 Re: I hear that...
Re : hear
Yes, it's fine to use "I hear..." . The meaning doesn't really imply that you "heard" something - you might have read it. It's just another way of saying "I understand" or " I know". How you found out is irrelevant. So eg :
I hear that they're making a film of the Shannara novels = I understand that they're making a film of the Shannara novels.
If the speaker wanted to refer to a specific moment when s/he found out, then "I heard" would be used :
A : I understand that they're making a film of the Shannara novels.
B : Yes, but I heard on the news a few days ago that they're way over budget and the whole project might be scrapped.
Re : understood
Sorry, but I'm not completely sure I understand your question. If you "understand" (or know) something, that understanding (or knowledge) is (usually) permanent, so the first form verb (which expresses permanent facts) is necessary, as in :
I understand the theory of relativity. / I understand they're making a film.... / I know they are making a film...
and as you say, the use of the second form would, here, imply a past and finished action:
I understood the theory of relativity when Albert explained it to me, but I'm confused again now.
I understood they were making a film of the Shannara novels, but I can't find any mention of it in the film magazines. I must have been mistaken. |