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PreciousJones Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

Thought

Taken from an interview:

When I looked Whitney Houston her eyes, I thought this woman is/was coming back.

Is or was?

Thank you.
  

Top answer

PreciousJones When I looked Whitney Houston her eyes, I thought this woman is/was coming back. Either tense is correct. " "Is coming back" describes a future event, but you may backshift to the time of your thinking.

— Avangi

  • PreciousJones When I looked Whitney Houston her eyes, I thought this woman is/was coming back.
  • Either tense is correct.
  • " "Is coming back" describes a future event, but you may backshift to the time of your thinking.
  • ) When you use " is coming ," it has the feeling of direct speech rather than reported speech, and would be suitable for casual use only.
  • " If you're using this for academic purposes, my explanation may not be suitable.
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1 Answers
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PreciousJonesWhen I looked Whitney Houston her eyes, I thought this woman is/was coming back.
Either tense is correct. You may also say "will be coming back," or "would be coming back."

"Is coming back" describes a future event, but you may backshift to the time of your thinking.

(Do you mean "in her eyes"?)

When you use "
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