Regarding Tenses
I am using a grammar book and the question states;
Rewrite the following sentences, changing the main verb to the preterite and the verb in the dependent clause to the imperfect.
First question being;
- Digo que no estaré presente.
Don't the rules state that if the first verb is a preterite, then a conditional must be used for the second. The answer book even confirms my answer. Am I wrong, is the question wrong or are the answer pages wrong?
My answer for clarification.
Yo dije que no estaría presente.
2 Answers
Dije que no estaría presente should do it. No need to use the personal pronoun Yo.
Great work!
Don't the rules state that if the first verb is a preterite, then a conditional must be used for the second.
There is no such rule.
Estaría is conditional but the task is to use imperfect in the dependent clause, so the answer should be Dije que no estaba presente (I said I was not present).
