1) What's the difference between "As you say" and "as you said". I often hear people use the expression "as you say" when discussing with another person. Why not use "as you said" instead of "as you say"? When should one use "As you say" and not "As you said"?
Could you give me a general guideline on how to know when to use the present simple and when to switch to the past simple/present perfect tenses of these verbs?
Within what time frame should the present simple be used, and how much time has to elapse in order for the past simple to become a more appropriate choice? Any guidelines? Or is the choice an arbitrary one?
Suppose I am having a 2-hour discussion with you. At the very beginning of the discussion, I make the statement that "hard work pays." Then halfway through the discussion (about one hour into the discussion), you wish to repeat what I said at the very beginning. Which of the following three expressions would you use and why?
--As you say, hard work pays.
--As you said, hard work pays.
--As you have said, hard work pays.
*Furthermore, if you wanted to repeat my statement a few hours/a few days/weeks after I made the statement, which of the above three sentences would you choose in each case, and why?
2) Similarly, what's the difference between: "I am told", and "I was told"? When should we use one and not the other?
Suppose I just received news that the government has imposed a state of emergency in the country and I wanted to report this to someone else, which of these statements would be appropriate:
-"I am told that a state of emergency has been imposed".
-"I have been told that a state of emergency has been imposed."
-"I was told that a statement of emergency has been imposed."
What if I were to report this same statement some hours later and some days/weeks later, which would be the most appropriate expression to use hours/days/weeks later?
Does "I am told" imply that I am still being told up to this present moment?