Linked Questions
25 questions linked to/from Tense change: previous actions on something that's currently true
3
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4
answers
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Shifting tenses in a short story [duplicate]
I am writing a short story using past tense, but I am a little bit confused when it comes to writing this part:
She had never seen a man as athletic as him before. She knew Japanese men (were / ...
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0
votes
1
answer
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"I told him I am 20" vs. "I told him I was 20" [duplicate]
Suppose I am 20 years old. Which the following is correct?
Someone asked me how old I am. I told him I am 20.
Someone asked me how old I was. I told him I was 20.
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2
votes
2
answers
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Is the past tense correct in "Did you know Fred was a doctor?" [duplicate]
Possible Duplicates:
He didn't know where New Jersey was…
Tense change: previous actions on something that's currently true
My wife and I were disagreeing about this today:
...
- 3,863
-2
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2
answers
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repeat the past conversation [duplicate]
My mum says:
You have to go back home tomorrow by 6pm.
The day after, do I tell my friend:
My mum said I have to go back home by 6pm
OR
My mum said I had to go back home by 6pm
...
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1
vote
2
answers
626
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What is the tense of the verb that goes in "I wish I would do something that ..." ? (I wish I would buy him a present that he likes/liked.) [duplicate]
I was watching a TV show, and this girl said:
I just wish that once, I'd bring a guy home that they actually liked.
Shouldn't it be like this? :
I just wish that once, I'd bring a guy home ...
- 4,153
0
votes
1
answer
174
views
tense agreement about truth [duplicate]
For example, "I found that LA is not an island." (Truth always)
or "I ensured them that car insurance is necessary." (Truth in past and now still)
Do I have to use "was" instead of "is" for tense ...
- 205
0
votes
1
answer
143
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Sequence of tenses when we express certainty [duplicate]
I beg your pardon but I have a doubt about this sentence:
"They failed to believe their eyes as they realized their world is
just an experiment"
So, if we are following a correct sequence of ...
0
votes
0
answers
54
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Why did you ask me if they have any allergies? [duplicate]
In this sentence, the person is referring to a question that was asked in the past but a condition that is current. Can the past and present tense be used in this case or should it be "Why did ...
- 1
0
votes
4
answers
56
views
Use simple past or present? [duplicate]
Between these sentences:
Ten years ago he showed me the location of the stations. There was a bridge that connected them.
Ten years ago he showed me the location of the stations. There is a bridge ...
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1
vote
0
answers
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Use of 'are' or 'were' for this past tense sentence [duplicate]
The boys are Liam and Ethan.
My eight year old student is explaining her choice of 'are' rather than 'were' in this sentence from a past tense recount of her weekend, stating that the boys are still ...
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0
votes
0
answers
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are the tense of the verbs true in each sentence? [duplicate]
are the tense of the verbs true in each sentence?
1-I think Jimmy did his duty as other police officers do.(simple past+simple present is true?)
2-I think he did the right thing because he is a ...
- 1
22
votes
7
answers
5k
views
"He didn't know where New Jersey was"
I know the past tense carries the past tense in every dependent clause, but referring specifically to places or to things that are eternal, like the Earth, seems a bit weird and therefore we sometimes ...
- 1,063
10
votes
6
answers
50k
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Is it correct to say "What was your name?"?
Is it correct to say "What was your name?"? The reason I am asking this is, generally the name of the person will not change. One should say "What is your name?"
http://variationsonnormal.com/2010/...
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6
votes
2
answers
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Should I say 'What I wanted to say is' or 'What I wanted to say was'?
Following Martha's advice I am splitting up a question Compound sentences, the punctuation and mooore.
Let's put what I said / wrote something in the past. And now I want to elaborate some key points ...
- 357
5
votes
2
answers
2k
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Narrative tenses (for things that haven't happened yet)
I learn that when we are telling a story, we should use past tense. What if in our story there's an event that will happen after the story being told?
For example, in the following sentence:
When ...
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