I know that we use the present simple tense for general facts and truths, but I'm struggling with more complex sentences when I want to give an "order" for facts.
For example:
"Adults who have been at a public school are more/less motivated to learn new things than adults who have been at a private school."
What I mean by "order" is: I am speaking about adults (in general) and about their life history (something in their past). In my mother tongue (German), I could say a sentence like that, but I have to change this sentence completely in English, don't I? The reason is, that I can't use a past tense for general facts and truths, can I?
Do you have any rules or tips for me, on how I can say such a "German sentence" in English?
I haven't found any answer for this question on the internet or on this forum yet. Hence, I would highly appreciate any kind of help.
Best Answer
Your sentence seems fine to me, except that I wouldn't put a comma after adults. This makes it look as though who have been at a public school is a description of adults in general, rather than an identifier of a particular group.
The fact that you are referring to past experiences makes no difference at all.