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Mixed tense: Rene Descartes believed that animals do not have rights.



 
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Mixed tense: Rene Descartes believed that animals do not have rights. #1 (permalink) Tue Feb 02, 2010 21:44 pm   Mixed tense: Rene Descartes believed that animals do not have rights.
 

Is it never permitted at all, even in the following example?

Rene Descartes believed that animals do not have rights.

Thanks.
BChip
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Mixed tense: Rene Descartes believed that animals do not have rights. #2 (permalink) Wed Feb 03, 2010 4:48 am   Mixed tense: Rene Descartes believed that animals do not have rights.
 

It would be permitted in that sentence, because the idea of animals not having rights supposed to be a universal truth.

When something is a scientific fact or is always true, you have a choice of using the present or the past tense in a sentence like that.
Jamie (K)
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Mixed tense: Rene Descartes believed that animals do not have rights. #3 (permalink) Wed Feb 03, 2010 22:39 pm   Mixed tense: Rene Descartes believed that animals do not have rights.
 

I agree. But then, when you use the present tense here, you're basically expressing your own opinion, not Descartes' one.
Submerged
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Mixed tense: Rene Descartes believed that animals do not have rights. #4 (permalink) Wed Feb 03, 2010 23:04 pm   Mixed tense: Rene Descartes believed that animals do not have rights.
 

That's not true. You are still expressing Descartes' opinion. How could you possibly be expressing your own opinion if you say "René Descartes believed..."?
Jamie (K)
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