Present tense for factual statement
Hi, I would like to seek advice on the tense used in following sentences:
1. Her last working day was 31 December 2020
2. Her birth date is 21 March 1980
for (1), why can’t we use present tense since it is a factual statement? As in the last working day in company A will never change.
Top answer
fatmon why can’t we use present tense since it is a factual statement? Most sentences are factual (unless they are lies), no matter what tense they are in, so I don't really understand your point. Who told you that only the present tense should be used to report facts?
- fatmon why can’t we use present tense since it is a factual statement?
- Most sentences are factual (unless they are lies), no matter what tense they are in, so I don't really understand your point.
- Who told you that only the present tense should be used to report facts?
- That was a silly thing to say.
- Both sentences are correct as written.
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fatmonwhy can’t we use present tense since it is a factual statement?
Most sentences are factual (unless they are lies), no matter what tense they are in, so I don't really understand your point. Who told you that only the present tense should be used to report facts? That was a silly thing to say.
Both sentences are correct as written.
CJ
01) Her last day of work was 31 Dec 2020. (Past time reference)
2) Her last day of work is 1 Aug 2021. (Future time reference)
Sentence 2) is an example of the "present futurate". (There may be a more common term for this use of the present tense, but I don't know it, and my Googling skills are failing me at the moment.)
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