In Present tenses^x, Direct speech^x, Simple present^x

Hi,You wrote: I learn from a grammar book that a small set of verbs of communication such as "tell", "say" and "hear" can be used in simple present tense even though the act of telling, saying or hearing happened in the past. for example, "Bill tells me you are...

Hi there: I learn from a grammar book that a small set of verbs of communication such as "tell", "say" and "hear" can be used in simple present tense even though the act of telling, saying or hearing happened in the past. for example, "Bill tells me you are...

Let us recast the sentence in direct speech, that is, you are speaking to Mark, "When you arrive (simple present tense is most suitable here - I wonder you can use any other tense), we shall/will go out for dinner."When you turn that into an indirect speech, the sentence will become,...

Hi, Im not a guru here, but I still would like to join you in this.While I was waiting in line, the woman ahead of me asked if I'd heard about the president's being shot. (past progessive. Action in progress at specific past time & second action interrupted it.) I told her she must/ might be...

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...

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...