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4444mv Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

tenses in subordinate clause

I've learned that a subordinate clause should follow the tense of a main clause, so my question is, in the sentence:
 No one could change his writings because he insisted his writings [ should remain / should have remained ] exactly as he wrote them.  Is should have remained correct?
  

Top answer

4444mv Is should have remained correct? No. "insist" takes a mandative construction, whether the governing verb ( insist ) is in the present or the past, either as the plain-form mandative or the "should"-form mandative.

— CalifJim

  • 4444mv Is should have remained correct?
  • No.
  • "insist" takes a mandative construction, whether the governing verb ( insist ) is in the present or the past, either as the plain-form mandative or the "should"-form mandative.
  • He insists that they remain ...
  • / He insisted that they remain ...
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2 Answers
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4444mvIs should have remained correct?
No. "insist" takes a mandative construction, whether the governing verb (insist) is in the present or the past, either as the plain-form mandative or the "should"-form mandative.

He insists that they remain ... / He insisted that they remain ...
He insists that they should remain ... / He in
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