why not use past tense in the following sentence?
my text book says"I asked Sue what happened but she won't tell me"
I feel this sentence is wrong. why not say"I asked Sue What happened but she wouldn't tell me"
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Answers · 2
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For me, "wouldn't" only refers to that time (maybe Sue told him later), but "won't" means Sue still hasn't told him (she refused to tell him then and still refuses to tell him).
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It's called a mood shift. He shifts from the past into the present mid-sentence.
Some people consider this a bad style in writing. I don't recommend this style if you are doing an exam. I am not an expert on exams, though, so maybe you should consult with an IELTS trained teacher.
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