Tony Mountifield wrote:
>> However, I've noticed that many people say things like "I was gonna
>> try it tomorrow, but in the end I gave in."
> I guess that depends on when the statement is referring to. "Tomorrow"
is
> always used to mean the day after that in which the statement is being
made,
> not the day after some other day in the past.
> But the sentence you mentioned would make sense as "I was going to try
it
> tomorrow, but in the end I gave in [and tried it today instead]."
Thanks Tony, yes, in my phrase both days are in the past. So that's not
even a non-standard usage I guess, it's not an usage at all. It's just
that I think I've heard it a few times.
And what about indirect speech? I suppose that technically there is only
one statement which is situated in the present. For example:
Please come back tomorrow.
The next week I could say:
She told me 'Please come back tomorrow" (two statements)
She told me to come back the next day (one statement)
She told me to come back tomorrow (incorrect)
Am I right?
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