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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
Last
Hi,
"Iraq's Foreign Minister, Hoshyar Zebari, said yesterday that Baghdad would take no part in Arab League talks in Cairo last night." [From The Independent.]
Is the adjective "last" correctly used in the sentence? My understanding is that the minister said (in direct speech): "Bahdad will take no part in Arab League talks in Cairo this night". Could he have said: "Bahdad will take no part in Arab League talks in Cairo last night"? I don't think so. In my opinion, the "night" in question should be reported as "the following night". Am I right or missing something in understanding it?
Thank you.
"Iraq's Foreign Minister, Hoshyar Zebari, said yesterday that Baghdad would take no part in Arab League talks in Cairo last night." [From The Independent.]
Is the adjective "last" correctly used in the sentence? My understanding is that the minister said (in direct speech): "Bahdad will take no part in Arab League talks in Cairo this night". Could he have said: "Bahdad will take no part in Arab League talks in Cairo last night"? I don't think so. In my opinion, the "night" in question should be reported as "the following night". Am I right or missing something in understanding it?
Thank you.
Top answer
It is correct if the night in question is the night of the day that this reported speech was reported.
- It is correct if the night in question is the night of the day that this reported speech was reported.
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2 Answers
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It is correct if the night in question is the night of the day that this reported speech was reported.
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