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Vsuresh Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
indirect speech
Hi
Please help me with this situation:
George said to Ron, " What book were you reading yesterday?"
George asked Ron what book he had been reading (was reading) the previous day.
Here, going by the back shift rule of indirect speech we need to change past continuous to past perfect continuous.
I want to know if we retain past continuous are we misreporting in terms of time.
I think since we use the previous day past continuous does not distort the time of reference.
Please give your comments.
Please help me with this situation:
George said to Ron, " What book were you reading yesterday?"
George asked Ron what book he had been reading (was reading) the previous day.
Here, going by the back shift rule of indirect speech we need to change past continuous to past perfect continuous.
I want to know if we retain past continuous are we misreporting in terms of time.
I think since we use the previous day past continuous does not distort the time of reference.
Please give your comments.
Top answer
vsuresh I want to know if we retain past continuous are we misreporting in terms of time. Back-shifting is optional. Native speakers usually employ back-shifting, but sometimes they don't.
- vsuresh I want to know if we retain past continuous are we misreporting in terms of time.
- Back-shifting is optional.
- Native speakers usually employ back-shifting, but sometimes they don't.
- In this sentence, if I report the speech later on the same day, then "yesterday" is still valid, and I might or might not back-shift.
- If I report the speech the next week, month or year, then "yesterday" is not valid, and I would back-shift.
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4 Answers
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vsureshI want to know if we retain past continuous are we misreporting in terms of time.Back-shifting is optional. Native speakers usually employ back-shifting, but sometimes they don't.
In this sentence, if I report the speech later on the same day, then "yesterday" is still valid, and I might or might not back-shift.
If I report the speech the next
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Thank you, AlpheccaStars.
But, my thoughts on past continuous tense here. By changing past continuous to past perfect continuous (with the previous day) are making the time reference better suited to the time of reporting?
But, my thoughts on past continuous tense here. By changing past continuous to past perfect continuous (with the previous day) are making the time reference better suited to the time of reporting?
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vsureshyour commentsI'd use 'had been reading', probably because of 'the previous day', which relates the time of the asking to the time of the reading very clearly. To my ear, 'had been reading' is in close harmony with that relationship. Even so, I don't find 'was reading' unacceptable.
CJ
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CalifJimI'd use 'had been reading', probably because of 'the previous day', which relates the time of the asking to the time of the reading very clearly.I get it. Thank you,CJ.
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