Tense agreement

Question

A: "Richard tells me you are a doctor"B: "yes, a pediatrician"I found out this dialogue from one of my English books.but depending on the context of the story, the fomer should say "Richard told me you were a doctor"Because, 'Richard' told 'A' that his father was a doctor in the past . I don't know why the present tense is used in that dialogue.please help me solve this problem.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

hiya

There are lots of things in the English language that do not make sense and are illogical - your question is a good example of this!!

You can say it both ways. I know it seems silly but that's English for you!

Katie

Philip · Answer

Richard told me you are (continung to be one) a doctor.

Richard told me that you were a doctor [to me, this indicates that the information might have been incorrect, and that you are not, in fact, a doctor].

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Here's another comment.

It might help if you think of it this way.

A: "Richard tells me you are a doctor" Say this eg if Richard told you 5 minutes ago.

A: "Richard told me you were a doctor" Say this eg if Richard told you 50 years ago.

Best wishes, Clive

Kooyeen · Answer

To me, the present tense in "Richard tells me" implies that it's something more general than a simple occurrence in the past. It might mean that Richard goes around saying so, or that he keeps saying so, or that he told you more than once, or it just stresses the fact he seemed so sure of what he said, or that you are sure what Richard said is true for some reason... etc. Just my thought. <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

CalifJim · Answer

Anonymous"Richard tells me you are a doctor"

Use the present tense when you use an expression like this to start a conversation ("break the ice") with someone you don't know very well. It's more polite and more idiomatic. What you are really communicating is that you have (now, at present) a little bit of knowledge about the other person, and you would like to know more. It shows interest in the other person by shifting the emphasis to "you", leaving Richard in the background. (In the past the emphasis would be on Richard and on something Richard did: told me something.)

At a party, for example, you can start a conversation with someone you don't know very well like this, using just a little of what you already know from others' remarks:

I hear that you like to do sky diving.
David says that you like classical music.
I understand that you play basketball every weekend.

CJ

CalifJim · Answer

Kooyeen It might mean that Richard goes around saying so, or that he keeps saying so, or that he told you more than once,

I considered that myself, but ultimately I rejected it as the explanation -- at least for now; I can always be persuaded to reconsider.

I'm more inclined to hear this as a true substitution of present for past for the sake of politeness in a specific social situation -- not as a statement of a habitual action. See my previous post.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

Yes, everything is correct. The catch is that the verbs 'tell' and 'say' (as many others) in English can be used not only as expressing a single completed, but also as verbs expressing a state, for which time aspest is of no or little improtance. The phrase you met in the book literally means that the infomation IMANATES from Richard - a continious state which was as true yeasterday as it is today and as it will be tomorrow - that you are a doctor.

Anonymous · Answer

It's a narrative present.

Tense agreement

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