In Present tenses^x, Direct speech^x

So, as long as there is something discovered in the past and refered to a permanent truth, it still can be used with simple present tense. This reminds me of another sentence I found in my textbook regarding "indirect speech". Please see the following sentence. He said he will come on the...

One thing that I could add to the discussion is that when writing the reported speech, the general rule is that you move one step in the past in the reported speech. go changes to went and went to had gone: go ---- went went ---- had gone examples: Direct Speech: "He goes to school...

While doing some reported/indirect speech stuff (again!) lots of questions has come to my mind. Here are some of them. 1/ 'I never eat meat', (Bill said/explained) -> turns into -> Bill said/explained (that) he never ate meat. - This is the normal way in which most of us would...

In one of my questions of converting direct to indirect speech According to St. Patrick all the snakes were driven out of Ireland, and they swam to England. The answer was suggested as St Patrick said, "All the snakes were driven out of Ireland, and they swam to England." I have learnt that...

"is" is the 3rd person singular present tense of "to be" "was" is 3rd person simple past of "to be" Reading your sentences, I would put this interpretation on them: I thought he is late. I think this need some speech marks (") Perhaps you are telling someone about something that happened in...

CGEL: Conversion to indirect reported speech not a matter of grammatical rule There is a second respect in which we must beware of being misled by the traditonal account associating backshift with indirect reported speech. Converting into indirect reprted speech, however, is not a matter of...

No. 1 is best- as for the others A is good, but if you were to say this to someone you would normally use the present tense for remember, as it would be a more personal way to impart that single thought. If you were illuding to a broader context, as trying to recount your own past actions, the...

It would be easier if you thought about what you have written before you post it, and be sure that you have expressed yourself as clearly as possible. This is not a chat room. the subordinating clause is (was?) accordingly simple past present or past continuous present -- what is this supposed...

Munchun The past tense of "wish" is the only one that I know for the politeness past tense other than that "wonder". Some times English speakers use it in a sense of the present tense. An example is "Did you wish me to dance with you? If you like it, I'll do" The question you newly raised is...

I don't really understand the question either... Konstantin, you're referring to the Conditional with your German example. Indirect speech in German works differently as the Conjunctive has to be used in formal German, which however, can be replaced by the Conditional (would+infinitive). In...