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Old 01-Apr-2008, 14:59
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Wink Help please!

hi there,

Can you help me please? I need to know if the following sentence is correct:

"Some months ago, they said they would renew the contracts only for the people who needed (need?) English for their job."

Another thing: Someone had a dream about me last night: I was pregnant and wanted to eat all the time.

And I asked: Was I Fat then? And she said, no. So I replied: I wasn't fat even though I wanted to eat all the time and even though I ate all the time? Is this sentence correct?

Should I have said "even though I was eating all the time?" Or are both tenses correct in that case?

Thanks a looooooot!

W
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Old 01-Apr-2008, 17:24
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Default Re: Help please!

up!

Help please!
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Old 02-Apr-2008, 07:58
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Default Re: Help please!

up again!

I need your help, thanks.
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Old 02-Apr-2008, 08:21
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Default Re: Help please!

Some months ago, they said they would renew the contracts only for the people who needed (need?) English for their job.

This is indirect reported speech. Whether you use past tense or present tense for 'need' depends on whether contracts will continue to be renewed for anyone in their job needing English still applies today, or only at that time. It is was true then (in the past) and it is true now, then present tense.

Another thing. Someone had a dream about me last night. I was pregnant and wanted to eat all the time.
And I asked," Was I Fat then? " And she said, no. So I replied,"I wasn't fat even though I wanted to eat all the time and even though I ate all the time? "
Is this sentence correct? With corrected punctuation, yes, it is grammatically correct; but a native speaker would phrase it as you suggest next:

"I wasn't fat even though I was eating all the time?" Are both tenses correct in that case? Yes
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