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Rotter Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
Hsd decided or decided
Details of the case remain sketchy, but the Pakistani investigator dealing with the issue said the authorities were trying to find out if those arrested were part of some organised gang involved in sending Pakistani nationals to Europe on visas issued on fake or forged passports.
Diplomatic restrictions
The FIA's additional director, Tariq Khosa, said it was difficult to say anything about the magnitude of the alleged trafficking operation.
But he said the most significant development had been the willingness of the Swiss authorities to question some of their nationals working at the embassy.
Mr Khosa said the two Swiss police officials sent from Bern met the FIA team to exchange details about the alleged trafficking operation.
Because of diplomatic restrictions the two sides had decided that only Swiss police officials would question diplomats from the embassy's visa section, he said.
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The last sentence of the above is past perfect. Is it necessary to write the past perfect here?
I would write 'the two sides decided that only Swiss police officials would question diplomats...'
I would like to hear your comments.
Diplomatic restrictions
The FIA's additional director, Tariq Khosa, said it was difficult to say anything about the magnitude of the alleged trafficking operation.
But he said the most significant development had been the willingness of the Swiss authorities to question some of their nationals working at the embassy.
Mr Khosa said the two Swiss police officials sent from Bern met the FIA team to exchange details about the alleged trafficking operation.
Because of diplomatic restrictions the two sides had decided that only Swiss police officials would question diplomats from the embassy's visa section, he said.
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The last sentence of the above is past perfect. Is it necessary to write the past perfect here?
I would write 'the two sides decided that only Swiss police officials would question diplomats...'
I would like to hear your comments.
Top answer
Nothing special: ------- In indirect speech, a speaker's present perfect and past tenses are often reported using past perfect tenses (because the events he/she spoke about had happened before she/he spoke, and because the reporters's point of view is not the same as the original speaker's point of view. Direct: I' ve just written to John. Indirect: She told me she had just written to John.
- Nothing special: ------- In indirect speech, a speaker's present perfect and past tenses are often reported using past perfect tenses (because the events he/she spoke about had happened before she/he spoke, and because the reporters's point of view is not the same as the original speaker's point of view.
- Direct: I' ve just written to John.
- Indirect: She told me she had just written to John.
- However, it is often unnecessary to show the time relationship between the events spoken about and the original speech.
- When this is so, when the reporter sees the past events from the same point of view as the original speaker, past perfect tenses are not used.
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1 Answers
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Nothing special:
-------
In indirect speech, a speaker's present perfect and past tenses are often reported using past perfect tenses (because the events he/she spoke about had happened before she/he spoke, and because the reporters's point of view is not the same as the original speaker's point of view.
Direct: I've just written to John.
-------
In indirect speech, a speaker's present perfect and past tenses are often reported using past perfect tenses (because the events he/she spoke about had happened before she/he spoke, and because the reporters's point of view is not the same as the original speaker's point of view.
Direct: I've just written to John.
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