[Grammar] we were concerned because traditionally when the coach takes/take

[Oceanlike]

I think the correct answer should be "take" due to the preceding verb "concerned". I'm inclined to think of "concerned" as a sense/"mental" verb although I don't know if it's correct.

- We were concerned because traditionally when the coach take/takes over a new team........

Thank you for teaching me! :-D

 

[emsr2d2]

I can't see or think of any reason why the third person singular "takes" wouldn't follow "the coach".

 

[Oceanlike]

I didn't consider using "takes" because of the use of "were concerned". I thought that because of "were concerned", the next verb should not be in present tense. Hmm...I'm confused!


If "traditionally" is omitted, then the verb should be in past tense?
- We were concerned because when the coach took over a new team.....

:-D

 

[Matthew Wai]

Does the rest of the sentence refer to the past?

 

[Oceanlike]

No, Matthew. The rest of the sentence refers to the modus operandi of the coach, hence the use of "traditionally".

 

[Tarheel]

I agree with ems.

 

[Tdol]

I didn't consider using "takes" because of the use of "were concerned". I thought that because of "were concerned", the next verb should not be in present tense. Hmm...I'm confused!

No- the present is fine. I'd take it to mean that they were concerned when the coach took over because the time when a coach takes over is often...

 

[teechar]

because the time when a coach takes over if often...

I suspect Tdol meant to write "is often" instead.
I agree with emsr2d2, tarheel and Tdol. The keyword here is "traditionally" which implies that the rest of the sentence is some routine/habitual action; for that we use the present simple.

 

[Barb_D]

I didn't consider using "takes" because of the use of "were concerned". I thought that because of "were concerned", the next verb should not be in present tense.


If "traditionally" is omitted, then the verb should be in past tense?
- We were concerned because when the coach took over a new team.....

:-D

You can create a context where "when the coach took over a new team in the past" works.
But your choice was not "takes" or "took." It was "takes" or "take."

You are not being asked to choose between present and past. You are being asked to choose between singular and plural. "Coach" is singular.