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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Is this sentence correcr (difficult technical question)
: "Thales and the Stoics, and those after them, thought that the earth is spherical.
Shouldn't it be "was" instead of "is"?
https://www.google.ca/search?q=%22thought+that+the+earth+is+spherical%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a#q=%22thought+that+the+earth+is+spherical%22&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbo=u&tbm=bks&source=og&sa=N&tab=wp&ei=PDJzT-CLLcbd8AOPtNAk&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2c9730b81fe4946&biw=1355&bih=913
Shouldn't it be "was" instead of "is"?
https://www.google.ca/search?q=%22thought+that+the+earth+is+spherical%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a#q=%22thought+that+the+earth+is+spherical%22&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbo=u&tbm=bks&source=og&sa=N&tab=wp&ei=PDJzT-CLLcbd8AOPtNAk&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=2c9730b81fe4946&biw=1355&bih=913
Top answer
Hi, I would definitely say 'was', as this is no longer believed to be true. Clive
- Hi, I would definitely say 'was', as this is no longer believed to be true.
- Clive
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3 Answers
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Hi,
I would definitely say 'was', as this is no longer believed to be true.
Clive
I would definitely say 'was', as this is no longer believed to be true.
Clive
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Thank you for your response?
If it was a fact, could we write "is" instead of "was"?
If it was a fact, could we write "is" instead of "was"?
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Hi,
If it was a fact, could we write "is" instead of "was"?
I wouldn't in your sentence, because the verb 'thought' seems to stress that we are talking about an opinion, not a fact.
It would be OK to say
eg Thales and the Stoics, and those after them, knew
If it was a fact, could we write "is" instead of "was"?
I wouldn't in your sentence, because the verb 'thought' seems to stress that we are talking about an opinion, not a fact.
It would be OK to say
eg Thales and the Stoics, and those after them, knew
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