Hi everyone!
I have a question about the two ways of constructing a Simple Past Tense.
[b]1. I studied the lesson.
Are both sentences correct?
Is there any situation that the no. 1 shoud be used / no. 2 should be used? or any of them can be used in any situation…
(: correct my grammar if there are some mistakes 
Thank you so much!
same but “I did study the lesson” is more convincing.
Only #1 can be used in 99% of contexts, Julius. The emphatic form is used only in contradiction:
A: I don’t think you studied.
B: I did study.
or
A: You didn’t do well on your test.
B: I know that, but I did study; I was just sleepy.
ahhhh I see. Thank you so much! 
You didn’t do well on your test.
Micawber, why is it on your test rather than in your test?
Mr.Micawber do you mean the second one is just to ensure something.
I appreciate your cooperation.
No, both of those are examples of the emphatic form.
In B, ‘… but I did study’.
Apparently that is the common form in American English.
#3 (permalink) Tue Feb 14, 2012 9:14 pm
Mr.Alan I am an ESL student in Canada and actually it is confusion for us
that some teachers say it is American and the orher say it is British.
Which language used for both that we have to follow as an ESL students ?
I agree with you, Gladiator. Your teachers should let the students know which variety of English is being used. As you said, it can be confusing for learners.
Canada is next to the United States, but it has a British background (I believe that Queen Elizabeth of England is also the queen of Canada). I do not know which variety of English is spoken and written in Canada.
Here in the States, most people say “How did you do ON the test?”
We also say “I live ON Maple Street” while the British (I believe) usually say “IN Maple Street.”
In Canada, do they say “potato CHIPS” or “CRISPS”? The term “crisps” sounds very strange to Americans. Many (most?) Americans would not know what you were talking about.
So I suggest that you learn the variety of English that is spoken in Canada. If you eventually move to the United States, you will then have to learn American English. And if you move to Australia, you will have to … (I think that you get the idea.)
Good luck!
Hi,
All you need to learn is English. These variations are neither here nor there.
Alan
I can’t believe we are again discussing ‘which variety of English is being used’. Forget this foolish notion that American English is different to British English and Canadian English is different than Australian English.
Yes, there might be a few nuances, some native speakers pronounce certain words differently than other native speakers. Some native speakers use different prepositions than others. But those differences are absolutely minor. They don’t matter. We live in one world. We use one language, English.
When it comes to learning English as a second language, you should focus on those phrases and words that are used by all and any native speakers. I would say, American English is the same as British English to a degree of 97%. Why focus on the 3% that might be different?[YSaerTTEW443543]
TOEIC listening, photographs: Big cranes[YSaerTTEW443543]
Can you think of an alternative accurate answer to the question that was asked?
Where differences exist they can surely be acknowledged?
Bev, as far as I know, Mr Micawber is originally from Canada and has been living in Japan for many years. Why would you assume that ‘on the test’ is American English while ‘in the test’ is British English?[YSaerTTEW443543]
TOEIC listening, photographs: A cargo plane[YSaerTTEW443543]
I’ve just found the following test on an ESL site. The words below need to be marked as ‘British’ or ‘American English’. In my opinion, the test is inaccurate because it’s difficult to clearly define one word as ‘American’ and the other as ‘British’. What do you think?
garbage can,
postman,
favourite,
jail,
downtown,
driving licence,
streetcar,
prison,
check,
movie theater[YSaerTTEW443543]
TOEIC listening, photographs: Camping at the lake[YSaerTTEW443543]
The only words I’d have a problem defining as one or the other are jail/prison.
It’s not an assumption.
It’s information I discovered on this site at an earlier time.
I had not heard the term ‘on the test’ used for academic type tests (only in relation to a date for a test or combined with a wish for success such as 'Good luck on your driving test) and when I answered a previous question about the use of the preposition, I assumed it was incorrect as it is not used in the UK. Someone (and I have a feeling it was Mister Micawber) pointed out that this was the standard preposition in the US, where ‘in the test’ would sound odd.
I’m sorry to have triggered a controversial question. As we know, a teacher is a life-long student. And a student should be discerning. I’m no exception.
Now please examine the optional possibilities below, and look at my question from that angle.
In India: A person cannot but remain sceptical until he/she ascertains whether the sentence that the banker checks the cheque for its genuineness if its colour is found to be different from the normal one before it is being fed into a machine that runs on a computerized programme, is correct or formally acceptable.
In the US: A person cannot but remain skeptical until they ascertain whether the sentence that the banker checks the check for its genuineness if its color is found to be different than the normal one before it is being fed into a machine that runs on a computerized program, is correct or formally acceptable.
In the UK: (I am afraid, I can’t say it for sure. Bev might help me).
Another point is the question of AmE and BrE. They do exist; otherwise why the difference? Even in the OUP/ELBS lexicon this distinction is well brought out. For e.g. Color: American spelling for Colour.
In my view, a student taking an examination anywhere needs to be prescriptive as there is no option in situations like the one shown above. So, what the student should follow will depend on the place where the test is held, taken and evaluated.
Sorry, I don’t imagine your ‘American’ version is correct at all. Perhaps the lack of punctuation is throwing me, but I cannot get it to make sense.