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Question

Is the below sentence correct in reply to 'I challenge you'?

I am going to make you wish you had not told me 'you challenge me'.

I am not sure about the last part 'you challenge me'. Should it be 'challenged'?

Deadrat · Accepted Answer

The two of you will never get to the duel of honor if you try to get the pronouns and tenses correct between direct and indirect discourse. There's an easier way:

I am going to make you wish that you hadn't challenged me.

Anonymous · Answer

deadratThe two of you will never get to the duel of honor if you try to get the pronouns and tenses correct between direct and indirect discourse

Thanks a lot. Do you mean by the two of use by the way her wrote the sentence and my reply to his? And is it wrong to say 'I challenge you"?

deadratThere's an easier way:I am going to make you wish that you hadn't challenged me.

Yes, that is much easier. Just curious what would be the correct form for the sentence I wrote?

Would I have to quote his exact words at the end of my sentence if it is direct and what about not direct? CAn you show me please!

Deadrat · Answer

Direct discourse is a direct quotation of the speaker's words:

I am going to make you wish you had not said, "I challenge you."

Indirect discourse is a report of the sense of what the speaker said:

I am going to make you wish you had not said that you challenged me.

Direct discourse preserves the words, including the person of the pronouns and the tense of the verbs.

Indirect discourse is about the statement and not the statement itself. You're talking now or at least shortly ("I am going to") about a challenge in the past, so the tense shifts to the past. You're speaking to the challenger, so the pronoun shifts to the second person for the challenger and the first person for the challenged.

Anonymous · Answer

deadratQuoteDirect discourse is a direct quotation of the speaker's words:I am going to make you wish you had not said, "I challenge you."Indirect discourse is a report of the sense of what the speaker said:I am going to make you wish you had not said that you challenged me.

I got it. Thank you very much.

Would it be possible to use 'told me' instead of 'said' in both of your example, direct and indirect?

Also, is the sentence 'I challenge you' correct?

deadratDirect discourse preserves the words, including the person of the pronouns and the tense of the verbs.Indirect discourse is about the statement and not the statement itself. You're talking now or at least shortly ("I am going to") about a challenge in the past, so the tense shifts to the past. You're speaking to the challenger, so the pronoun shifts to the second person for the challenger and the first person for the challenged.

Thanks for you detailed, clear and simple explanation!

Deadrat · Answer

If you're writing, the appropriate punctuation will insure that your readers know when you're using direct or indirect discourse. So "told me" is fine. When you're speaking, you have no such aids, and the relative pronoun "that" is often elided. So people may expect "told me [that], when you meant "told me", and everyone may stand around trying to figure out who challenged whom.

The "I challenge you" sentence is fine.

Anonymous · Answer

deadratIf you're writing, the appropriate punctuation will insure that your readers know when you're using direct or indirect discourse. So "told me" is fine. When you're speaking, you have no such aids, and the relative pronoun "that" is often elided. So people may expect "told me [that], when you meant "told me", and everyone may stand around trying to figure out who challenged whom.The "I challenge you" sentence is fine.

I see. Thanks. So if I used told me that' it would be for the indirect discourse, and 'told me' followed by the proper punctuation, quaotqtion marks, for the direct discourse. Would that be correct?

Deadrat · Answer

Right.

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I am going to make you wish that you hadn't challenged me.

I am going to make you wish you had not said, "I challenge you."

I am going to make you wish you had not said that you challenged me.

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