tense usage in relative clause

Question

hi.In the following sentence:1) My son has informed me that he hurt his back.I notice that there are two different tense at play here: present perfect (has informed) and past (hurt).Is it okay to shift tense in a relative clause?Also, since he hurt his back and his back continues to hurt, should it be revised to say:2) My son has informed me that he has hurt his back.-OR- 3) My son informed me that he has hurt his back.Are 1, 2, and 3 all correct?  In 2 and 3, which is better if they mean different?Thank you. P.S. Please notice the underlined differences of where "has" occurs in each sentence.

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

In the following sentence:

1) My son has informed me that he hurt his back.

I notice that there are two different tense at play here: present perfect (has informed) and past (hurt).

Is it okay to shift tense in a relative clause? Yes, it's not unusual. eg I met a man yesterday who will phone me tomorrow.

Also, since he hurt his back and his back continues to hurt, should it be revised to say:

2) My son has informed me that he has hurt his back. Yes, this is good. In #1, there is not the clear idea that his back continues to hurt. 'Has informed me' stresses that the act of informing has importance at the time of speaking

-OR-

3) My son informed me that he has hurt his back. This is OK, too. But the simple past does not stress that the act of informoing has impoertance 'now', ie at the time of speaking..

Are 1, 2, and 3 all correct? Yes.

In 2 and 3, which is better if they mean different? It depends on the meaning that you wish to convey.

eg Does your son's back still hurt, or did it hurt yesterday but it is OK today?

eg Do these events all have present importance? eg Do you want to sue your son's employer because this injury happened at work?

eg Do you want simply to tell me all the things that happened to you yesterday, that people told you yesterday.

Best wishes, Clive

N5pn4cya · Answer

Thanks man.  You're always first to my aid!!  =)

CalifJim · Answer

The third one requires some caution.

If it is said quite soon after the informing event took place, it's fine as it is. The past tense in the main clause can be thought of as a substitute for a present perfect.

But the relative correctness in such a context should not be taken as a sanction for the free use of this sequence of tenses in general, because if the informing happened many years ago, and this sentence is part of the retelling of such a long past event, it is not good at all.

*My son informed me (then, years ago) that he has hurt his back.

In circumstances such as these, the sentence should read thus:

My son informed me (then, years ago) that he had hurt his back.

CJ

N5pn4cya · Answer

Thank you, CJ, for your addtional advisory.

tense usage in relative clause

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