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Damironi71 Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
Past Tense Verb
Can someone please tell me which one of these two sentences below is grammatically correct?
"I did not know that The Kingdom of Belgium has three offical languages" or should it be "I did not know that The Kingdom of Belgium had three offical languages?
Thank you in advance.
"I did not know that The Kingdom of Belgium has three offical languages" or should it be "I did not know that The Kingdom of Belgium had three offical languages?
Thank you in advance.
Top answer
Both are correct. I prefer the second as a form of "reported speech" where the verb is back-shifted.
- Both are correct.
- I prefer the second as a form of "reported speech" where the verb is back-shifted.
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2 Answers
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Both are correct.
I prefer the second as a form of "reported speech" where the verb is back-shifted.
I prefer the second as a form of "reported speech" where the verb is back-shifted.
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damironi71I did not know that The Kingdom of Belgium has three official languages.Note: You cannot use this one if The Kingdom of Belgium no longer exists.
Otherwise, both are fine, and from what I have observed, the second one is the more usual phrasing.
CJ
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