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Inchoateknowledge Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
word order in indirect speech
What is the matter? This asks for the subject
possible word order:
He asked what the matter was
He asked what was the matter
What is the time? This asks for the complement.
possible word order:
He asked what the time was.
and not
He asked what was the time.
Could anybody, please, tell me why the former asks the subject and the latter the complement? Thanks
from Swan's PEU p 253 (7)
possible word order:
He asked what the matter was
He asked what was the matter
What is the time? This asks for the complement.
possible word order:
He asked what the time was.
and not
He asked what was the time.
Could anybody, please, tell me why the former asks the subject and the latter the complement? Thanks
from Swan's PEU p 253 (7)
Top answer
Hello Inchoateknowledge I was also surprised by what Michael Swan wrote. I have read many other books on English usage which do not say the same thing. In other words, What is the matter?
- Hello Inchoateknowledge I was also surprised by what Michael Swan wrote.
- I have read many other books on English usage which do not say the same thing.
- In other words, What is the matter?
- should be reported as He asked what the matter was .
- Similarly, What is the time?
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8 Answers
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Hello Inchoateknowledge
I was also surprised by what Michael Swan wrote. I have read many other books on English usage which do not say the same thing.
In other words, What is the matter? should be reported as He asked what the matter was. Similarly, What is the time? should be reported as He asked what the time was.
I was also surprised by what Michael Swan wrote. I have read many other books on English usage which do not say the same thing.
In other words, What is the matter? should be reported as He asked what the matter was. Similarly, What is the time? should be reported as He asked what the time was.
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As far as I know, the word order for a question in reported speech is not the direct question order. There is no S/V inversion, so I agree with Yoong Liat.
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Both versions seem to be correct, including the one with the verb in front of the subject (condemned by Swan), at least according to these writers:
The Phantom of the Opera by Leroux, Gaston - Chapter 12
The Phantom of the Opera by Leroux, Gaston - Chapter 12
| It asked what was the matt |
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However, this well-documented discussion in another forum confirms the S-V order in indirect questions indicated by Swan, thus I think his prescription should be generally followed:
indirect questions
http://tinyurl.com/qmvww
indirect questions
http://tinyurl.com/qmvww
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"What is the time?"
I'm not a native, and, when enquiring about the time, I always say "What time is it", not "What is the time?"
Direct speech: "What time is it?"
Reported speech in the past : He asked what time it was.
Otherwise: He asked: "What time is it?", no shift in tenses because it's not a real reported speech.
I'm not a native, and, when enquiring about the time, I always say "What time is it", not "What is the time?"
Direct speech: "What time is it?"
Reported speech in the past : He asked what time it was.
Otherwise: He asked: "What time is it?", no shift in tenses because it's not a real reported speech.
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Hi,
There is one thing that Swan says and I can not get my head around:
What is the time? He says it asks for the complement. The time is 16 30 -- 1630 is the complement. OK.
What is the matter? He says it asks for the subject!! -- the matter is that facts do not matter (the nominal that clause not a subject but a complement, a
There is one thing that Swan says and I can not get my head around:
What is the time? He says it asks for the complement. The time is 16 30 -- 1630 is the complement. OK.
What is the matter? He says it asks for the subject!! -- the matter is that facts do not matter (the nominal that clause not a subject but a complement, a
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What is the matter? This asks for the subject
I reject this premiss. It doesn't ask for the subject. And (surprise, surprise!) it doesn't really ask for the complement either. It's an idiomatic expression that says "Talk to me about what is bothering you" or "Tell me the problem". The answer is a complete sentence that does not use the
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What is the matter? does not have a statemnt form. Hence What is the matter ? when changed into the indiirect speech the word order remains unchanged. ex. He said to me , "What is the matter?' becomes He asked me what was the matter.
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