Present Truths
Complete: Anthropologists agree / there be / links between Latin American cultures and U.S. culture.
Anthropologists agree that there are links between Latin American cultures and U.S. culture
What verb tense should be used in the that clause when the main verb is in the past and refers to a past event?
Past tense
What verb tense do you use in the that clause when the main clause is present and the event is in the future?
Future (will / going to)
Fix: Linguists said that all languages follow certain patterns. (universal truth)
Linguists said that all languages follow certain patterns
What verb tense is used in the that clause when stating a general truth with a present main clause?
Present tense
Complete: Historians agree / the Aztec civilization / influence / modern Mexico.
Historians agreed that the Aztec civilization influenced modern Mexico
Complete: I assume / you / do / more research.
I assume that you are going to do more research
Fix: I heard that she speaks at the conference. (future from a past main clause)
I heard that she would be speaking at the conference
Complete: Research shows / contemporary Latin American cultures / have / diverse roots.
Research shows that contemporary Latin American cultures have diverse roots
Complete: Researchers confirm / early settlers / bring / diverse traditions.
Researchers confirmed that early settlers brought diverse traditions
Complete: Experts predict / youth movements / play / a larger role.
Experts predict that youth movements will play a larger role
Fix: Experts predict that migration continues to shape identity. (future action)
Experts predict that migration will continue to shape identity
Why is the sentence “Many musicologists agree that modern U.S. music is derived in part from Latin American cultures” in present tense?
Because it expresses a general truth
Fix the sentence: Sociologists found that technology is shaping the 1800s.
Sociologists found that technology shaped the 1800s
Fix the sentence: Most sociologists agree that Latin American cultures continued to influence U.S. culture.
Most sociologists agree that Latin American cultures will continue to influence U.S. culture
Fix: Scientists discovered that DNA held the code for life. (still true)
Scientists discovered that DNA holds the code for life
Correct the sentence: Sociologists believe that Latin American cultures influenced world culture.
Sociologists believe that Latin American cultures influence world culture
Complete: They discovered / she / copy / history research for years. (event happened earlier)
They discovered that she had been copying history research for years
Which structure expresses a future event that happened after a past main clause?
Would or was/were going to
Fix: We discovered that we will study Latin America. (future from past clause)
We discovered that we were going to study Latin America