Word choice

AnonymousI think the normal would be 'are', because of show.

Not because of 'show' but because the results still hold true today.

AnonymousBut is 'were' possible?

Yes, indeed, if you wish to emphasize the past results instead of the present fact.

Thank you.

So what about if I used 'showed': Results showed that individuals were diabetic.

I think the normal here is 'were'. Would 'are' also be possible, especially that it is a past oriented sentence with the use of 'showed'?

Anonymous Results showed that individuals were diabetic.I think the normal here is 'were'.

Both are possible and common.

So you mean 'are' is possible here: Results showed that individuals are diabetic.

I have never seen a paper use this combination though! Why doesn't the rule of matching tenses apply here?

AnonymousI have never seen a paper use this combination though!

You need to look at more papers. I have edited dozens of them.

Anonymous Why doesn't the rule of matching tenses apply here?

There is no 'rule of matching tenses' that I know of. We generally regress the verb in dependent clauses when the main verb is a report

I see. So is it always ok not to match tenses? I am a bit confused. So when a sentence is in the past you can use a present verb or tense (I am not sure what it is called).

I thought that generally they had to match.

For example:
I mentioned that we 'were or are' ....
I knew we 'were or are' ...
I knew we 'can or could' do better.

These are all possible? Ev

AnonymousI thought that generally they had to match.

No.
For Indirect speech, the verb in the quotation gets shifted back one tense. Adverbs of time and other parts of speech also might change.

This is direct speech:
Last Thursday she said, "I am going to the concert this evening."

This is the same in indirect speech:

So can I say:
Last Thursday she said that she 'is' going to the covert that evening.
He said that he will come to my party.

What about the example I gave are they all possible. Can I say: I knew I 'can' win.

Teacher I am confused now with what tenses and verbs are. What I meant by matching is that it is wrong to say 'we are going out to ate'. 'Ate' is wrong and it should be 'eat'. This is what I meant by tenses, in that a sentence should follow with the right words regarding the sentence. Is that considered tenses or what?

And what you explained to me regarding the 'results' sentence was rela

AnonymousSo can I say:Last Thursday she said that she 'is' going to the covert that evening.

That is not good "indirect speech." In indirect speech, the tense of the verb is back-shifted from what is in the direct quotation.
Last Thursday she said that she was going to the concert that evening.