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PreciousJones Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

I just thought

I just thought if you have time maybe we can hang out. Or

I just thought if you had time maybe we could hang out.

Are both useable and mean the same?

Thanks!
  

Top answer

Yes, they are both common casual expressions. The second is more tentative, but I doubt that the speaker would consciously realize that.

— Mister Micawber

  • Yes, they are both common casual expressions.
  • The second is more tentative, but I doubt that the speaker would consciously realize that.
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7 Answers
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Yes, they are both common casual expressions. The second is more tentative, but I doubt that the speaker would consciously realize that.
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Mister MicawberYes, they are both common casual expressions. The second is more tentative, but I doubt that the speaker would consciously realize that.
Shouldn't I thought always follow with past tense though?
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Mister MicawberNo.
So, can I say:

I thought you are going into town.
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You could, yes. We are speaking of conversation here.
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I don't understand what you mean by "speaking of conversation"...

This sentence:

I thought you are going into town is clearly ungrammatical, isn't it?
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No, it is not; it is often used in conversation: 'I thought you're going into town'. Yes, of course if you are writing carefully, the dependent verb usually regresses with the matrix verb just as with reported speech, but if the condition still obtains, there is nothing grammatically wrong with preserving the present tense: I thought the sun rises in the west.
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