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 #2 (permalink) Tue Jan 06, 2009 12:47 pm I knew you are OR I knew you were? |
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The two correct ways to say this at the present moment would be:
"I knew you were from Russia, but someone told me that you were not."
"I knew you were from Russia, but someone told me that you are not."
The first one is more "proper" than the second one, but they're both correct. The reason is that the verb "knew" changes the following verbs to the past tense also.
The reason we have the choice of present or past in the second clause is that we have two choices of how to deal with it:
1. Purely through grammar rules (so "were" in past tense).
2. With the knowledge that the information is still true (so present tense "are"). |
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Jamie (K)
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 6559
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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| #3 (permalink) Tue Jan 06, 2009 13:38 pm I knew you are OR I knew you were? |
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| Jamie (K) wrote: |
The two correct ways to say this at the present moment would be:
"I knew you were from Russia, but someone told me that you were not."
"I knew you were from Russia, but someone told me that you are not."
The first one is more "proper" than the second one, but they're both correct. The reason is that the verb "knew" changes the following verbs to the past tense also.
The reason we have the choice of present or past in the second clause is that we have two choices of how to deal with it:
1. Purely through grammar rules (so "were" in past tense).
2. With the knowledge that the information is still true (so present tense "are"). |
Thanks Jamie,
That was an excellent explanation. |
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 Nene4english
I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 24 Jul 2008
Posts: 43
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| #4 (permalink) Wed Jan 07, 2009 1:26 am I knew you are OR I knew you were? |
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Then, Jamie, could the second sentence below be grammatically okay, right?
I knew you were from Russia.
I knew you are from Russia.
The fact that the listener is from Russia doesn't change in the past when the speaker knew and now when the speaker is saying: it is always true - I think it matches #2 you gave:
| Quote: |
| 2. With the knowledge that the information is still true (so present tense "are"). |
Actually, in Korean, the second one is proper. The first one sounds like "I knew you were from Russia but now I know you are not." Anyway, thank you for the good question & good answer. This part was always picky to me. :) |
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Sweetpumpkin
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 17 Dec 2007
Posts: 428
Location: S.Korea
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| #5 (permalink) Thu Jan 15, 2009 9:14 am I knew you are OR I knew you were? |
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| exactly. i think this is past and present tence |
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Atatabatata
New Member
Joined: 15 Jan 2009
Posts: 5
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| #6 (permalink) Wed Jul 29, 2009 22:19 pm I knew you are OR I knew you were? |
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| so along the same lines, could someone explain which "tense" the following sentence is in, and why... "I knew you could do it" |
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Mackmerff
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Joined: 29 Jul 2009
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| #7 (permalink) Thu Jul 30, 2009 3:17 am I knew you are OR I knew you were? |
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| Mackmerff wrote: |
| so along the same lines, could someone explain which "tense" the following sentence is in, and why... "I knew you could do it" |
Both clauses are in the simple past tense. |
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Jamie (K)
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 6559
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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| Difference between ‘distinct’ and ‘different’? | With whom you find more attached to vs To whom you find more attached with |
