MSGID: 1:153/716.0 cb5412b1   
   REPLY: 543.englisht@1:2320/105 21166c4f   
   CHRS: IBMPC 2   
   Hi from Vancouver, BC!  Recently I heard the two of you saying to each other:   
      
   AK>  "This was my Personal Legend, not yours," the alchemist   
   AK>  answered. "But I wanted to show you that it was possible."   
      
   AK>  Could the alchemist say, "But I wanted to show you that   
   AK>  it IS possible." After all he spoke of universal truth,   
   AK>  at least he thought so.   
      
      
             Yes, yes, and yes....  :-)   
      
      
      
   AK>  But may be   
            |I'd say "maybe", or "it may be that"   
      
   AK>  English Grammar demands the Past Tense anyway   
      
      
             English grammar allows... but does not necessarily require... tense   
   changes in reported speech, where the original wording may not be cited as it   
   was said.  I'd suggest looking up "reported speech" vs. "direct speech".  :-)   
      
      
      
   MP>  I personally would have used IS, but maybe the author used   
   MP>  WAS because they used it in the first part of the quote.   
      
   MP>  I was always taught to use the active tense, when possible,   
   MP>  unless I am speaking of something that happened in the past.   
      
      
             Basically, I agree with you there although I'd describe the "is" as   
   present tense & the use of the past tense in such situations is not uncommon.   
      
             I might say... in my own words... "The alchemist wanted to show his   
   student that xxx was possible" because I'm referring to past events.  I would   
   expect the alchemist to say "I wanted to show you that it is possible" if his   
   intention was to encourage the student to complete his homework.   
      
             I'm reminded of an incident in which I demonstrated to some kids in   
   grade eight who felt it took too long to use the dictionary that, because I'd   
   been practising this skill before they were born, I could find words of their   
   choice within fourteen seconds including the time I spent picking up the book   
   from my desk.  As one of my teachers often said, "Genius is 10% inspiration &   
   90% perspiration."  In his youth people thought Einstein was a dunce....  :-Q   
      
      
      
      
   --- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+   
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