were old friends

[ademoglu]

Hi,

http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/old?q=old

old: [only before noun] known for a long time: We're old rivals.

What I understand from the above is that if we say, for example, 'we are old friends' we mean that we are still friends. If so, what if we say 'we were old friends?

Does it mean that we are not friends anymore? Can we use it in a past structure?

Thanks.

 

[Tarheel]

For that instance, say:

We were friends for a long time.

 

[ademoglu]

For that instance, say:

We were friends for a long time.

So many thanks for the answer. What about this one:

- In the national volleyball team, we were old rivals. (Now, we are not.)

 

[Tarheel]

No, you can't say you were old rivals. But you can say you were rivals for a long time.

 

[bhaisahab]

"...what if we say 'we were old friends?"

Does it mean that we are not friends anymore? Can we use it in a past structure?

"I was happy to lend Fred the money he needed because we were old friends." We still are friends.

 

[Tarheel]

"...what if we say 'we were old friends?"

Does it mean that we are not friends anymore? Can we use it in a past structure?

"I was happy to lend Fred the money he needed because we were old friends." We still are friends.

That works.