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Anonymous Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
TO-INFINITIVE?
Hi,
I have always thought like the one below needs not tense-change. Or is it?
I was going nowhere here, so I decided to think of what was best for me first and this time it meant leaving.
I think the first underlined part is a to-infinitive and am wondering why it has to be 'what was best' and not 'what is best'. Can I use 'what is best' there?
A side question: Could I have written 'this time it means leaving'? What is the difference. What bothers me is the fact that the words 'this time' is there.
I was feeling ill, so I decided to head home. -- I think the part underlined is a to-infinitive.
I have always thought like the one below needs not tense-change. Or is it?
I was going nowhere here, so I decided to think of what was best for me first and this time it meant leaving.
I think the first underlined part is a to-infinitive and am wondering why it has to be 'what was best' and not 'what is best'. Can I use 'what is best' there?
A side question: Could I have written 'this time it means leaving'? What is the difference. What bothers me is the fact that the words 'this time' is there.
I was feeling ill, so I decided to head home. -- I think the part underlined is a to-infinitive.
Top answer
Yes. to think is a to infinitive, and to head is a to infinitive. The tenses match.
- Yes.
- to think is a to infinitive, and to head is a to infinitive.
- The tenses match.
- All are past: was going, decided, was best, it meant It is quite usual to use the same tense throughout a sentence.
- this time can be used to mean a time in the past.
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2 Answers
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Yes. to think is a to infinitive, and to head is a to infinitive.
The tenses match. All are past:
was going, decided, was best, it meant
It is quite usual to use the same tense throughout a sentence.
this time can be used to mean a time in the past. (So can now.) It means on this occasion within the story I'm telling -- at th
The tenses match. All are past:
was going, decided, was best, it meant
It is quite usual to use the same tense throughout a sentence.
this time can be used to mean a time in the past. (So can now.) It means on this occasion within the story I'm telling -- at th
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Thank you. So, what I have vaguely been known is incorrect: that a to-infinitive shouldn't (might??) not change?
I decided to think what was best for me and decided to leave. -- Good, I think the tenses are all in the past.
But how about this?
I decided to think what is best for me and decided to leave.
I decided to think what was best for me and decided to leave. -- Good, I think the tenses are all in the past.
But how about this?
I decided to think what is best for me and decided to leave.
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