0
Whatchadoin Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Past/present
Let's say that the following things someone just did.
A: Sure.
B: Was that sarcasm?/Is that sarcasm?
Did you really mean it? / Do you really mean it?
________
A: (Someone just said something.)
B: That sounded creepy./ That sounds creepy.
Which ones are better? How do I choose between the present and the past in cases like the ones above when confused? Thanks.
A: Sure.
B: Was that sarcasm?/Is that sarcasm?
Did you really mean it? / Do you really mean it?
________
A: (Someone just said something.)
B: That sounded creepy./ That sounds creepy.
Which ones are better? How do I choose between the present and the past in cases like the ones above when confused? Thanks.
Top answer
/Is that sarcasm? I'm not prepared to justify it grammatically, but I prefer the present tense. " whatchadoin Did you really mean it?
- /Is that sarcasm?
- I'm not prepared to justify it grammatically, but I prefer the present tense.
- " whatchadoin Did you really mean it?
- / Do you really mean it?
- Did you really feel that way when you said it just now?
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
1 Answers
0
whatchadoinB: Was that sarcasm?/Is that sarcasm?I'm not prepared to justify it grammatically, but I prefer the present tense.
There may be a difference in sense:
If you ask, "Was that sarcasm?" you probably mean, "Did you intend that as sarcasm?"
If you ask, "Is that sarcasm?" you could be asking "Would you consider that to be an example of s
0
Related Questions