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Kit Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

Present and Past tense/grammar books

Hi all,

I noticed some people use "As A said,..." while others use "As A say,..." on the forums. Both are acceptable, right? If so, why present tense is allowed here?

For example, these are the messages posted by A and B on a forum:

A: @bool is a legal identifier in C# but not in Java.
B: As A say (said??), @bool is not a legal identifer in Java.

Same for "As A mentions/mentioned".

Thanks.
Kit
  

Top answer

Yes, both are common permutations. 'As I said' is perhaps more realistic: it refers more distinctly to the speaker's previous mention of the point/fact/opinion. 'As I say' makes the previous mention more immediate, and indicates the speaker's current subscription to the same point/fact/opinion and liability of uttering it again at any time.

— Mister Micawber

  • Yes, both are common permutations.
  • 'As I said' is perhaps more realistic: it refers more distinctly to the speaker's previous mention of the point/fact/opinion.
  • 'As I say' makes the previous mention more immediate, and indicates the speaker's current subscription to the same point/fact/opinion and liability of uttering it again at any time.
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7 Answers
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Yes, both are common permutations. 'As I said' is perhaps more realistic: it refers more distinctly to the speaker's previous mention of the point/fact/opinion. 'As I say' makes the previous mention more immediate, and indicates the speaker's current subscription to the same point/fact/opinion and liability of uttering it again at any time.
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Hello Kit

When I said 'As you say,...' to you on your Present/Past thread, I was inadvertently exemplifying your question, and using the present tense to refer to a text that was still extant (your earlier post).

On the other hand, if I had specified the time or occasion, I would have used a past tense, e.g.

1. As you said earlier, Kit,...
2. As you mentioned ye
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Got it now. Thanks a lot to Mister Micawber and MrP.

By the way, are there any good grammar books that explain cases like this?

Thanks.
Kit
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Unfortunately, I don't know much about grammar books, or which ones to recommend.

Maybe someone else can recommend something!

MrP
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If you're an ESL/EFL student, Kit then both these are good references in that they deal with these little problem areas in very pointed fashion. These prices are from the amazon URL site given below.


Practical English Usage -- by Michael Swan; Paperback
Buy new: $17.95 -- Used & new from: $20.90
2. A Practical English Grammar -- by A.J. Thomson, Av. Martinet; Paperb
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I use Swan's book a good bit too, Kit. Recently, I have found myself reaching for Leech & Svartvik's A Communicative Grammar of English. The first half is conceptual grammar, the second half is an alphabetical guide, and it has an extensive index: these make it easy to locate items.
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Many thanks for the recommendations. Will check that out at the amazon/local bookstores.

Kit
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