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Ivanhr Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
Sequence of tenses?
Hi,
Prime Minister Blair admitted that "such a policy is not without its drawbacks".
Is this sentence ok or you think it should be was instead of is?
Prime Minister Blair admitted that "such a policy is not without its drawbacks".
Is this sentence ok or you think it should be was instead of is?
Top answer
It's OK: it's a quote so we don't change the words he used. )
- It's OK: it's a quote so we don't change the words he used.
- )
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4 Answers
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It's OK: it's a quote so we don't change the words he used.
(In fact, "is" would be OK even without the quotes if the policy and its drawbacks were still of current relevance.)
(In fact, "is" would be OK even without the quotes if the policy and its drawbacks were still of current relevance.)
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But I suppose I can't say 'I said I love you' even if the loving is still true/relevant. So, my question is, when do we have to adhere to the sequence of tenses rule?
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IvanhrBut I suppose I can't say 'I said I love you' even if the loving is still true/relevant. So my question is, when do we have to adhere to the sequence of tenses rule?"I said I love you" sounds possible to me if the statement was recent and the love is still felt. I don't think there's any exact rule for this; the viability of these tense changes seems to
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Thank you.
Yes, I agree with you, even though I'm sure, that there are many who consider this usage incorrect. This is a somewhat controversial topic.
Yes, I agree with you, even though I'm sure, that there are many who consider this usage incorrect. This is a somewhat controversial topic.
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