September 11th, Memories, Verb Forms

 

Saturday, September 11, is the 20th anniversary¹ of the terrorist² attacks in the United States. Around 3000 people were killed on that day in 2001, when al-Qaida agents hijacked³ and crashed airplanes in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

People across the U.S. will share their thoughts and feelings about that day on the anniversary. News shows and other media will observe the day with special programming. People will talk about what they remember about the day, the effects the attacks had on them, the U.S. reaction, and more.

Such discussions⁵ often use verbs in simple and progressive⁶ forms.

Everyday Grammar: September 11th, Memories, Verb Forms

Everyday Grammar: September 11th, Memories, Verb Forms

In today's Everyday Grammar, we will explore the grammar behind such structures.

Let's begin with a few important terms and ideas.

Verb Forms

English has several verb forms; two of them are the simple and progressive forms.

The simple verb form is often the first verb form that English learners study.

Consider the following statements:

I want to read about English grammar.

I love English grammar.

Here, the verbs want and love are in their simple present forms. Their past forms are wanted and loved.

Now consider a person who is in the middle of an action – reading a grammar book. That person might say,

I am reading about English grammar.

Here the verb read is in its progressive form – I am reading. The past progressive form is I was reading.

In general, English speakers are more likely to use simple verbs than progressive verbs in everyday discussions.

But discussions about memories and past experiences will likely involve verb forms of both kinds, as we will see.

Discussions about September 11th - Simple Form of Verb

Let's first explore how simple forms might appear in discussions about September 11.

Consider this example. Imagine you are listening to an American news program. You might hear something like the following discussion⁴:

Do you remember where you were on September 11?

I was at work. I heard about the attacks during my morning coffee break.

Or you might hear a discussion with a person who is not old enough to remember the day:

Do you remember where you were on September 11?

No, I don't know what it was like - but I believe it was very frightening.

Notice that the examples included simple present and simple past forms of verbs such as remember, believe, hear, know, be.

Many of these might be called ‘non-action' verbs. Such verbs are mostly used to express ideas, memories, or states of being.

Such verbs are less common or not used in the progressive form.

Discussions about September 11th - Progressive Form of Verb

Now consider how progressive verb forms might appear in a discussion about September 11.

Imagine you are watching another news broadcast. You might hear the following:

Do you remember what you were doing on September 11 when you first heard the news?

I was listening to the radio, and the regular program was interrupted.

Or:

I was watching television at home.

Or:

I was sitting at my desk when a coworker ran over to me and told me the news.

In the examples, verbs such as listen, watch, and sit appeared in their past progressive form. In other words, these actions were in progress when the person learned⁷ about the news.

Closing Thoughts

When you hear news broadcasts or read internet discussions about September 11 – or any other kind of important event – pay careful attention to how the speakers or writers use simple and progressive verb forms.

Pay careful attention to the kinds of verbs that are used in the simple form, and the kinds of verbs that are used in the progressive form. Over time, you will improve your understanding of how and when to use these verbs and verb forms.

Words in This Story

progressive –n. A progressive verb form in English consists of a form of the verb "be" followed by the main verb's present participle.

frightening – adj. scary or causing fear

interrupt – v. to cause (something) to stop happening for a time

1 anniversary   

n.周年(纪念日)

参考例句：

• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。
• Today is my parents'30th wedding anniversary.今天是我父母结婚30周年纪念日。

2 terrorist   

n.恐怖主义者，恐怖分子

参考例句：

• Without the gun,I'm a sitting duck for any terrorist.没有这支枪，我就成了恐怖分子下手的目标了。
• The district was put on red alert during a terrorist's bomb scare.这个地区在得到恐怖分子炸弹恐吓后作了应急准备。

3 hijacked   

劫持( hijack的过去式和过去分词 )； 绑架； 拦路抢劫； 操纵（会议等，以推销自己的意图）

参考例句：

• The plane was hijacked by two armed men on a flight from London to Rome. 飞机在从伦敦飞往罗马途中遭到两名持械男子劫持。
• The plane was hijacked soon after it took off. 那架飞机起飞后不久被劫持了。

4 discussion   

n.讨论，谈论；论述

参考例句：

• It is certain he will come to the discussion.他肯定会来参加讨论。
• After months of discussion,a peace agreement is gradually taking shape.经过几个月的商讨，和平协议渐渐有了眉目。

5 discussions   

n.讨论( discussion的名词复数 )；商讨；详述；论述

参考例句：

• Discussions are held on an informal basis within the department. 讨论限于在本部门内非正式地进行。
• Her specialist input to the discussions has been very useful. 她在这些讨论中提供的专家建议很有助益。

6 progressive   

adj.先进的；前进的，渐进的；进行式的

参考例句：

• There is often a progressive loss of sight in old age.上了年纪的人视力逐步减退。
• It's a progressive idea.这是一种进步的思想。

7 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。