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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
He asked me what I "am" or "was" doing now?
Ok today one of my little cousins end up with a English grammar issue so he'd confront me. And well, I was a lil confused either. I never had much problems with grammars but well, prolly I haven't been learning them for quite some time so I've forgotten some minor ones.
Anyway, here's the problem:
Tony asked,"What are you doing now?"
He asked me what I was doing now.
Thats the appropriate answer, my lil cuz came up to me and asked why it isn't "He asked me what I am doing now" cause his question is basically in present tense, with the "now".
Similarly he relates to another example.
"Where are you living"
Answer: He asked me,"Where I was living."
Thou, I thought the second sounded appropriate. Just the first one seems a lil weird..
Anyway, here's the problem:
Tony asked,"What are you doing now?"
He asked me what I was doing now.
Thats the appropriate answer, my lil cuz came up to me and asked why it isn't "He asked me what I am doing now" cause his question is basically in present tense, with the "now".
Similarly he relates to another example.
"Where are you living"
Answer: He asked me,"Where I was living."
Thou, I thought the second sounded appropriate. Just the first one seems a lil weird..
Top answer
1. " 2. Bob asked me what I was doing then .
- 1.
- " 2.
- Bob asked me what I was doing then .
- #1 is called direct speech or direct quotation.
- #2 is called 'reported speech', and in reported speech, the reported verb ('are doing') normally regresses (goes from present to past) because the reporting verb ('asked') is in the past.
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4 Answers
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1. Bob: "What are you doing now?"
2. Bob asked me what I was doing then.
#1 is called direct speech or direct quotation. #2 is called 'reported speech', and in reported speech, the reported verb ('are doing') normally regresses (goes from present to past) because the reporting verb ('asked') is in the past. As you can see from my example, other things h
2. Bob asked me what I was doing then.
#1 is called direct speech or direct quotation. #2 is called 'reported speech', and in reported speech, the reported verb ('are doing') normally regresses (goes from present to past) because the reporting verb ('asked') is in the past. As you can see from my example, other things h
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with accordance to your reply, lets give another eg.
Paul asked,"How old are you"
Paul asked how old I "was" or I "am"
I'd conside the correct answer to be "am". Am I right?
Paul asked,"How old are you"
Paul asked how old I "was" or I "am"
I'd conside the correct answer to be "am". Am I right?
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There is no 'correct' answer between the two. Most native speakers use 'was', and most 'reported speech' exercises expect 'was'.
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How we say
They asked me who I am
They asked me who am I
which one is right
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