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Tenacious Learner Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
The adverb 'besides' in a reported speech sentence.
Hello teachers,
This is how the sergeant answered the policeman.
Direct Speech:
The sergeant answered, "The house isn't far. Besides, you've got your bike."
Since 'besides' here is an adverb and means 'moreover' or in addition' would 'and he added that' be clear enough in the reported speech or it is better '... ,and besides, ...'.
Reported Speech (Somebody else is reporting to a different person how the sergeant answered)
a) The sergeant answered (the policeman) that the house wasn’t far, and he added that the policeman had his bike.
b) The sergeant answered (the policeman) that the house wasn't far, and besides, the policeman had his bike.
Thanks in advance.
This is how the sergeant answered the policeman.
Direct Speech:
The sergeant answered, "The house isn't far. Besides, you've got your bike."
Since 'besides' here is an adverb and means 'moreover' or in addition' would 'and he added that' be clear enough in the reported speech or it is better '... ,and besides, ...'.
Reported Speech (Somebody else is reporting to a different person how the sergeant answered)
a) The sergeant answered (the policeman) that the house wasn’t far, and he added that the policeman had his bike.
b) The sergeant answered (the policeman) that the house wasn't far, and besides, the policeman had his bike.
Thanks in advance.
Top answer
Hello TL. It's good to meet you over here. Interesting question, as usual.
- Hello TL.
- It's good to meet you over here.
- Interesting question, as usual.
- Your suggestion a) is fine, but it introduces an extraneous element.
- In b), you need, in my view, another that , to keep the reported element clear, thus: b) The sergeant answered that the house wasn't far, and that, besides, the policeman had his bike.
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4 Answers
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Hello TL.
It's good to meet you over here.
Interesting question, as usual.
Your suggestion a) is fine, but it introduces an extraneous element.
In b), you need, in my view, another that, to keep the reported element clear, thus: b) The sergeant answered that the house wasn't far, and that, besides, the policeman had
It's good to meet you over here.
Interesting question, as usual.
Your suggestion a) is fine, but it introduces an extraneous element.
In b), you need, in my view, another that, to keep the reported element clear, thus: b) The sergeant answered that the house wasn't far, and that, besides, the policeman had
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Thomas TompionHello TL. It's good to meet you over here. Likewise.
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Hello Thomas Tompion,
Then the only possibilities with the verb 'answer' in reported speech are:
a) Jack answered to her that they were just his work clothes.
b) Jack answered her they were just his work clothes.
The ones that are underlined and in bold are always mandatory, aren't they?
How about this one? Is it possible?
Then the only possibilities with the verb 'answer' in reported speech are:
a) Jack answered to her that they were just his work clothes.
b) Jack answered her they were just his work clothes.
The ones that are underlined and in bold are always mandatory, aren't they?
How about this one? Is it possible?
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c) Jack answered they were just his work clothes.
You have already set up the 'her' in your reporting, so don't need to repeat 'her' or 'to her'. You could also freshen it into the present by:
d) Jack answered, 'These are just my work clothes.'
You have already set up the 'her' in your reporting, so don't need to repeat 'her' or 'to her'. You could also freshen it into the present by:
d) Jack answered, 'These are just my work clothes.'
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