Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[worksmart]

I have problem with the usage of past tense and future tense in the same sentence.

Last time I learned that:
Kim told me the the meeting will be/is next week is correct,
Kim told me the meeting was next week is wrong.

So if Amy's birthday is next week.
I told Jim I would bake Amy a cake.
I told Jim I will bake Amy a cake.

Which one is right? Thanks!

[nostril5]

You are talking about 'Reported Speech'. You will find a long discussion of this in your grammar book.

Usually, when we report 'will', we change it to 'would'.
So...
I said, "Jim, I will bake Amy a cake next Friday."
...can also be written as...
I told Jim I would bake Amy a cake next Friday.

The second sentence is in reported speech.


But, but, but...English is a strange language. So, at a more advance level, you will also learn that we can keep the same tense in reported speech to stress something is a fact.
So....your second sentence is also possible
I told Jim I will bake Amy a cake.

To get back to your first 2 sentences (about the meeting), the other teacher is saying that 'was' is unlikely as the meeting is sheduled (It's a fact).

I hope this helps.

Mike
http://www.ielts2u.bravehost.com

[worksmart]

Thanks so much!