In Case

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jack112

#130192 Wed, 24 Aug 05 08:02 AM

Are both of these okay?

1. I kept this in case I ever need it. ('need' for future?)

2. I kept this in case I ever needed it. ('needed' at the time I thought about it?)

Thanks.

jack112

Joined on Thu, Jul 22 2004

Regular Member (715)

Mister Micawber

#130291 Wed, 24 Aug 05 02:54 PM

Precisely, Jack!

Mister Micawber

Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004

Yokohama

Veteran Member (22,637)

'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'

Klavier

#132557 Wed, 31 Aug 05 05:03 PM

Shouldn't we use the present simple for the first one, as we are talking about a permanent situation:

I keep this in case I ever need it.

Klavier

Joined on Thu, Sep 23 2004

Chile

Full Member (362)

"If I have seen further, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants" Isaac Newton

Present Simple

Mister Micawber

#132690 Thu, 01 Sep 05 01:01 AM

We don't know whether it is permanent, Latin. #2 might be said as the speaker was discarding the item. But I take your point-- if keep were in the present tense in these sentences, then #2 would be odd or impossible.

Mister Micawber