FalaGringo
Junior Member
- Joined
- May 28, 2021
- Member Type
- Interested in Language
- Native Language
- English
- Home Country
- UK
- Current Location
- England
Reported speech; I've been having a look at it recently, it seems to be a topic that can be quite complicated to master for foreign learners as msot of the information out there doesn't clearly identify some important details that people may want to know.
So, they say in order to relay information on what someone has said, you must use the correct verb tense, for example, if the first speaker uses "Has", the second speaker whom is relaying the information must use "Had"
Examples
Mark: I have to go home.
I: Mark said he had to go home; written on paper or relayed in the future, perhaps a day later.
Mark: I don't like him.
I: Mark said he didn't like him; written on paper or relayed in the future, perhaps a day later.
Mark: I will help him later.
I: Mark said he would help him later; written on paper or relayed in the future, perhaps a day later.
The only problem is that we tend to speak and possibly write differently when the time period in which the person had spoken is very recent, let's imagine that I'm at someone's house, this person's name is Mark, Mark and I are talking in his room and I decide to go downstairs to talk to his mother, to relay what he said...
Examples
Mark: I have to go out soon.
I:Mark said he has to go out soon
Mark: I don't like him Peter at all.
I: Mark said he doesn't like Peter at all.
Mark: I will help him later.
I: Mark said he will help him later.
So because of these differences, I can only assume that there will times when we use the incorrect tense, perhaps we would say something like,
"You said you will help me" a couple of days later instead of "You said you would help me ", which perhaps is the most correct way of saying it.
What are your thoughts?
So, they say in order to relay information on what someone has said, you must use the correct verb tense, for example, if the first speaker uses "Has", the second speaker whom is relaying the information must use "Had"
Examples
Mark: I have to go home.
I: Mark said he had to go home; written on paper or relayed in the future, perhaps a day later.
Mark: I don't like him.
I: Mark said he didn't like him; written on paper or relayed in the future, perhaps a day later.
Mark: I will help him later.
I: Mark said he would help him later; written on paper or relayed in the future, perhaps a day later.
The only problem is that we tend to speak and possibly write differently when the time period in which the person had spoken is very recent, let's imagine that I'm at someone's house, this person's name is Mark, Mark and I are talking in his room and I decide to go downstairs to talk to his mother, to relay what he said...
Examples
Mark: I have to go out soon.
I:Mark said he has to go out soon
Mark: I don't like him Peter at all.
I: Mark said he doesn't like Peter at all.
Mark: I will help him later.
I: Mark said he will help him later.
So because of these differences, I can only assume that there will times when we use the incorrect tense, perhaps we would say something like,
"You said you will help me" a couple of days later instead of "You said you would help me ", which perhaps is the most correct way of saying it.
What are your thoughts?
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