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Thread: Pls check this sentense.

  1. #1
    write2subhayu is offline Newbie
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    Default Pls check this sentense.

    Pls tell me whether this sentence is correct:

    "In 1852, Indian mathematician Radhanath Sikdar, under the leadership of British Surveyor General of india, Sir Andrew Waugh proved that Mt. Everest was the highest peak of the world."

    My question is whether the part of the sentence written in red is appropriate or not. It is an universal truth that Mt. Everest is the highest peak of the world. Hence I believe we should use present tense instead of past tense. But as the reporting verb is in past tense, reported speech may be in past tense also.

    Pls shed some light.
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  2. #2
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    Default Re: Pls check this sentense.

    Quote Originally Posted by write2subhayu View Post
    Pls tell me whether this sentence is correct:

    "In 1852, Indian mathematician Radhanath Sikdar, under the leadership of British Surveyor General of i India, Sir Andrew Waugh proved that Mt. Everest was the highest peak of (I prefer 'in)the world."

    My question is whether the part of the sentence written in red is appropriate or not. It is an universal truth that Mt. Everest is the highest peak of the world. Hence I believe we should use present tense instead of past tense. But as the reporting verb is in past tense, reported speech may be in past tense also.
    Both tenses are possible. As the reporting verb is in the past tense. backshifting is acceptable. As Mt Everest is still the highest mountain in the worls, backshifting is not obligatory
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    Context is always important; labelling is rarely important.


  3. #3
    write2subhayu is offline Newbie
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    Default Re: Pls check this sentense.

    Quote Originally Posted by 5jj View Post
    Both tenses are possible. As the reporting verb is in the past tense. backshifting is acceptable. As Mt Everest is still the highest mountain in the worls, backshifting is not obligatory
    Well, in that case, is the following sentence grammatically correct?

    "I said that the Sun rose in the east."
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  4. #4
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    Default Re: Pls check this sentense.

    It's possible.
    Context is always important; labelling is rarely important.


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