Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Chan-Seung Lee]

[CP]

Because "as" can mean "because" or "while" or "during," it's usually best to avoid it at the beginning of a sentence like this. I assume you mean "because."

Usually you would put it in the past tense. Because it was cold outside, I nearly caught a cold on some particular occasion. If you say it in the present tense, it must be to emphasize something, such as a constant condition. Because it is always cold outside here in Alaska, I nearly catch cold all the time.

Or if you are telling the story all in the present tense, then you can say, Because it is cold outside, I nearly catch cold. But I am lucky and stay healthy. So I keep working, looking for polar bears and narwahls.
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