Insist that..

Question

Hello, teachers!!I have some questions about "insist"[He insisted that Jessica study English hard.]This sentence means...He said "to Jessica" that she(=Jessica) should study English hardright?What about this sentence...?[He insisted that Jessica had stolen his bag.]This sentence means...(1) He said to Jessica that she(=Jessica) had stolen his bag.(2) He said to other people that Jessica had stolen his bag.Which one is correct...?If (2) is correct, can we write [He insisted to other people that Jessica had stolen his bag.]?and....[He insisted that Jessica stole his bag.]I think, this sentence is wrong, because Jessica had stolen his bag before he insisted.So, [He insisted that Jessica had stolen his bag.]This sentence is correct.However,I found a sentence in Longman Dictionary.[His friends insisted he had no connection with drugs.]I think this sentence is wrong. I don't know why this is correct. He had had no connection with drugs before his friends insisted. Right?So, I think we have to write [His friends insisted he had had no connection with drugs.]I'm so confused..Could you please help me?Thank you for your help in advance!

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

minsooy[He insisted that Jessica study English ~~hard~~.]

Delete "hard". It is not good English.

"insist" is more of a demand for an action in the future.

Jessica's father insisted that she study English, not French.

If she chose French instead, he would not pay the school fees.

minsooy[He insisted that Jessica had stolen his bag.]

Correct.

John reported to the police that someone had stolen his bag.

The police thought that Jake had stolen John's bag.

But John insisted that it was not John, but Jessica.

minsooy[His friends insisted he had no connection with drugs.]

Correct.

The police were going to arrest Jake because they thought he was a drug dealer.

But Jake's friends told the police, "You are wrong. We know Jake. He is not a drug dealer. He has no connection with drugs."

Jakes' friends insisted that he had no connection with drugs.

CalifJim · Answer

minsooyI have some questions about "insist".

There are two meanings of 'insist'. The grammar is a little different for each.

1) to say very firmly that something must happen or must be done

In this command-like meaning, we use the infinitive form of the verb after 'insist that' or 'insisted that' or after any other tense of 'insist'.

He insists that Jessica study mathematics.
He insisted that Jessica study mathematics.
He will insist that Jessica study mathematics.

(not 'studies' or 'studied')

2) to keep saying very firmly that something is true, even when other people will not believe you

In this meaning, we use the usual tenses of the verb, not the infinitive form, after any tense of 'insist that'.

He insists that Jessica studies mathematics.
He insists that Jessica studied mathematics.
He insisted that Jessica studied mathematics.
He insisted that Jessica had studied mathematics.

You may substitute the simple past for the past perfect in these constructions. The fact that the insisting comes after what was insisted upon is pretty obvious with meaning 2).

Cases where the verb after 'insist that' is in the present can be ambiguous because, except for the third person singular illustrated above (Jessica), the present tense form and the infinitive form are almost always the same. (The verb to be is the only exception.)

Thus, the definition of 'insist' may be either 1) or 2) in the following:

He insists that I study mathematics.
She insists that you study mathematics.
They insist that we study mathematics.

We don't say "insist to Jessica" or "insist to other people", by the way.

In meaning 1) you are always commanding, encouraging, or demanding something of Jessica (or whoever is the subject of the that-clause). Therefore, it's not necessary to add that information in the sentence.

In meaning 2) you are usually firmly claiming that something is true of the subject of the that-clause, and that may or may not be the person you are talking to. If the subject of the that-clause is 'you', then you are making the claim to the person you are talking to, not to 'other people' (She insists that you study mathematics). Again, it's not necessary to add information about who you are talking to.

CJ

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