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Rotter Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
Had nicked or nicked
The very next ball, wicket-keeper Geraint Jones appealed vociferously for a catch down the leg-side.
Lewis was less convinced, and not out was the verdict, but replays suggested the batsman, Kumar Sangakkara, may have got a faint edge.
Gradually Sangakkara and fellow left-hander Upul Tharanga began to find life less difficult.
They hit an array of fine front-front drives through the covers as England's bowlers erred on a full length, looking for the edge.
Finally, captain Andrew Flintoff worked up a sweat and bowled some searching quick and hostile deliveries.
With the partnership worth 82, Sangakkara's luck ran out when umpire Darrell Hair ruled he had nicked a Flintoff ball that left him.
Further analysis revealed it might only have flicked the top of his pad.
There was no doubt about the next two wickets, however, as Tharanga and Mahela Jayawardene got faint touches playing at deliveries wide of their body and the score was 86-4 after the first session.
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Umpire Darrell Hair ruled he had nicked a Flintoff ball that left him.
Is it necessary to say 'he had nicked' here?
Wouldn't you say 'he nicked' , would you?
Lewis was less convinced, and not out was the verdict, but replays suggested the batsman, Kumar Sangakkara, may have got a faint edge.
Gradually Sangakkara and fellow left-hander Upul Tharanga began to find life less difficult.
They hit an array of fine front-front drives through the covers as England's bowlers erred on a full length, looking for the edge.
Finally, captain Andrew Flintoff worked up a sweat and bowled some searching quick and hostile deliveries.
With the partnership worth 82, Sangakkara's luck ran out when umpire Darrell Hair ruled he had nicked a Flintoff ball that left him.
Further analysis revealed it might only have flicked the top of his pad.
There was no doubt about the next two wickets, however, as Tharanga and Mahela Jayawardene got faint touches playing at deliveries wide of their body and the score was 86-4 after the first session.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Umpire Darrell Hair ruled he had nicked a Flintoff ball that left him.
Is it necessary to say 'he had nicked' here?
Wouldn't you say 'he nicked' , would you?
Top answer
Rotter: Sorry to say, but this is getting kind of not productive, your posting lots of quotations with plusperfect and trying to see if the authors weren't somehow wrong. I'd seriously suggest to stop posting on this subject and to read carefully and to reflect deeply about the previous replies you've gotten already. There's good stuff there.
- Rotter: Sorry to say, but this is getting kind of not productive, your posting lots of quotations with plusperfect and trying to see if the authors weren't somehow wrong.
- I'd seriously suggest to stop posting on this subject and to read carefully and to reflect deeply about the previous replies you've gotten already.
- There's good stuff there.
- Don't go for quantity (repeat posting), go for quality .
- BTW, again the plusperfect/past perfect is required here too : The player had probably touched/nicked (I don't know, as I am not watching cricket) the ball before the umpire made the ruling/ruled, thus someone reporting on this sequence of events must of necessity use plusperfect/past tense in talking about the ball nicking him.
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5 Answers
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Rotter:
Sorry to say, but this is getting kind of not productive, your posting lots of quotations with plusperfect and trying to see if the authors weren't somehow wrong.
I'd seriously suggest to stop posting on this subject and to read carefully and to reflect deeply about the previous replies you've gotten already. There's good stuff there.
Sorry to say, but this is getting kind of not productive, your posting lots of quotations with plusperfect and trying to see if the authors weren't somehow wrong.
I'd seriously suggest to stop posting on this subject and to read carefully and to reflect deeply about the previous replies you've gotten already. There's good stuff there.
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Hello Rotter
That's an interesting question: I can see that it might be confusing.
But I would myself take it as a reported version of:
1. "I rule that he nicked the ball."
The reported version ("Hair ruled (that) he had nicked a Flintoff ball") moves the tense of each verb back a step, and so maintains the original structure.
MrP
That's an interesting question: I can see that it might be confusing.
But I would myself take it as a reported version of:
1. "I rule that he nicked the ball."
The reported version ("Hair ruled (that) he had nicked a Flintoff ball") moves the tense of each verb back a step, and so maintains the original structure.
MrP
00
I thank both of you for the replies.
Marius says this is a past perfect sentence whereas MrPedantic says this is a reported speech.
I don't know who is correct here.
[ I must go on posting on the past perfect because this is my Achlles heel. Recently Clive told me that it would be fine to post more example sentences. I believe I am free to learn here. For
Marius says this is a past perfect sentence whereas MrPedantic says this is a reported speech.
I don't know who is correct here.
[ I must go on posting on the past perfect because this is my Achlles heel. Recently Clive told me that it would be fine to post more example sentences. I believe I am free to learn here. For
00
Please feel free to post questions on any subject you like, Rotter!
MrP
PS I would agree that it's a past perfect; but a past perfect in the context of reported speech.
MrP
PS I would agree that it's a past perfect; but a past perfect in the context of reported speech.
00
MrPedanticPS I would agree that it's a past perfect; but a past perfect in the context of reported speech.Same here.
Tenses are distinct from forms of reporting.
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