B: Yes, you can./ No, you can’t.
Not:
- She could paint before she started school.
- In high school, she could beat anyone in a running race.
📌 Notice: We don’t usually use "could" to talk about single events that happened in the past (past achievements). When actual past achievements are mentioned, we usually use "was/were able to" or "managed to" but not "could" in affirmative clauses. This is because they are facts, rather than possibilities:
- I was able to/managed to buy a wonderful bag to match my shoes.
4
- I could have been a lawyer.
- They could have taken a taxi home instead of walking and getting wet.
📌 Notice: We use "could" with some verbs to refer to single events that happened in the past; with verbs of the senses (smell, taste, see, hear, touch, etc.) and mental processes (think, believe, remember, understand etc.):
- The food was terrible. I could taste nothing but salt.
- We knew they were in there. We could hear voices inside.
♦️(be) able to & managed to: uses♦️
1- Specific Ability on one occasion – successful: (Specific ability means that the person had the ability to do something in a specific situation or at a specific time.) When we talk about achieving something on a specific occasion in the past, we use "was/were able to" (= had the ability to) and "managed to" (= succeeded in doing something difficult).
- The burglar was able to get in through the bathroom window.
- The burglar managed to get in through the bathroom window even though it was locked.
📌 Notice: Could is not usually correct when we're talking about ability at a specific moment in the past. The typical mistakes learners make are to use "could" for past positive specific ability.
- My friend’s phone was engaged all day yesterday. Finally, late in the evening, I could speak to him.
In this sentence, we should use "I was able to speak to" or "I managed to speak to" him.
- We ran fast and could catch the bus. (Wrong. "could" cannot be used to mean succeeded).
📌 Notice: “Was/were able to” and “managed to” both suggest effort. They mean someone succeeded in doing something that was a challenge or took a special effort. However, the phrase “managed to” puts a little more emphasis on how hard the challenge was or how much effort it took.
Example:
When Jim was a boy he could climb trees very well (This was a general ability). However, there was one tree that was very tall and he couldn’t climb it (the general specific rule is only for "could" in positive so there is no issue here). One day, when he was feeling very energetic, he was a able to/ managed to climb the tree (specific time, situation).
2- Specific Ability on one occasion – unsuccessful: (When we talk about a specific occasion when someone didn't have the ability to do something, we can use "wasn't/weren't able to, didn't manage to" or "couldn't".):
- I couldn't find it.
- I wasn't able to it.
- I didn't manage to it.
In the first sentence, you are admitting your inability to find it, even though it may be there. The second two suggest further searching might uncover it.
- I couldn't find you.
- I was not able to / did not manage to find you.
"I couldn't find you" -- gives the implication that you couldn't find the person because of some reason that is unapparent, but your fault.
However, "I was not able to / did not manage to find you" -- gives the implication that there was some reason out of your control that caused you to not find them. Like traffic or too many people or that they were hiding.
📌 Note that "wasn't/weren't able to" is more formal than "couldn't", while "didn't manage to" emphasises that the thing was difficult to do.
📌 Notice: Sometimes, for the negative form of "managed to", we say, “couldn’t manage to” instead of “didn’t manage to.” They mean the same thing:
- He studied for months but couldn’t manage to pass the bar exam.
https://www.tg-me.com/English_Grammar_in_Use_5th
1- Specific Ability on one occasion – successful: (Specific ability means that the person had the ability to do something in a specific situation or at a specific time.) When we talk about achieving something on a specific occasion in the past, we use "was/were able to" (= had the ability to) and "managed to" (= succeeded in doing something difficult).
- The burglar was able to get in through the bathroom window.
- The burglar managed to get in through the bathroom window even though it was locked.
📌 Notice: Could is not usually correct when we're talking about ability at a specific moment in the past. The typical mistakes learners make are to use "could" for past positive specific ability.
- My friend’s phone was engaged all day yesterday. Finally, late in the evening, I could speak to him.
In this sentence, we should use "I was able to speak to" or "I managed to speak to" him.
- We ran fast and could catch the bus. (Wrong. "could" cannot be used to mean succeeded).
📌 Notice: “Was/were able to” and “managed to” both suggest effort. They mean someone succeeded in doing something that was a challenge or took a special effort. However, the phrase “managed to” puts a little more emphasis on how hard the challenge was or how much effort it took.
