tenses

Question

I have a real problem with the sequence of tenses.
read the following sentence
When he came to know that I wanted to become a doctor he started helping me.
When we went to Australia because NZ was close by we went there also.
both the senetences are correct if the sequence is followed.
But, in the first sentence I am not yet a doctor and i still want to be one so why wanted?
Second sentence NZ is still close to Australia so why was close and not is close??

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Anonymousin the first sentence I am not yet a doctor and I still want to be one so why wanted? ...
NZ is still close to Australia so why was close and not is close?

There are two reasons.

1. Grammatically, it's better to match tenses. came and wanted are both past tense. went and was are both past tense.
This is the only reason you really need.

2. Semantically, you are speaking of the past. You don't have to say everything you know in one sentence. It's better to focus on the event that happened and not introduce irrelevant information.

You know that you still want to become a doctor, but you don't have to say so. You wanted to become a doctor at the time he came to know it, and that's all you have to say. The sentence is about his reaction to what he came to know. The fact that you still want to become a doctor -- possibly years after this incident took place -- is completely irrelevant to what happened then. The sentence is not about what you want to become now.

You know that NZ is still close to Australia, but you don't have to say so. It was close at the time we went to Australia, and that's all you have to say. The sentence is about our trip to Australia. The fact that NZ is still close to Australia is completely irrelevant to the trip we took -- possibly years ago. The sentence is not about the geography of the southern hemisphere.

CJ

Ample · Answer

So does that mean irrelevent of the fact whether the sentence is still valid or not u have to follow the sequence??

Ample · Answer

andalso in accordance to your reply the following sentence is incorrect
The problem I had, is common but its magnitude is not.
was has to be used in place of both is even though the facts about the problem remain the same though i do nat have it anymore??

CalifJim · Answer

ampleSo does that mean irrelevant of the fact whether the sentence is still valid or not, you have to follow the sequence??

No, it doesn't mean that. It is much more common to follow the sequence, however, than not to.

CJ

CalifJim · Answer

ampleThe problem I had is common, but its magnitude is not.

This is fine. It says that the type of problem you're talking about is generally common, and its magnitude is not generally common. Additional information in the sentence says that at some time in the past you had the problem. You're not saying that, generally, you have the problem.

Sometimes one part of a sentence is about past events and another part is about general truths. Use the appropriate tense in each part. Very often, though, the whole sentence is about events or actions that all happened at about the same time. For those more common cases use tenses that all have the same temporal viewpoint.

CJ

Ample · Answer

I get your point. Please help me with the following problems regarding tenses as well:
1.Hey I am coming to NZ next month and was wondering if your apartment was empty I could stay there.
2.Are you at home? yes, why? I am planning to come over and see you.
3.are you at home? No, why? I was planning to come over and see you.
First why get instead of got.
In the first sentence I am going to NZ sometime in the near future that is already decided. And I am planning to stay at my friends apt if its empty, which relates to an incident in the future so why was wondering and was empty?
Second sentence why am planning (that is if it is correct) and was in the third when both relate to similar situations??
Tenses on the whole seem to be a real problem with me.I would be obliged if you other than sorting my queries also tell me in simple ( not grammatical terms) how to deal with them.I mostly get confused between simple present and simple future, and simple present and past tense.
Thank ypu for your previous help.

CalifJim · Answer

ampleI get your point. ... First why get instead of got.

Why do you make such a large separation between the example and the question. It took me forever to figure out what you were talking about!

Both get and got are OK. get - understand (now). got - came to understand (then).

ampleand was wondering if

The "past of politeness". 'was wondering if' is a typical example of this non-systemic use of the past.

ample if your apartment was empty

'was' is there to match the other past tense ('was wondering').

ampleSecond sentence why am planning (that is if it is correct) and was in the third when both relate to similar situations??

2 & 3.
-- Are you at home?*
-- Yes/No, why? (It doesn't matter if it's 'Yes' or 'No'.)

At this point you can say, "I'm planning to come over". That's forward and a little aggressive, especially if the answer was "No". It makes it seems almost as if you're telling the other person to go home so you can come over.

Or you can say, "I was planning to come over". That's polite and more deferential to the wishes of the other person.
Again you could explain this as the "past of politeness".

ampletell me in simple ( not grammatical terms) how to deal with them.I mostly get confused between simple present and simple future, and simple present and past tense.

Whole books are written on these topics. There are so many different uses of these tenses that there are no simple answers. The forum format is not the right place to write book-length answers. I suggest you find some textbooks and/or research this on-line.

CJ

*This has to be a cell phone call; it makes no sense to say 'no' when you've been called on your home phone.

Ample · Answer

Thank you for your reply.
There are a few more sentences I would want you to go through.
1. She was a teacher.
2. Ashi was a teacher in the school I worked.
3. The reason why he bought the book from the US is because it is banned here.
4. The reason why I dint come is because i had fever.
5. My bone is fractured. Yes your x ray showed that.
In the 1st sentence the person in question is no longer a teacher but very much alive so is using was correct? I mean doesnt it give the impression that the person in question is no more and was a teacher when she was alive?
In the second 2nd sentence I no longer work in the school but Ashi is still a teacher over there. So is using Was a techear correct?
3rd sentence are the two is correct? If so please explain why?
4th sentence why is because did is in past tense and why had I still have fever.
5th sentence why showed and not shows.
I hope I am not irritating you. Please be kind enough to help me out will be obliged.
Thank you

CalifJim · Answer

ample1. She was a teacher. ... In the 1st sentence the person in question is no longer a teacher but very much alive so is using was correct? I mean doesn't it give the impression that the person in question is no more and was a teacher when she was alive?

This says that at some time in the past she did teaching. It doesn't say anything about whether she is now alive or dead. So using 'was' is correct, and it doesn't give any impression that she is not alive.

ample2. Ashi was a teacher in the school where I worked. ... In the second 2nd sentence I no longer work in the school but Ashi is still a teacher over there. So is using Was a techear correct?

'was' is fine.

ample3. The reason why he bought the book from the US is ~~because~~ that it is banned here. ... 3rd sentence are ~~the two is~~ both verbs correct? If so please explain why?

Correct as shown. Write "The reason ... is that", not "The reason ... is because".
Both verbs are correct.

ample4. The reason why I ~~dint~~ didn't come is ~~because~~ that I had a fever. ... 4th sentence why is because did?? is in past tense and why had I still have fever.

A reason is an abstraction of logic. It has no time, so the present tense is used. You did not come (past) because of the fever you had (past) in the past. You failure to come was not because of a fever you have now. How could that be?

ample5. My bone is fractured. Yes your x ray showed that. ... 5th sentence why showed and not shows.

Both shows and showed are correct.

If the speaker says Your X-ray shows ..., he makes it a timeless fact. You can look at that X-ray any time you want.
If the speaker says Your X-ray showed ..., he makes it the story of what he saw on the X-ray the first time he looked at it.

CJ

Ample · Answer

Thank you so much!!!
really appreciate the trouble yoy took.
And by the way are reasons always in the present tense???

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