By Past tenses, Conversations

Maybe the purpose of my second example isn't clear. I was just trying to emphasize the fact that the conversation took place in the past. So when referring to the past exchanges, we should use the past tense. Similarly, the act of the nurse telling the patient was in the past so when one...

CJ, I'm not quite sure I get your explanation. MH has a very good point but I remember you said a long time ago (probably a year) that in cases like this, nativespeakers tend to use the past tense throughout. I've been trying to apply that butI have to say, MH's view makes more...

Hi Ant222, My English skill is not in the “grammarian” class but I will give it my best attempt to explain it. It may not may not be agreeable with the experts. In many instances during casual conversations, we can bet by with simple past tense and no one will flag you for errors. However, to...

In fact, it's probably a mixture of both - they are still trying to solve the problem so some elements are past and some are present.Maybe he still thinks, and they still resent, but his communication with them is past. GG, thanks for the reply. I like this comment of yours because...

This is a tricky one and I personally think there's no right or wrong, at least in most cases. It depends on the time frame the speaker has in mind most of the time. However, I have some preferences. In everyday conversation, if I use the past tense said, I wouldn't quote the speech,...

Hello FH, 1. While waiting in line, the man told me that the nacho stand around the corner is great. 2. While waiting in line, the man told me that the nacho stand around the corner was great. Both forms are common. The present tense "is" in #1 suggests that the nacho stand continues to be...

Those words are left out only in very casual conversation between friends. I don't recommend it. In the case of the first, the past tense is missing if you leave out did, so if you say You know how ...? it will be interpreted as Do you know how ...?, not as Did you know how ...? CJ

.The use of the past tense adds "distance" and that makes expressions such as "I was hoping" sound a bit more tentative and polite.I would not say that it is necessarily only "formal" since I think this sort of usage of past tense forms occurs even in very informal conversation.

Jackson6612 wrote: 1: The TOEFL is produced and administered by Educational Testing Service, a professional test development organization in Princeton, New Jersey, USA. Couldn't the above be written as: The TOEFL is produced and administered by Educational Testing Service, a professional test...

Hi there, Please take a look at this conversation quoted from Seinfeld (A Comdy TV Series): Cosmo Kramer: The bus is outta control. So I grab him by the collar, I take him out of the seat, I get behind the wheel, and now I'm driving the bus. Jerry: Wow. George Costanza: You're Batman. Cosmo...