0

Playing a computer game: Let's say you have just raided(attack) an enemy base, hitting a gold storage with gold in it, but the time ran out. Which reaction is correct:

"Too bad I nearly take it down, its a shame coz it is filled with a good deal of resource.''

Or

"Too bad I nearly took it down, its a shame coz it is filled with a good deal of resource."

Is it time ran out?(coz it is a past) or time runs out?

And is it take it down or took it down(coz it is also taken from the past)

4
  • 1
    As you say it is in the past, so why do you want to use present tense?
    – user3169
    Apr 2, 2018 at 0:54
  • This means I use present tense to say it is a fact.
    – John Arvin
    Apr 2, 2018 at 13:27
  • 1
    Your example should be two sentences - "Too bad I nearly took it down. It's a shame coz it is filled with a good deal of resource." The second one is a fact but the first one implies you actually did something else (nearly implying you almost did it but then did something else).
    – user3169
    Apr 2, 2018 at 17:54
  • You nailed it, I can use this format in future conversation that is why I'm asking this. Thx
    – John Arvin
    Apr 3, 2018 at 5:48

1 Answer 1

2

First, your example should be two sentences:

Too bad I nearly took it down. It's a shame coz it is filled with a good deal of resource.

The second sentence is a fact, but the first sentence implies you actually did something else (nearly implying you almost took it down but then did something else). This pushes the "taking down" possibility into the past.

As for time ran out vs. time runs out, it needs to be past tense, because ran out my definition means that function (running a timer) has ended.

In the situation where the timer is still running, you would use time is running out since the timer is in a changing rather than a steady state.

2
  • Is it 'but the time ran out' or 'but the time runs out'?
    – John Arvin
    Apr 3, 2018 at 7:24
  • Please check my edit.
    – user3169
    Apr 3, 2018 at 17:02

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .