Present or Past tense

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Kit

#76740 Sat, 26 Feb 05 09:08 AM

Hi all,

Could you please correct my tenses?

A: 1 + 1 = 11
B: You *are* ("were" possible here?) wrong.

A: She told me you had asked her out.
B: She *was* ("is" possible here?) wrong.

A: She thinks you're too quiet.
B: She "is" ("was" possible here?) wrong.

Thanks.

Kit

Kit

Joined on Thu, Feb 17 2005

New Member (24)

Tenses

Vince

#76751 Sat, 26 Feb 05 10:11 AM

Should you combine these A+B sentences, the best way is to use the same tense. When you use the present tense in sentence A, use it as wel in B.

So then the best way, I think, to put it is like this:
She told me you had asked her out, but she was wrong.
She thinks you're too quiet, but she's wrong.

I'm not really sure about the first sentence, but I think you can say you are wrong as well as you were wrong.

Vince

Joined on Wed, Feb 23 2005

The Netherlands

Full Member (139)

Heaven is not far from us

Kit

#76782 Sat, 26 Feb 05 12:50 PM

Hi Vince,

Sorry, I didn't mention in my previous post that A and B represent two entities having a conversation face-to-face or on a forum.

Thanks.

Kit

Kit

Conversations

Vince

#76784 Sat, 26 Feb 05 01:02 PM

Then I'd still use the same rule: same tense in both sentences.
If sentence A uses the present tense, then let B be in the present tense too.

Vince

Present tenses, Tenses

Kit

#76837 Sat, 26 Feb 05 04:01 PM

Thank you for your comments, Vince. I share the same thought as you. Smile [:)]

I came across someone using past tense like the example as follows and I wonder if it's grammatical.

A: 1 + 1 = 11
B: You *were* wrong.

If anyone thinks otherwise, please feel free to comment.

Very often, contract form is used in conversational English, like it's, we're, you're, etc. And it makes it difficult for English learner like me to understand if the statement is referring to past or present tense.

Thanks.

Kit

Kit

Conversational English, Past tenses, Present tenses, Tenses

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