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Thread: said/says

  1. #1
    playagain's Avatar
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    Exclamation said/says

    Which one is correct?

    1. She said that, we must go there.
    2. She says that, we must go there.

    And also take a look on my punctuation marks. Thanks

  2. #2
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    Default Re: said/says

    Quote Originally Posted by playagain View Post
    Which one is correct?

    1. She said that we must go there.
    2. She says that we must go there.

    And also take a look on my punctuation marks. Thanks
    Either, in the appropriate context, but without the commas.

    1 is ambiguous. There is an old(ish) use of "must" as a simple past; in this case, it would be more common to say 'She said that we had to/were obliged to go there,' though some native speakers (usually the ones with less hair ) would still use 'must'. The other meaning of 1 is that she said (at some time in the past) that (at any possible opportunity in the future) we should go: 'If you ever go to London, you must visit the Museum of Childhood at Bethnal Green'.

    b

  3. #3
    playagain's Avatar
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    Default Re: said/says

    Thanks but I can't get why # 1 is ambiguous

  4. #4
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    Default Re: said/says

    The two meanings:

    1 - simple past: you must = you had to (this usage is dying out; best ignored for ESOL purposes )
    2 - present statement about future advisability (not obligation)
    (these are the two meanings I discussed in my last post; there's another -
    2a - present command about [near-]future obligation )

    b

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