Google
English-Test.net
Find penpals and make new friends today!
 
financial framework; financial plan
meter
budget
wool
opportunity
TOEIC practice test: Interactive word games: Free Online Noun Game Answer
 
Username
Password
 Remember me? 
Search   FAQ   Memberlist   Profile   Private messages   Register   Log in 

Conditional (He said that the crisis would deepen before it stabilized)



 
ESL/EFL Worksheets and Handouts for Students Printable, photocopiable, clearly structured
Designed for teachers and individual learners
For use in a classroom, at home, on your PC
ESL Forums | English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
I am await, I am waiting for | open-air pool or lido?
Message Author
Conditional (He said that the crisis would deepen before it stabilized) Mon Jul 23, 2007 19:28 pm  Conditional (He said that the crisis would deepen before it stabilized)
 

Hi All,

Why is the second part ( bold) in the following sentence in past tense?

'He said that the crisis would deepen before it stabilized.'

Can I say something like 'He said that the crisis would deepen before it stabilizes.'

Thanks,

MG.
musicgold
You can meet me at english-test.net


Joined: 10 Jul 2007
Posts: 79

Conditional (He said that the crisis would deepen before it stabilized) Mon Jul 23, 2007 19:38 pm  Conditional (He said that the crisis would deepen before it stabilized)
 

Hi musicgold,

This is in fact an example of Reported Speech/Indirect Speech. The actual words said were: The crisis will depend before it stabilizes.

Usually we change both tenses as - will deepen to would depeen and stabilizes to stabilized

If the situation regarding 'stabilize' is still relevant now, you could keep that verb in the present tense.

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Make or Do?
Alan
Co-founder
Alan Townend

Joined: 27 Sep 2003
Posts: 7388
Location: UK

Have you read a good anecdote today? Subscribe to free email English courseAre you a native speaker of English? Then you should read this!Can you find all the prepositions in this story?English grammar exercises — improve your English knowledge and vocabulary skills
Display posts from previous:   
I am await, I am waiting for | open-air pool or lido?
ESL Forums | English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms Conditional (He said that the crisis would deepen before it stabilized) All times are GMT + 2 Hours
Page 1 of 1
Latest topics on ESL EFL Forums
doubt about "quite difficult"Is "might" the preterit of "may"?Past modal: "can't have" or "couldn't have"?infinitive with vs. without 'to'the serious perfective tenseBus drive or bus ride?"the simple past" vs "the present perfective""allow+V+ing" vs "allow+to+RV""If I was" vs "If I were"what's the meaning of 'issue'Expression: Throwing potsarticle + adjective e.g. 'have nice holidays' or 'have a nice holidays'?What does 'that ... have not been procured' mean?Is 'self-catering' used in American English?owner-operated municipal enterprise?Can "article" be used as a verb?passive continuous sentencesUsage of whileConditional (He said that the crisis would deepen before it stabilized)

Discover English-test.net
I might have guessedWords: King, Mother, Muslims, Professor...The scariest thingPretty diagramSAT Class: Vocabulary Websites: Adjective Noun Verb ListSAT prep test: Word games free: Online Adjectives Nouns Verbs GameDefine sympathetic, obnoxious, polyarchy, commotion, vendible, sirocco, dogmatizeRosetta Stone Latin: Rosetta Latin Language ProgramModal verbs and exercises: ComputersEnglish grammar quiz: English Slang Idioms (193)

 
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Subscribe to FREE email English course written by Alan Townend
First name E-mail