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Anonymous Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

sentence choice

Which of these sentence is correct, specifically does it matter if I continue in the present form when I start with the past ‘wanted'?

I wanted to ask if you have the email we need to use.

I wanted to ask if you had the email we needed to use.

Thanks.
  

Top answer

Both are correct. The choice here depends on the context. Anonymous I wanted to ask if you have the email we need to use.

— Xerxes

  • Both are correct.
  • The choice here depends on the context.
  • Anonymous I wanted to ask if you have the email we need to use.
  • This version is best if you still need to use the e-mail in the present.
  • Anonymous I wanted to ask if you had the email we needed to use.
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4 Answers
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Both are correct. The choice here depends on the context.
AnonymousI wanted to ask if you have the email we need to use.
This version is best if you still need to use the e-mail in the present.
AnonymousI wanted to ask if you had the email we needed to use.
This confines all of the action strictly to the past. Use this sentenc
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XerxesBoth are correct. The choice here depends on the context.AnonymousI wanted to ask if you have the email we need to use.This version is best if you still need to use the e-mail in the present.AnonymousI wanted to ask if you had the email we needed to use.This confines all of the action strictly to the past. Use this sentence if you no longer need to use the e-mail in
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AnonymousThanks a lot for your help. But I thought that the second is a matter of back shifting, which could also be about the present. Isn't that considered back shifting but referring to the present?
Yes, but that wasn't your original question. You asked if one of the sentences was correct, which implies that one of them might be incorrect, and I pointed out
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Xerxes AnonymousThanks a lot for your help. But I thought that the second is a matter of back shifting, which could also be about the present. Isn't that considered back shifting but referring to the present?Yes, but that wasn't your original question. You asked if one of the sentences was correct, which implies that one of them might be incorrect, and I pointed out that
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