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Paco2004 Posted 22 years ago
Grammar
SV inversion
subject-verb inversion in indirect speech
(1) I don't know what is the right answer.
(2) I don't know what the right answer is.
The sentence #2 would be better. But I think the sentence #1 is not completely incorrect if one takes the 'what' as an relative pronoun. What I would like to ask is whether the sentence #1 sounds odd to your ears.
paco
(1) I don't know what is the right answer.
(2) I don't know what the right answer is.
The sentence #2 would be better. But I think the sentence #1 is not completely incorrect if one takes the 'what' as an relative pronoun. What I would like to ask is whether the sentence #1 sounds odd to your ears.
paco
Top answer
YES!!! #1 sounds odd to my ears! Nevertheless, people are saying such odd things more and more!
- YES!!!
- #1 sounds odd to my ears!
- Nevertheless, people are saying such odd things more and more!
- We can't stop the march of linguistic history, I suppose, but the trend seems to be away from the contructs of "indirect" speech and toward those of "semi-indirect" speech.
- I have drilled students on this (#2) at length, but they keep bringing back examples from "real life" which are in the pattern of #1!
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3 Answers
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YES!!! #1 sounds odd to my ears!
Nevertheless, people are saying such odd things more and more!
We can't stop the march of linguistic history, I suppose, but the trend seems to be away from the contructs of "indirect" speech and toward those of "semi-indirect" speech.
I have drilled students on this (#2) at length, but they keep bringing back examples from "real life" whi
Nevertheless, people are saying such odd things more and more!
We can't stop the march of linguistic history, I suppose, but the trend seems to be away from the contructs of "indirect" speech and toward those of "semi-indirect" speech.
I have drilled students on this (#2) at length, but they keep bringing back examples from "real life" whi
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CJ
Thank you for the advice.
You replies always contains something more than I can find in usual grammar books.
OK, I don't use #1 construct myself but I'll mind to myself some native speakers would use it.
paco
Thank you for the advice.
You replies always contains something more than I can find in usual grammar books.
OK, I don't use #1 construct myself but I'll mind to myself some native speakers would use it.
paco
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