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Seagull Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
The present tense vs. the past tense
Please allow me to ask a couple of similar questions to the one I posted yesterday.
Q1 In cases as follows, should we always use the present tense in the subordinate clause rather that the past tense? --
While I was traveling in India, I met a woman who comes from Germany.
While I was traveling in India, I met a woman who came from Germany.
While I was traveling in India, I met a woman who is from Germany.
While I was traveling in India, I met a woman who was from Germany.
While I was traveling in India, I met a woman whose nationality is Germany.
While I was traveling in India, I met a woman whose nationality was Germany.
Q2 In cases like these, is there a tendency that even native speakers use the past tense instead of the present tense, even though it is grammatically incorrect?
Q1 In cases as follows, should we always use the present tense in the subordinate clause rather that the past tense? --
While I was traveling in India, I met a woman who comes from Germany.
While I was traveling in India, I met a woman who came from Germany.
While I was traveling in India, I met a woman who is from Germany.
While I was traveling in India, I met a woman who was from Germany.
While I was traveling in India, I met a woman whose nationality is Germany.
While I was traveling in India, I met a woman whose nationality was Germany.
Q2 In cases like these, is there a tendency that even native speakers use the past tense instead of the present tense, even though it is grammatically incorrect?
Top answer
I would not use any of these sentences. " While I was traveling in India, I met a woman who is from Germany. ) While I was traveling in India, I met a woman who was from Germany.
- I would not use any of these sentences.
- " While I was traveling in India, I met a woman who is from Germany.
- ) While I was traveling in India, I met a woman who was from Germany.
- ) While I was traveling in India, I met a woman whose nationality is German .
- While I was traveling in India, I met a woman whose nationality was German .
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2 Answers
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I would not use any of these sentences. I would just say "A German woman," or "a woman from Germany."
While I was traveling in India, I met a woman who is from Germany. (It seems like you are still exchanging email, or in other ways communicating with the woman.)
While I was traveling in India, I met a woman who was from Germany. (You met the woman in the past, and there is
While I was traveling in India, I met a woman who is from Germany. (It seems like you are still exchanging email, or in other ways communicating with the woman.)
While I was traveling in India, I met a woman who was from Germany. (You met the woman in the past, and there is
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I understand.
Thank you very much for your clear and informative explanation, AlpheccaStars.
Thank you very much for your clear and informative explanation, AlpheccaStars.
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