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Nerdikarp Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
Strange english
It didn't work before, but now it works.
how can there be present tense and past tense in the same sentence? is the above sentence correct?
how can there be present tense and past tense in the same sentence? is the above sentence correct?
Top answer
Sentences can have two time references. The sentence is correct, but I would use a different form for the past reference: It didn't use to work but now it does.
- Sentences can have two time references.
- The sentence is correct, but I would use a different form for the past reference: It didn't use to work but now it does.
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4 Answers
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Sentences can have two time references. The sentence is correct, but I would use a different form for the past reference: It didn't use to work but now it does.
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You actually have this sentence:
It did not used to work before now, but now it does work.
So you shorten it through contractions and the removal of extra helper verbs [did] and understood verbs [work].
It didn't used to work before, but now it does.
That's pretty common vernacular AmE.
A bit more formal would be
It didn't work
It did not used to work before now, but now it does work.
So you shorten it through contractions and the removal of extra helper verbs [did] and understood verbs [work].
It didn't used to work before, but now it does.
That's pretty common vernacular AmE.
A bit more formal would be
It didn't work
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nerdikarpHow can there be present tense and past tense in the same sentence?It's completely normal. You have two independent clauses, and you can have any tense you want in either one.
CJ
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