correct order of verb and noun

[kohyoongliat]

Dear Teacher

What did he say his name was?

What did he say was his name?

Are both sentences correct? If so, please tell me the difference between them.

Thank you very much

With best wishes

[BobK]

Originally Posted by kohyoongliat

Dear Teacher

What did he say his name was?

What did he say was his name?

Are both sentences correct? If so, please tell me the difference between them.

Thank you very much

With best wishes

Both are fine, and there's not much difference that I can detect. The first concentrates on the event (the reported speech), and the second on the fact (the name). So in some contexts there'd be a preference for one over the other.

E.g. - someone habitually gives a false name: What did he say his name was [this time]?

Someone is sending a post-card, but can't remember the name of the addressee: What did he say was his name?

But the difference is very slight. In most cases, they're equivalent.

b

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by kohyoongliat

Dear Teacher

What did he say his name was?

What did he say was his name?

Are both sentences correct? If so, please tell me the difference between them.

Thank you very much

With best wishes

The first is better. We don't normally invert the subject and verb in an indirect question.

The verb is correctrly inverted in the question part: "did he say".
The indirect question should be "what...his name was."

[BobK]

Originally Posted by MikeNewYork

The first is better. We don't normally invert the subject and verb in an indirect question.

The verb is correctrly inverted in the question part: "did he say".
The indirect question should be "what...his name was."

I didn't mention formality. I agree with Mike, but informally some people say (omitting the punctuation, as speakers tend to!) 'What - did he say? - was his name?'

b

[kohyoongliat]

Thanks, Mike and BobK, for your replies.

Koh