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Anonymous Posted 12 years ago
Vocabulary
He did not say
(i) He did not say when he would be resigning his post.
(ii) He did not say when he was resigning his post.
Which is better to say (i) or (ii) ? Is there any difference in meaning between the two sentences?
(ii) He did not say when he was resigning his post.
Which is better to say (i) or (ii) ? Is there any difference in meaning between the two sentences?
Top answer
(i) Suggests that the speaker already has knowledge that the subject will be resigning but is stating that they have not heard the subject say when that will happen. (ii) Is ambiguous on its own. It could mean roughly the same as (i) _or_ It could be referring to an utterance that the subject made whilst he was in the process of resigning.
- (i) Suggests that the speaker already has knowledge that the subject will be resigning but is stating that they have not heard the subject say when that will happen.
- (ii) Is ambiguous on its own.
- It could mean roughly the same as (i) _or_ It could be referring to an utterance that the subject made whilst he was in the process of resigning.
- The context would make it plain which was meant but (i) is clearer, I think.
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1 Answers
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(i) Suggests that the speaker already has knowledge that the subject will be resigning but is stating that they have not heard the subject say when that will happen.
(ii) Is ambiguous on its own.
It could mean roughly the same as (i)
_or_ It could be referring to an utterance that the subject made whilst he was in the process of resigning.
The context would make it plain
(ii) Is ambiguous on its own.
It could mean roughly the same as (i)
_or_ It could be referring to an utterance that the subject made whilst he was in the process of resigning.
The context would make it plain
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