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Old 18-Feb-2005, 15:23
einstein_genx
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Question i am not sure these reported speech rules work.please help!!

i read these rules in a book but i am not sure if they are right:
1.direct:he said,"the speaker was speaking and the audience was cheering."
indirect:he said that the speaker was speaking and the audience was cherring.
(the tense has not changed into past perfect continuous because there are 2 verbs in past continuous)

2.direct:he said,"i lived in london for 2 years."
indirect:he said that he lived in london for 2 years.
(the tense has not changed into past perfect because it is a verb in simple past and mentions some time period.)

are these rules correct???????

help

if possible mail the answer to [Email Removed]

Last edited by Red5; 19-Feb-2005 at 10:12. Reason: Email removed - people can contact you through your profile.
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Old 19-Feb-2005, 09:06
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Default Re: i am not sure these reported speech rules work.please help!!

(1) The indirect form is fine, while past perfect is formally preferred by some strict grammarians, and the number of verbs in the dependent clause is irrelevant.

'The speaker was speaking and the audience was cheering.'
He said that the speaker had been speaking and the audience had been cheering.
He said that the speaker was speaking and the audience was cheering.

As long as there is no confusion about the time relationships, simple past is adequate and past perfect is overkill.

(2) Also wrong rule. Nothing to do with length of time.

"I lived in London for 2 years."
He said that he lived in London for 2 years.
He said that he had lived in London for 2 years.

Again, both reported speeches are fine, with the same caveat: as long as there is no confusion about the time relationships, simple past is adequate and past perfect is overkill.
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