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Rotter Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

Indirect and direct speech

01. I have a brother.02br
00 2. She said she had a brother. [ This is indirect speech.]02br
00The above is wrong since her brother is still alive.02br
003. She said she has a brother. [This is the correct sentence.] 02br
00Your thoughts are welcome. 0-
  

Top answer

02. I don't think someone can automatically make the assumption that the brother isn't alive any more from that context. 02br 02br 00I think that's a good sentence.

  • 02.
  • I don't think someone can automatically make the assumption that the brother isn't alive any more from that context.
  • 02br 02br 00I think that's a good sentence.
  • Remember, the English speakers highly prefer the past after past, 01b 00NOT02b 00 the present.
  • 02br 003.
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5 Answers
0
02. I don't think someone can automatically make the assumption that the brother isn't alive any more from that context. 02br
02br
00I think that's a good sentence. Remember, the English speakers highly prefer the past after past, 01b00NOT02b00 the present. 02br
003. Also OK, more specific in pointing out that the brother is still alive. 
0
0 Thanks Marius02br
00It seems you will approve both sentences.02br
00In my book it would be incorrect to use 'she said she had a brother'.02br
00----------------------------- 02br
00Let us take another example.02br
005. I love him.02br
006 She said she loved him.02br
00It should be the following:02br
0
0
0No, I don't think you get the feeling of English here: 02br
01b00She said 02b00is in the past. 02br
02br
01b00She loved him 02b00is in the past. 02br
02br
00Both are simultaneous. There's no conflict, we report it at the respective time frame. 02br
00Direct:01i00 I love him.02i
0
0At the BBC site:02br
000 from bbc.co.uk for "she 01b00said02b00 she loves him"02br
00 6 from bbc.co.uk for "she 01b00said02b00 she 01b00loved02b00 him"02br
02br
00At the New York Times site:02br
000 from nytimes.com for "she 01b00said02b00 she love
0
0On your original sentence: 02br
00At the New York Times:02br
000 from 01b00nytimes.com02b00 for 01b00"she said she has a brother"02b02br
05002br
01b002 from nytimes.com02b00 for "she said she had a brother"02br
05100 0240hrefhttp://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=si

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