eagerness  +  580259 Sun, 26 Oct 08 12:26 AM Are the below sentences grammaticaly correct? If people only knew how humble we are. I did not know what your name is. I came accross these two sentences while I was reading a book. I am asking this question because in all the books on English grammar I have read so far, both of these sentences are incorrect. Shouldn't am and is have been in the past tense(WERE AND WAS)? I appreciate your taking the time to respond to my question. eagerness Joined on Tue, Jul 1 2008 New Member 39 Grammar, Tenses, Past Tenses, English Grammar

	AlpheccaStars  +  580260 Sun, 26 Oct 08 12:34 AM The first sentence is in the subjunctive mood (present tense). In the second, if you write " what your name was", it implies that you don't have the same name now as you did then. You have changed your name.    AlpheccaStars Joined on Sun, Oct 12 2008 Senior Member 3,508 The pen is mightier than the sword. Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873) Tenses, Present Tenses, Subjunctives

	Grammar Geek  +  580261 Sun, 26 Oct 08 12:37 AM Actually, I have a different interpretation. I didn't know what your name is (and I still don't know). I didn't know what your name was (although I've since learned it). But either way, the sentence is correct. Grammar Geek Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006 Veteran Member 19,671 Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random!

	AlpheccaStars  +  580280 Sun, 26 Oct 08 01:26 AM  RIght on, GG! Interpretation out of context is dicey at best! AlpheccaStars

	Avangi  +  580288 Sun, 26 Oct 08 02:15 AM There have been a lot of threads on this subject.  The consensus has been that if we may reasonably assume the condition persists, we may choose either tense, absent context to the contrary.  (Of course, such context would make the assumption unreasonable.) Avangi Joined on Mon, Nov 19 2007 Veteran Member 8,182 ". . . le plaisir delicieux et toujours nouveau d'une occupation inutile." - Henri de Regnier Tenses