Results 1 to 2 of 2
Like Tree1Likes
  • 1 Post By Tdol

Thread: Tenses

  1. #1
    maggyaf is offline Newbie
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Posts
    2

    Default Tenses

    Thanks a lot for your useful answer!!

    Now, can you help me with the usage of tenses in this sentence?

    "I never thought I interested in the courses here at the festival and now I have decided I want to work in a film".

    I would rather say:
    "I have never thought I would have been interested in the courses here at the festival and now I have decided I want to work in a film"

    Is it correct to consider "never" as a habit in the past, and for this reason use the simple past? And, why not present perfect? In cases like this, what do I have to take into account to choose one of these tenses?

    Again, thanks a lot for your response.

  2. #2
    Tdol is offline Editor, UsingEnglish.com
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • English Teacher
      • Native Language:
      • British English
      • Home Country:
      • UK
      • Current Location:
      • Philippines
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Posts
    38,658

    Default Re: Tenses

    I would say 'I never thought I would be...'. The present perfect doesn't work for me because 'have decided' tells us that the thinking is over, so it belongs in the past.
    maggyaf likes this.

Similar Threads

  1. [Grammar] Verb Tenses
    By dario1 in forum Ask a Teacher
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 04-Oct-2008, 21:48
  2. use of the tenses
    By Unregistered in forum Ask a Teacher
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 20-Apr-2008, 16:17
  3. Replies: 4
    Last Post: 10-Apr-2008, 17:55
  4. Correct tenses?
    By Skyscraper83 in forum Ask a Teacher
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 07-Nov-2007, 18:04
  5. Sequence of tenses (#2)
    By gorikaz in forum Ask a Teacher
    Replies: 12
    Last Post: 11-Mar-2007, 03:34

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Hotchalk

Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.1