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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Reported speech: why not backshift?
Hi. Why is it that what follows the word "said" is not in past tenses?
Let us pretend John Doe is a high-ranking government employee. Note that this is written to ask a grammar question and bears no resemblance to a real event or fact.
John Doe said (that?) although there is no law that requires a person like Jane to register with the government, the center has legal authority to implement this procedure to a person like Jane.
Also, do a person has to put a content in quotes or can a person do like no 1 and it will be consider the same as having put quotes around the content of what John Doe said?
John Doe: I will do it.
Reported speech?
1..John Doe said he will do it.
2.John Doe said "He will do it."
Let us pretend John Doe is a high-ranking government employee. Note that this is written to ask a grammar question and bears no resemblance to a real event or fact.
John Doe said (that?) although there is no law that requires a person like Jane to register with the government, the center has legal authority to implement this procedure to a person like Jane.
Also, do a person has to put a content in quotes or can a person do like no 1 and it will be consider the same as having put quotes around the content of what John Doe said?
John Doe: I will do it.
Reported speech?
1..John Doe said he will do it.
2.John Doe said "He will do it."
Top answer
In my opinion, we should add quotation marks to the sentence above. like Jane". For the latter question, I think the most correct sentence is: John Doe said "I will do it".
- In my opinion, we should add quotation marks to the sentence above.
- like Jane".
- For the latter question, I think the most correct sentence is: John Doe said "I will do it".
- If you want to change it into reported speech, it should be: John Doe said he WOULD do it.
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3 Answers
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In my opinion, we should add quotation marks to the sentence above. It should be:
John Doe said: "Although there is ..........like Jane".
For the latter question, I think the most correct sentence is: John Doe said "I will do it". If you want to change it into reported speech, it should be: John Doe said he WOULD do it.
John Doe said: "Although there is ..........like Jane".
For the latter question, I think the most correct sentence is: John Doe said "I will do it". If you want to change it into reported speech, it should be: John Doe said he WOULD do it.
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I would like to point out one thing:
The example sentence is still correct if the "that" in parentheses is added, because what John states is true regardless of the time of occurrence; it is always true, and therefore the present tense should be used.
The example sentence is still correct if the "that" in parentheses is added, because what John states is true regardless of the time of occurrence; it is always true, and therefore the present tense should be used.
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1. John Doe said (that) he would do it.
2. John Doe said: "I will do it".
When you quote somebody you don't report what he said so there's no reported speech in #2.
Sometimes when you report something, you can use a present tense to stress that it applies to the present day.
He said that we are in danger. (you stress that we are still in danger)
Rem
2. John Doe said: "I will do it".
When you quote somebody you don't report what he said so there's no reported speech in #2.
Sometimes when you report something, you can use a present tense to stress that it applies to the present day.
He said that we are in danger. (you stress that we are still in danger)
Rem
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