Past sentence followed by a present
My father was a businessman. Now he is retired. Is this sentence correct or should I always say My father used to be a businessman and he is retired now?
grammar
asked yesterday
NizJNizJ
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My father was a businessman. Now he is retired. Is this sentence correct or should I always say My father used to be a businessman and he is retired now?
grammar
asked yesterday
NizJNizJ
11
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3
Where do people come up with this idea that you can't mix tenses in English? I think there are only two situations where it is a problem. (1) Tenses in dependent clauses work differently in English than in some other languages. (2) People who are writing stories for the first time (even native English speakers) tend to be inconsistent with their tenses and sometimes use two different tenses for things that are happening at the same time, which is confusing.
– Peter Shor
yesterday
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My father was a businessman. Now he is retired. Is this sentence correct or should I always say My father used to be a businessman and he is retired now?
grammar
asked yesterday
NizJNizJ
11
New contributor
NizJ is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
My father was a businessman. Now he is retired. Is this sentence correct or should I always say My father used to be a businessman and he is retired now?
grammar
grammar
asked yesterday
NizJNizJ
11
New contributor
NizJ is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked yesterday
NizJNizJ
11
New contributor
NizJ is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked yesterday
NizJNizJ
11
New contributor
NizJ is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked yesterday
NizJNizJ
11
asked yesterday
NizJNizJ
11
11
New contributor
NizJ is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
NizJ is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
NizJ is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
3
Where do people come up with this idea that you can't mix tenses in English? I think there are only two situations where it is a problem. (1) Tenses in dependent clauses work differently in English than in some other languages. (2) People who are writing stories for the first time (even native English speakers) tend to be inconsistent with their tenses and sometimes use two different tenses for things that are happening at the same time, which is confusing.
– Peter Shor
yesterday
add a comment |
3
Where do people come up with this idea that you can't mix tenses in English? I think there are only two situations where it is a problem. (1) Tenses in dependent clauses work differently in English than in some other languages. (2) People who are writing stories for the first time (even native English speakers) tend to be inconsistent with their tenses and sometimes use two different tenses for things that are happening at the same time, which is confusing.
– Peter Shor
yesterday
3
3
Where do people come up with this idea that you can't mix tenses in English? I think there are only two situations where it is a problem. (1) Tenses in dependent clauses work differently in English than in some other languages. (2) People who are writing stories for the first time (even native English speakers) tend to be inconsistent with their tenses and sometimes use two different tenses for things that are happening at the same time, which is confusing.
– Peter Shor
yesterday
Where do people come up with this idea that you can't mix tenses in English? I think there are only two situations where it is a problem. (1) Tenses in dependent clauses work differently in English than in some other languages. (2) People who are writing stories for the first time (even native English speakers) tend to be inconsistent with their tenses and sometimes use two different tenses for things that are happening at the same time, which is confusing.
– Peter Shor
yesterday
add a comment |
1 Answer
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If somebody told you that you weren't allowed to shift tenses in English, they gave you incorrect information. There are times when you shouldn't shift tenses, but your sentences are perfectly fine.
Here is the Purdue Owl discussion on consistency in tenses. Two of their guidelines (which I think apply to most languages with verb tenses):
General guideline: Do not shift from one tense to another if the time frame for each action or state is the same.
General guideline: Do shift tense to indicate a change in time frame from one action or state to another.
There are cases where tenses in English are treated differently than tenses are in other languages. These cases generally apply to tenses in dependent clauses, and not simple sentences like your example.
answered yesterday
Peter Shor Peter Shor
62.1k5117224
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If somebody told you that you weren't allowed to shift tenses in English, they gave you incorrect information. There are times when you shouldn't shift tenses, but your sentences are perfectly fine.
Here is the Purdue Owl discussion on consistency in tenses. Two of their guidelines (which I think apply to most languages with verb tenses):
General guideline: Do not shift from one tense to another if the time frame for each action or state is the same.
General guideline: Do shift tense to indicate a change in time frame from one action or state to another.
There are cases where tenses in English are treated differently than tenses are in other languages. These cases generally apply to tenses in dependent clauses, and not simple sentences like your example.
answered yesterday
Peter Shor Peter Shor
62.1k5117224
add a comment |
If somebody told you that you weren't allowed to shift tenses in English, they gave you incorrect information. There are times when you shouldn't shift tenses, but your sentences are perfectly fine.
Here is the Purdue Owl discussion on consistency in tenses. Two of their guidelines (which I think apply to most languages with verb tenses):
General guideline: Do not shift from one tense to another if the time frame for each action or state is the same.
General guideline: Do shift tense to indicate a change in time frame from one action or state to another.
There are cases where tenses in English are treated differently than tenses are in other languages. These cases generally apply to tenses in dependent clauses, and not simple sentences like your example.
answered yesterday
Peter Shor Peter Shor
62.1k5117224
add a comment |
If somebody told you that you weren't allowed to shift tenses in English, they gave you incorrect information. There are times when you shouldn't shift tenses, but your sentences are perfectly fine.
Here is the Purdue Owl discussion on consistency in tenses. Two of their guidelines (which I think apply to most languages with verb tenses):
General guideline: Do not shift from one tense to another if the time frame for each action or state is the same.
General guideline: Do shift tense to indicate a change in time frame from one action or state to another.
There are cases where tenses in English are treated differently than tenses are in other languages. These cases generally apply to tenses in dependent clauses, and not simple sentences like your example.
answered yesterday
Peter Shor Peter Shor
62.1k5117224
If somebody told you that you weren't allowed to shift tenses in English, they gave you incorrect information. There are times when you shouldn't shift tenses, but your sentences are perfectly fine.
Here is the Purdue Owl discussion on consistency in tenses. Two of their guidelines (which I think apply to most languages with verb tenses):
General guideline: Do not shift from one tense to another if the time frame for each action or state is the same.
General guideline: Do shift tense to indicate a change in time frame from one action or state to another.
There are cases where tenses in English are treated differently than tenses are in other languages. These cases generally apply to tenses in dependent clauses, and not simple sentences like your example.
answered yesterday
Peter Shor Peter Shor
62.1k5117224
answered yesterday
Peter Shor Peter Shor
62.1k5117224
answered yesterday
Peter Shor Peter Shor
62.1k5117224
answered yesterday
Peter Shor Peter Shor
62.1k5117224
62.1k5117224
add a comment |
add a comment |
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3
Where do people come up with this idea that you can't mix tenses in English? I think there are only two situations where it is a problem. (1) Tenses in dependent clauses work differently in English than in some other languages. (2) People who are writing stories for the first time (even native English speakers) tend to be inconsistent with their tenses and sometimes use two different tenses for things that are happening at the same time, which is confusing.
– Peter Shor
yesterday