Example:
When Jim was a boy he could climb trees very well (This was a general ability). However, there was one tree that was very tall and he couldn’t climb it (the general specific rule is only for "could" in positive so there is no issue here). One day, when he was feeling very energetic, he was a able to/ managed to climb the tree (specific time, situation).
2- Specific Ability on one occasion – unsuccessful: (When we talk about a specific occasion when someone didn't have the ability to do something, we can use "wasn't/weren't able to, didn't manage to" or "couldn't".):
- I couldn't find it.
- I wasn't able to it.
- I didn't manage to it.
In the first sentence, you are admitting your inability to find it, even though it may be there. The second two suggest further searching might uncover it.
- I couldn't find you.
- I was not able to / did not manage to find you.
"I couldn't find you" -- gives the implication that you couldn't find the person because of some reason that is unapparent, but your fault.
However, "I was not able to / did not manage to find you" -- gives the implication that there was some reason out of your control that caused you to not find them. Like traffic or too many people or that they were hiding.
📌 Note that "wasn't/weren't able to" is more formal than "couldn't", while "didn't manage to" emphasises that the thing was difficult to do.
📌 Notice: Sometimes, for the negative form of "managed to", we say, “couldn’t manage to” instead of “didn’t manage to.” They mean the same thing:
- He studied for months but couldn’t manage to pass the bar exam.
https://www.tg-me.com/English_Grammar_in_Use_5th
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After 8 hours of climing, we __________ reach the top of the mountain.
Anonymous Quiz
20%
A. could
26%
B. were able to
13%
C. managed to
25%
D. Both "B" & "C"
16%
F. All the above
Since he left, none of the other team members have __________ match his enthusiasm.
Anonymous Quiz
21%
could
79%
been able to
Unit-026 Exercises.pdf
314.5 KB
#Unit-26 Exercises || Answered
The headteacher criticised the new teacher with a sharp tongue.
Who has the sharp tongue?
Who has the sharp tongue?
Anonymous Quiz
54%
A. the headteacher
32%
B. the new teacher
14%
C. Either could be correct.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(Click the unit you want to access directly)
1 Present continuous (I am doing)
2 Present simple (I do)
3 Present continuous and present simple 1 (I am doing and I do)
4 Present continuous and present simple 2 (I am doing and I do)
5 Past simple (I did)
6 Past continuous (I was doing)
7 Present perfect 1 (I have done)
8 Present perfect 2 (I have done)
9 Present perfect continuous (I have been doing)
10 Present perfect continuous and simple (I have been doing and I have done)
11 how long have you (been) … ?
12 for and since when … ? and how long … ?
13 Present perfect and past 1 (I have done and I did)
14 Present perfect and past 2 (I have done and I did)
15 Past perfect (I had done)
16 Past perfect continuous (I had been doing)
17 have and have got
18 used to (do)
19 Present tenses (I am doing / I do) for the future
20 I’m going to (do)
21 will and shall 1
22 will and shall 2
23 I will and I’m going to
24 will be doing and will have done
25 when I do and when I’ve done if and when
26 can, could and (be) able to
27 could (do) and could have (done)
28 must and can't
29 may and might 1
30 may and might 2
31 have to and must
32 must - mustn't - needn't
33 should 1
34 should 2
35 I'd better... It's time...
36 would
(Click the unit you want to access directly)
1 Present continuous (I am doing)
2 Present simple (I do)
3 Present continuous and present simple 1 (I am doing and I do)
4 Present continuous and present simple 2 (I am doing and I do)
5 Past simple (I did)
6 Past continuous (I was doing)
7 Present perfect 1 (I have done)
8 Present perfect 2 (I have done)
9 Present perfect continuous (I have been doing)
10 Present perfect continuous and simple (I have been doing and I have done)
11 how long have you (been) … ?
12 for and since when … ? and how long … ?
13 Present perfect and past 1 (I have done and I did)
14 Present perfect and past 2 (I have done and I did)
15 Past perfect (I had done)
16 Past perfect continuous (I had been doing)
17 have and have got
18 used to (do)
19 Present tenses (I am doing / I do) for the future
20 I’m going to (do)
21 will and shall 1
22 will and shall 2
23 I will and I’m going to
24 will be doing and will have done
25 when I do and when I’ve done if and when
26 can, could and (be) able to
27 could (do) and could have (done)
28 must and can't
29 may and might 1
30 may and might 2
31 have to and must
32 must - mustn't - needn't
33 should 1
34 should 2
35 I'd better... It's time...
36 would
⚡️Further reading on the uses of can, could (do) , and could have (done) ⚡️
♦️ SOMETIMES "could" is the past form of "can", the present form (see Unit-26):
Examples:
- I can smell something burning. (NOW, there is something burning.)
