The airline says it's more than just a weak market in general

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From news: The airline says it's more than just a weak market in general.

This is from news, and SAYS instead of SAID is used even when the act of saying is past because this thing has just happened. (if this is not the reason, please correct me)

But at university professors sometimes say AS I SAY, sometimes AS I SAID; is there any difference? Does it mean SAY, the present tense, is used in the same way as the above to show something that has just happened (words having been just said); or SAY is used to refer to a habit, just as I DO EXERCISES EVERY DAY?

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View best answer, chosen by WBYeats

@WBYeats,

They're future and past tense.

1 Reply

@cicerone imposter,

Thanks.

But when those teachers here say AS I SAY, the content following is evidently referring to said things. Could you tell me more about the difference between AS I SAY and SAID?

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@WBYeats,

As I say = It's my opinion that

as I said = I made the remark that

0 Replies

@WBYeats,

Quote:

AS I SAY

can mean past, present and future.

1 Reply

@cicerone imposter,

1. When AS I SAY refers to the past, is it used of a time that happened recently/near now?

2.You say it can be used of the future, but can you give me an example? I can't for the life of me think of one.

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@WBYeats,

I refer you to my earlier post. Have a think about it.

1 Reply

@McTag,

Am I correct in saying:

You said AS I SAY can be used to show opinions; is it because opinions are also true in the future?

1 Reply

@WBYeats,

Yes of course. You may have said this before; it's your opinion. You might repeat the statement in the future.

You could expand it, in the phrase "As I often say, ......."

and that might make it easier to understand.

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@WBYeats,

Do as I say about homework. Study chapters 2 and 3 before next class.

1 Reply

@cicerone imposter,

Part of it is due to it not being about a specific statement.

--- My doctor said that I need to improve my eating habits.

In this case I have a specific thing I am refering to, when I went and talked with my doctor about my diet.

--- Doctors say that Americans need better eating habits.

In this case, we are reffering to the general sentiment that in general doctors are currently offering this sort of advice.

In the case of the airline, the airline itself can't speak, it's a group of all sorts of voices, and we are saying that the current consenus seams to be the market is weak.

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@WBYeats,

I agree with what the others said about the difference between 'says' and 'said' but it is also standard to use the present tense in news headlines. For example from the news i've just been looking at:
'Barbara Walters announces retirement'
'Cameron unveils EU referendum question'
'Gruesome Syrian mutilation video sparks outrage'

0 Replies

@Kedirech1,

You wrote,

Quote:

In this case, we are reffering to the general sentiment that in general doctors are currently offering this sort of advice.

Unless specific as to time or "issue," it does mean past, present and future (the doctor's advise, notwithstanding).

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@WBYeats,

Quote:

This is from news, and SAYS instead of SAID is used even when the act of saying is past because this thing has just happened. (if this is not the reason, please correct me)

You are right, WB. This relates to Reported Speech/Direct versus Indirect Speech.

Quote:

What makes the backshifting rule even more difficult is that there are exceptions in use - a fact to which most descriptive and ESL/EFL grammar books are sensitive, and one which calls the "rule" into question. ...

State-event remains true. Thompson (1994:109ff), drawing on a corpus database, suggests that present tense is retained in reported clauses when the author wishes to emphasize that the state or event in question holds true at the time of reporting and/or is not presented as something temporary.

The Grammar Book - An ESL/EFL Teacher's Course Celce-Murcia & Larsen-Freeman 2nd edition; page 690

Quote:

But at university professors sometimes say AS I SAY, sometimes AS I SAID; is there any difference? Does it mean SAY, the present tense, is used in the same way as the above to show something that has just happened (words having been just said); or SAY is used to refer to a habit, just as I DO EXERCISES EVERY DAY?

You've got it and McTag accurately confirmed it.

0 Replies

@WBYeats,

Quote:

can mean past, present and future.

Quote:

2.You say it can be used of the future, but can you give me an example? I can't for the life of me think of one.

What CI is saying is that a general truth usually illustrated by the present simple, --> I live in Germany/I brush my teeth five times a day, you also gave examples, describes the past, present and future.

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The airline says it's more than just a weak market in general

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