Past tense or present tense

2008-09-24 7:25 pm

Please look at the following example:

Members expressed the following views at the meeting:
1. The subject premises are located in a residential building, it is, therefore, not suitable for liquor to be sold on the premises.
2. The customers are very noisy.

My question: Shall I use past tense in para. 1 & 2 since they were said in the past? Or shall I use present tense since the statements are still true in the present time?

回答 (4)

Petite

2008-09-24 8:11 pm

✔ 最佳答案

1. Present tense should be used here because it is a fact and still valid now.

2. It depends! If you use present tense, it means the customers in that premise are always noisy. If you use past tense, it means only the customers at that specific time were noisy. Then you need to add a time reference, i.e. The customers were very noisy last night.

參考: I am major in English

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glad

2008-09-25 3:48 am

1) present tense
- the matter is still present.

2) present tense
- the matter is still present.

參考: myself

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[匿名]

2008-09-24 7:45 pm

Thank you but would you please elaborate a bit?

2008-09-24 12:18:58 補充：
Thank you so much, Shan. I think I agree with you.

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ChanJade