- I could smell something burning. (In the PAST, there was something burning.)
♦️ BUT "could" is NOT ALWAYS past. We can use "could" to talk about PRESENT and/or FUTURE possibility.
Examples:
- Don't eat this bread; it could be stale. (PRESENT possibility)
- He has been in prison for two months, and could be released next week. (FUTURE possibility)
NOTE: In these situations, we can also use "can" instead of "could". HOWEVER, "could" is LESS SURE than "can".
Example:
- She can win the competition. (Future - SURE)
- Who knows? she could win the competition. (Future - LESS SURE)
♦️For UNREAL actions/situations, we use "could" not "can:
Example:
- I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse. (NOT I can eat a horse)
- I'm so tired. I could sleep for a week. (Not I can sleep for a week)
COMPARE:
- We can have some fish for dinner. (REALISTIC - MORE SURE)
- We could have some fish for dinner. (REALISTIC - LESS SURE)
- We could have a whale for dinner. (UNREALISTIC)
♦️ We use could have (done) to talk about the past.
Examples:
- Though the situation is bad, but it could be worse. (NOW)
- Though the situation was bad, but it could have been worse. (PAST)
♦️Something could have happened = it was possible, but it did not happen:
Examples:
- It's a good thing I got my umbrella. I could have been soaked.
- You could have done your homework, if you wanted to.
♦️ "I couldn't do" has two meanings:
1- It would not be possible NOW, I would not be able to:
- I couldn't walk a further step. I am really exhausted. (NOW)
2- It would not have been possible in the PAST, I would not be able to:
- I couldn't walk a further step. I was exhausted. (PAST)
https://www.tg-me.com/English_Grammar_in_Use_5th
♦️ SOMETIMES "could" is the past form of "can", the present form (see Unit-26):
Examples:
- I can smell something burning. (NOW, there is something burning.)
- I could smell something burning. (In the PAST, there was something burning.)
♦️ BUT "could" is NOT ALWAYS past. We can use "could" to talk about PRESENT and/or FUTURE possibility.
Examples:
- Don't eat this bread; it could be stale. (PRESENT possibility)
- He has been in prison for two months, and could be released next week. (FUTURE possibility)
NOTE: In these situations, we can also use "can" instead of "could". HOWEVER, "could" is LESS SURE than "can".
Example:
- She can win the competition. (Future - SURE)
- Who knows? she could win the competition. (Future - LESS SURE)
♦️For UNREAL actions/situations, we use "could" not "can:
Example:
- I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse. (NOT I can eat a horse)
- I'm so tired. I could sleep for a week. (Not I can sleep for a week)
COMPARE:
- We can have some fish for dinner. (REALISTIC - MORE SURE)
- We could have some fish for dinner. (REALISTIC - LESS SURE)
- We could have a whale for dinner. (UNREALISTIC)
♦️ We use could have (done) to talk about the past.
Examples:
- Though the situation is bad, but it could be worse. (NOW)
- Though the situation was bad, but it could have been worse. (PAST)
♦️Something could have happened = it was possible, but it did not happen:
Examples:
- It's a good thing I got my umbrella. I could have been soaked.
- You could have done your homework, if you wanted to.
♦️ "I couldn't do" has two meanings:
1- It would not be possible NOW, I would not be able to:
- I couldn't walk a further step. I am really exhausted. (NOW)
2- It would not have been possible in the PAST, I would not be able to:
- I couldn't walk a further step. I was exhausted. (PAST)
https://www.tg-me.com/English_Grammar_in_Use_5th
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English Grammar in Use
Welcome to our channel where we elaborately explain and study the world's best-selling grammar book: "English Grammar in Use" by Raymond Murphy - 5th Edition.
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Unit-027 Exercises.pdf
329.1 KB
#Unit-27 Exercises || Answered
The phone has been ringing for half an hour. You should answer it now. It ________ be an important call.
Anonymous Quiz
90%
must
10%
can't