Past simple tense with unchanged present state
Hi there,
Is it acceptable to write 'The first thing I noticed as I entered was how authentic the reception area is.'?
It sounds wrong, but my point is that the reception area is still authentic in the present, but I am recounting my past observation.
I'm annoyed at myself for not being sure!
Top answer
'? Yes, backshifting isn't mandatory. See this thread for a discussion of the topic (the posts in that thread are out of order, so it's a little hard to follow the conversation.
- '?
- Yes, backshifting isn't mandatory.
- See this thread for a discussion of the topic (the posts in that thread are out of order, so it's a little hard to follow the conversation.
- There are placeholders in the thread that show where the promoted posts should go).
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travelcontinuumIs it acceptable to write 'The first thing I noticed as I entered was how authentic the reception area is.'?
Yes, backshifting isn't mandatory. See this thread for a discussion of the topic (the posts in that thread are out of order, so it's a little hard to fo
0Think of it this way.
That's OK if the entering and noticing happened 10 minutes ago, but not OK if it happened 10 years ago.
0
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