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Debpriya De Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Saying

Do we always have to write a saying or proverb in its original form in quotations ?
For example, can we write "There is an old saying that barking dogs seldom bite" instead of "There is an old saying "Barking dogs seldom bite" " ?
Do we have to change the tense accordingly as in "There was an old saying that barking dogs seldom bit."?
  

Top answer

In my opinion, you're bound neither by the rules of direct speech nor by the rules of reported speech. You can speak/paraphrase your piece in present tense without quotes. There is an old saying that barking dogs seldom bite.

— Avangi

  • In my opinion, you're bound neither by the rules of direct speech nor by the rules of reported speech.
  • You can speak/paraphrase your piece in present tense without quotes.
  • There is an old saying that barking dogs seldom bite.
  • People used to say that barking dogs seldom bite.
  • People often say that barking dogs seldom bite.
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1 Answers
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In my opinion, you're bound neither by the rules of direct speech nor by the rules of reported speech.

You can speak/paraphrase your piece in present tense without quotes.

There is an old saying that barking dogs seldom bite.
People used to say that barking dogs seldom bite.
People often say that barking dogs seldom bite.
I've heard it said th
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