before leaving / he is leaving

0a) fine02br
02br
00b) incorrect02br
02br
00You can't say "now" with past tense. "Susan switched off the fan before leaving the room a minute ago." (not "was leaving") Only if she switched the fan off while leaving the room (simultaneous action) could you say "was leaving." "Susan switched off the fan as she was leaving the room." 0-

0Only a02br
00b is wrong, you should use continuous forms normally for simultaneity02br
01i00Susan switched off the fan 01b00while mopping/towelling/removing02b00 the sweat off her face. 02i02br
02br
00not precedence. 02br
00Thus:02br
01i00Susan switched off the fan before she 01b

0>You can't say "now" with past tense.02br
00This isn't true. "Now" is relative, it can show the instantanous moment in the past when an action is considered.02br
00------------ 02br
05002br
01table01tr01td

02br 00He lifted his friend's arm and showed her the little

1blockquote

01cite10Marius Hancu12cite12br
10>You can't say "now" with past tense.12br
12br
10This isn't true. "Now" is relative, it can show the instantanous moment in the past when an action is considered.12br
12br
10-- 12br
12br
15112br
12br
11table

0BTW, Vincent, 02br
00Re your posting all your questions to 01b00two02b00 sites. I, at least, find this abusive and using the energy of the posters, esp after receiving valid answers at one of the sites. You're not the only one needing help on the Web. 02br
02br
00Post only at one site, the one you trust most, and only in extreme circumst

0 01blockquote

01cite10Marius Hancu12cite10BTW, Vincent, 12br
10Re your posting all your questions to 11b10two12b10 sites. I, at least, find this abusive and using the energy of the posters, esp after receiving valid answers at one of the sites. You're not the only one needing help on the Web. 12br
12br

0I don't mind seeing that on an occasional basis, but Vincent has made a system out of it, for many of his tens of postings every day. 0-

0Ah. It just seemed rather harsh...0-

0 Hi,02br
00in that example there's "just now" and that idiom means "a short time ago", so it's ok to use the past tense. 01i01b00I saw your sister just now.02b02i02br
02br
00That's how I use it, at least. 05002br
00PS: I'm not saying (b) is ok. I think it's odd. 010id1

0Thanks your advice. I'm not post all the post there. I just want to get different opinions from the 02br
02br
00grammer expert. They all come from different country by using the English differently. It's quite 02br
02br
00good to learn different points of view. Thanks!! 0-