有读者问这样一句话：
(1)He is awake now and sent me to find you, as he is very anxious to see you.
这里为什么用过去一般时sent?
对中国学生来说，这里用过去一般时sent似乎有点奇怪，因为其前其后皆用现在一般时表一持续状态。用过去一般时sent则强调说话人心目中有过去某一时刻，只是没有明白说出而已。换言之，过去一般时sent这一动作是在“他”醒后的某一时刻发生的。这种过去一般时与现在一般时连用的情况并不罕见，再如：
(2)As Beijing does not have many entertaining places to go, we wanted to add some colour to the lives of diplomats' wives, and let them enjoy some real Chinese food. （现在一般时does not have表长期存在的客观事实，而过去一般时wanted这一心态则产生在过去某一时刻）
(3)Mandela was set to spend Christmas in the lonely, heavily guarded prison house where the South African regime moved him earlier this month while he recovers from tuberculosis contracted after more than 26 years in high security jails. （这里过去一般时moved与现在一般时recovers连用。前者指在earlier this month所发生的动作，后者指当前存在的情况；而前者是发生在后者的框框之中的）
(4)Not only did it look disgusting and spoil the scenery, it is also very dangerous. （过去一般时did...look指作者所看到的当时情景而言，现在一般时is则说明一客观事实或真理）
