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Sunday, April 1, 2018 |
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Thursday, April 2, 2020 3:14:52 PM |
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This televised address by Anglea Merkel should be a model for the leaders some of the rest of us are stuck with:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLxrxyk_wYo
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It is.
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be more inclined to believe that if there were any evidence that God did help those who helpe them selves.
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If God had just a dash of common sense, he(she/it) would prevent floods rather than providing rowboats, motorboats or helicopters.
In fact, he(/she/it) would ensure that nobody was in in a position where they needed to pray for help.
Just a thought.
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nightdream wrote:Would it be exactly wrong if one uses the first?
Now it became clear to me is so unlikely that I think it would be reasonable to consider it incorrect. 'Now' refers to the present time; the past tense (generally) refers to past time.
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Hope all turns out well for your son, Romany. Let us know when he gets out of this horrible situation.
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nightdream wrote:
Which of the two options is correct in Past Perfect - "did not have gone away" or "had not gone away"?
Only the second.
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nightdream wrote:I was taught in the University that:
He said (Past Simple) that he lived in England (Past Simple) - means that he still lives in England in the present time.
He said (Past Simple that he had lived in England (Past Perfect) - means that he lived there in the past.
What you were told is not the complete picture.
He said that he lived in England could mean that:
- he still lives in England at 11.30 Central European Time on 14 March 2020,as I write this post,
- He lived in England at the time the sentence in italics was uttered,
- He lived in England at some time before 14 March 2020,
- He lived in England at some time before the words in italics were uttered.
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nightdream wrote:Have you meant that it is not obligatory to keep to the grammar rules in a colloquial speech?
No.
If we do not backshift when the second statement is still true at the moment of reporting, we are not breaking any rules. We are producing correct and natural sentences.
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Backshifting in indirect/reported speech is always correct, However, despite what some writers and teachers claim, it is not always obligatory. As Drag0 said, 'The thing to look at is - "is the second statement still true in the present?"'
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