- Joined
- Oct 14, 2010
- Member Type
- English Teacher
- Native Language
- British English
- Home Country
- Czech Republic
- Current Location
- Czech Republic
I think that one problem with your way of dealing with sentences is that you expect them to be produced using the 'rules' that you have learnt. You need to remember that:You and I process English sentences differently.
1. Most native speakers are completely unaware of most of the 'rules' in English, especially those concerning the uses of tenses and aspects;
2. The rules on the uses of tenses and aspects that you fine in most sound grammars are not rules; they are observations on how these forms are used by most native speakers most of the time. They are very helpful to learners (and teachers), but they do not attempt to explain very single observed use of every form.
3. Logic and analogy are unreliable guides when it comes to analysing how tenses and aspects are used.