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Anonymous Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
past perfect? Reported speech
happy new year to all teachers
I would like to know if both sentences are correct
Imagine what! My husband told me last night that he came back late because he had met a fairy on his way home.
Imagine what! My husband told me last night that he had come back late
because he had met a fairy on his way home.
because direct speech can be
I come back late or I came back late so when we change in reported speech:
present becomes past simple
past simple becomes past perfect
Am I right?
I would like to know if both sentences are correct
Imagine what! My husband told me last night that he came back late because he had met a fairy on his way home.
Imagine what! My husband told me last night that he had come back late
because he had met a fairy on his way home.
because direct speech can be
I come back late or I came back late so when we change in reported speech:
present becomes past simple
past simple becomes past perfect
Am I right?
Top answer
Neither sentence is quite right. It should be: "Imagine this! "), while the past perfect indicates completed action in past time, which is not what is depicted here.
- Neither sentence is quite right.
- It should be: "Imagine this!
- "), while the past perfect indicates completed action in past time, which is not what is depicted here.
- The following would be a situation where the past perfect is used: "Imagine this!
- My husband came home late last night.
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4 Answers
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Neither sentence is quite right. It should be:
"Imagine this! My husband told me last night that he came home late because he met a fairy on his way home."
The past perfect is not right in this sentence because all of it is simply action in past time (here the wife is simply reporting what her husband said: "I came home late because I met a fairy on my way home."), while the p
"Imagine this! My husband told me last night that he came home late because he met a fairy on his way home."
The past perfect is not right in this sentence because all of it is simply action in past time (here the wife is simply reporting what her husband said: "I came home late because I met a fairy on my way home."), while the p
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My husband said, "I came home late because I met a fairy on my way home."
My husband said, "I am home late because I met a fairy on my way home."
-- Not "I come home late." That's incorrect.
My husband told me that he had come home late because he'd met a fairy on his way home. -- Here you back shift his direct speech of "came/met" to "had come/had met."
My husband t
My husband said, "I am home late because I met a fairy on my way home."
-- Not "I come home late." That's incorrect.
My husband told me that he had come home late because he'd met a fairy on his way home. -- Here you back shift his direct speech of "came/met" to "had come/had met."
My husband t
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Thanks for your answer
So why there is no need to backshift for came ?: only because this action happened after he( had) met
the fairy . if the sentence was : He said " I came late" . Reported speech will be he said he had come late or he said he came late.
THANKS AS USUAL
So why there is no need to backshift for came ?: only because this action happened after he( had) met
the fairy . if the sentence was : He said " I came late" . Reported speech will be he said he had come late or he said he came late.
THANKS AS USUAL
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You are never wrong to backshift reported speech, but there are many times when you don't have to when the original sentence is already in the past.
That is, you usually backshift present tense (except for "universal truths" or present used to indicate future, when the future is sitll in the future), but you don't have to backshift the past tense, unless you need to show a sequence of ten
That is, you usually backshift present tense (except for "universal truths" or present used to indicate future, when the future is sitll in the future), but you don't have to backshift the past tense, unless you need to show a sequence of ten
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