Which is the correct sentence

Question

Dear madam,Which is the right sentence? 1.He generally speaks English but he is speaking Hindi today.(speak)OrHe generally speaks English but he spoke Hindi today.(speak)2. The telephone bell is ringing again.It sometimes rings thirty times a day.(ring)OrThe telephone bell rang again.It sometimes rings thirty times a day.(ring)ThanksSreela

Mr Wordy · Accepted Answer

All your sentences are possible (with a couple of minor fixes unrelated to your question).

1. He generally speaks English but he is speaking Hindi today. -- "today" is still in progress (or is about to start), and his speaking Hindi is current and/or future activity.

2. He generally speaks English but he spoke Hindi today. -- "today" is finished, and his speaking Hindi is in the past.

In both the above sentences, "He generally speaks" refers to his normal behaviour.

3. The telephone ~~bell~~ is ringing again. It sometimes rings thirty times a day. -- The telephone is ringing now. (You don't need the word "bell", and you need a space after the period.)

4. The telephone ~~bell~~ rang again. It sometimes rings thirty times a day. -- The telephone rang some time in the past.

In both the above sentences, "It sometimes rings" refers to the general state of affairs.

Which is the correct sentence

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