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Tenacious Learner Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Need help. Sentence correction

Hi teachers,



Even though it is good to break direct speech into manageable pieces, I would like to now if the next reported speech sentence is all right.



Direct Speech

The policeman said, “I’m from the village police station. The sergeant sent me. I’ve got something to tell you.”



Reported Speech

The policeman said (that) he was from the village police station and that the sergeant had sent him because he had something to tell her.



Thanks in advance
  

Top answer

It's perfectly correct.

— Philip

  • It's perfectly correct.
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8 Answers
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It's perfectly correct.
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Thanks a lot Philp. But I still have a doubt with the 'that' in this part of the sentence, is it abosultely necessary or optional?

... and that the sergeant had sent him ..
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Thinking Spainabosultely (absolutely) necessary or optional?
Optional.

CJ
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All right Calif Jim! Thank you very much. So the secon 'that', it is also optional as you've said. Then my question is: the first and the second 'that' are gramatically the same? Are they relative pronouns?
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Thinking Spainthe first and the second 'that' are gramatically the same?
Yes.

He said he was from ... OR He said that he was from ...
He said the sergeant ... OR He said that the sergeant ...

Combining:

He said he was from ... and the sergeant ...
OR
He said that he was from ... and that the sergeant ...
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Thank YOU CalifJim. Never heard the word 'complementizer'. It is my first time in my whole life.

It seems that is a subordinating conjunction in traditional grammar. The term "complementizer" was apparently first used by Rosenbaum (1967). I did a little bit of research. Thanks t
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Thinking Spain It seems that is a subordinating conjunction in traditional grammar.
Oh. OK. Yes. I should have mentioned that. Sorry if I caused any confusion.
Thinking Spain'everything learnt, everything to be learnt'. I hope it makes sense in English.
Yes, it does!

CJ
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CalifJimOh. OK. Yes. I should have mentioned that. Sorry if I caused any confusion.

CalifJim, you have never caused me any confusion and you never will. Everything I learn here, of course including your teaching, just increases my desire in learning and investigating. Thanks to youand to all the people that make this possible.
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