I found a perfect example on the internet about what I am trying to ask. Take a look at this:
- "Mr. Dilger wants to see you." Mr. Bruce went on to say. "It's about the same thing. I thought I'd tell you before you saw him. A little bit easier facing the Big Boss if you're wised up beforehand, you know." I thanked him and went down the long aisle of desks to Mr. Dilger's office, the directory manager.
and this:
- “I thought I'd tell you before you get to the office tomorrow."
Do you see the difference? The first quote and the second quote are both talking about the present time, yet the first quote has the verb "see" in past tense, while the second one has "get" in present tense. They both seem to be okay, but how?
The first quote is obviously taking place before the main character "sees" Mr. Dilger. So why would it be in past tense?
Does the English language not specify which tense that we must use when sentences are constructed like this?
I'd love everybody's opinions.
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