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Message board > Grammar Correction:
Grammar Correction:
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nabeera_nasar
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Grammar Correction:
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My Dear and Respected Colleagues:
Could you please tell me whether the sentence below is correct or incorrect:
�Mary is very clever. She found the solution to the problem immediately and she�s only seventeen.�
I think it should be: ��Mary is very clever. She finds the solution to the problem immediately and she�s only seventeen.�
My point of view is that it is a statement about Marry and all sentence should be in present(finds) instead of past(found). But my classmate says: " I think that the action occurred in the simple past and that found should be used (not finds as suggested)]. "
What do you say?
I �ll be thankful.
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17 Jul 2012
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manonski (f)
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Your friend is right. It is the past tense that you should use. Your example refers to a specific problem (the problem).
The statement explains that Mary is clever because even if she �s only seventeen, she was able to find a solution to the problem.
To use the present, you would have to write a statement like this: Mary is very clever. She finds solutions to problems immediately and she �s only seventeen.
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17 Jul 2012
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Apodo
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I think it can also be in the present simple. She habitually finds the solution to any problem that is presented to her, and it can be singular when used this way. The tense depends on the context. She finds the solution to the problem immediately and she �s only seventeen. |
18 Jul 2012
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sadeel
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it is past tense, i agree with "manonski (f) it �s about a specific problem and she �s not always finding the solutions. |
18 Jul 2012
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cunliffe
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Past simple. If you mean habitually and want to use the present, you �d have to say, �she finds the solution to problems ... �
Edit:Oops, I�ve pretty much just repeated what manonski said...
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18 Jul 2012
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yanogator
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Apodo is right that it can be the present, meaning "in each situation, she finds the solution to the problem", but the past would be more common in this case, since it seems to mean one specific problem. Bruce |
18 Jul 2012
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cunliffe
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Yes, on reflection, �she finds the solution to the problem � is OK. Quite idiomatic usage. But it does sound as if that sentence refers to one specific incident. |
18 Jul 2012
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lili62
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In my opinion, if you can use any other verbal tense, PRESENT PERFECT would be better. I think the action is completed but you don �t have any specific time about the action that has occured (you don �t clarify when Mary found the solution). And you have an emphasis on the point that she �s only 17. I don �t know if you can only use simple past and present simple, but I think simple present shouldn �t be used because it refers to a different meaning ( I agree with cunliffe). I hope this will be useful for you. Have a nice day!
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18 Jul 2012
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yanogator
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I disagree, lili62, mainly because of the word "immediately". It isn �t usually used with the present perfect. We would more likely say "quickly", or something like that. With "immediately", the simple past definitely sounds more natural. Since this is talking about a single incident in the past, the simple past is the best tense for it.
Bruce |
18 Jul 2012
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nabeera_nasar
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Thank you very much, All of you; very helpful indeed!
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18 Jul 2012
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