use of direct speech

[Anonymous]

Dear teacher

Please help me on the following:-

"While snorkeling, a shoal of fish___towards me, " said Justin.

The answer given by the book is SWAM. Is that correcT? Should it be "swim"?

Please let me know what the answer is, with an explanation.

thank you very much

 

[RonBee]

Use swam. (Past tense.) Were the fish snorkeling?

 

[Casiopea]

Dear teacher

Please help me on the following:-

"While snorkeling, a shoal of fish___towards me, " said Justin.

The answer given by the book is SWAM. Is that correcT? Should it be "swim"?

Please let me know what the answer is, with an explanation.

thank you very much

While (I was) snorkeling, a shoal of fish swam towards me.

Notice the verbs 'was' and 'swam' agree in tense.

 

[Tdol]

It could also be in the progressive, depending on the speed of the fish. ;-)

 

[RonBee]

"While snorkeling" in "While snorkeling, a shoal of fish swam towards me" is what grammarians call a dangling participle. It has no connection to the word it presumably is supposed to modify. Unless, of course, the fish were indeed snorkeling.

 

[Tdol]

Strange fish. ;-)