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 #17 (permalink) Tue Sep 02, 2008 2:12 am Including or Was Including |
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Volcano, please do us a favor and tell us what language you are translating from. You're insisting on wrong tenses based on the original language. If you let us know what language the original text is in, we might be able to pinpoint what your problem is.
Please realize that correct English verb tenses do not depend on the verb tenses of other languages. |
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Jamie (K)
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 6556
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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| #18 (permalink) Tue Sep 02, 2008 2:20 am Including or Was Including |
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Alex, with this sequence of tenses, you often have the option of using the present tense when the second clause involves something that is always true or is still true.
"Water boils at 215°."
"Wait a minute! I thought water boiled at 212°." (Always true.)
or, "I thought water boils at 212°." (Always true.)
"The price doesn't include tax."
"We thought the price included tax." (At the time.)
or, "We thought the price includes tax." (Always true.)
"The price didn't include tax."
"We thought the price included tax." (More for when you're picturing things at the time the situation was going on.)
or, "We thought the price had included tax." (More for when you're picturing things after the situation has finished.) |
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Jamie (K)
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 6556
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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| #19 (permalink) Fri Sep 05, 2008 17:23 pm Including or Was Including |
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I have seen a clause on the wall street journal
Companies have complained for years that foreign competitors had an unfair advantage getting business in developing nations... |
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Volcano1985
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 07 Jan 2007
Posts: 417
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| #20 (permalink) Fri Sep 05, 2008 17:28 pm Including or Was Including |
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| Volcano1985 wrote: |
I have seen a clause on the wall street journal
Companies have complained for years that foreign competitors had an unfair advantage getting business in developing nations... |
And? |
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Jamie (K)
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 6556
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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| #21 (permalink) Fri Sep 05, 2008 18:55 pm Including or Was Including |
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| Quote: |
Hi,
Just a thought - imagine the situation. You can't see a price tag on an article you want to buy. You ask: How much is this? and you get an answer. Your next question could be: Is that including VAT (Value Added Tax)? And you get your answer. You then report the price to another person and say: He said the price was *** and that was including VAT.
Alan |
Hi Alan,
I just wonder which would be the more natural question in this case: 'Does that include VAT' or 'Is that including VAT'?
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What would that sentence have been at the time "they" originally thought it?
Would it have been this:
"I think the price also includes customs duty."
Or would it have been this:
"I think the price also included customs duty."
(Or something else?)
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Hi Amy,
Before Alex gives his answer, allow me to have some queries:
"I think the price also includes customs duty."
=> They thought the price had also included customs duty
"I think the price also included customs duty."
=> They thought the price had also included customs duty
Actually, I still can't understand why "They thought the price has also included customs duty," is correct. By the way, should it be 'customs duty' or 'custom duty'?
| Quote: |
| If the customs duty is not included,we won't be able to compete with the other vendors. |
=> Hi Barb,
Why do you think 'vendors' is better than 'marks'?
Thank you all very much,
Nessie.
_________________
:(... something we never have again, I know... I guess I really really know.. :(
Sorry seems to be the hardest word... |
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 Nessie
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 16 Feb 2008
Posts: 1102
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| #22 (permalink) Fri Sep 05, 2008 19:06 pm Including or Was Including |
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| nessie wrote: |
| I just wonder which would be the more natural question in this case: 'Does that include VAT?' or 'Is that including VAT'? |
Both are equally natural. We'd use them in the same situations.
| nessie wrote: |
| Actually, I still can't understand why "They thought the price has also included customs duty," is correct. |
You're smart, because it isn't correct. The only way it could be correct would be if they thought that at some unspecified time in the past, but perhaps not now, the price included customs duty for a while.
| nessie wrote: |
| By the way, should it be 'customs duty' or 'custom duty'? |
The branch of the government that levies duties is called "customs", so it's called "customs duty".
| nessie wrote: |
| Why do you think 'vendors' is better than 'marks'? |
The words "vendor" and "mark" have nothing to do with each other. A vendor is a person or company that sells things. A mark is a line, dot, smear or symbol that is on something.
I think that by "marks" you mean "brands" or "brand names". |
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Jamie (K)
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 6556
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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| #23 (permalink) Fri Sep 05, 2008 19:44 pm Including or Was Including |
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| Jamie (K) wrote: |
| Volcano1985 wrote: |
I have seen a clause on the wall street journal
Companies have complained for years that foreign competitors had an unfair advantage getting business in developing nations... |
And? |
"Companies have complained for years that foreign competitors have an unfair advantage getting business in developing nations" wouldn't be correct? |
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Volcano1985
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 07 Jan 2007
Posts: 417
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| Doubtful Distant Past | Meaning of "the fishermen called to the men on the shore" |
