Search results for 'tag:Indirect speech' matching tag 'Indirect speech'

Re: ..why do I have vs ..why I have

CalifJim — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:25:41 GMT

Yoong Liat
it would be nice to hear what the other native speakers have to say on this.

According to Radford (Transformational Grammar):

Direct speech: "Will I get a degree?" John wondered.

Indirect speech: John wondered whether he would get a degree.

Semi-indirect speech: John wondered would he get a degree.

(Semi-indirect speech is so called because it shares features of both direct and indirect speech: the inversion of direct speech and the backshifting of indirect speech, for example.)

Personally, I find that semi-indirect speech is used most often in three situations:

1. In extremely informal conversation.

2. As a literary device, often to portray the inner thoughts and feelings of a character.

3. By ESL learners who have no intention of being either extremely informal nor of contributing to English literature, but who are aiming for indirect speech and missing.

Semi-indirect speech (with its subject-verb inversion) has nothing whatever to do with the emphasis provided by do-support uninverted:

Semi-indirect: John is wondering does Susan like to dance.

Indirect with emphasis: John is wondering if Susan does like to dance.

Semi-indirect: You may wonder why do I have two cars.

Indirect with emphasis: You may wonder why I do have two cars.

Re: ..why do I have vs ..why I have

EagerSeeker — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:43:25 GMT

Tanit

Hi,

As Goodman says, only the first one is correct,
From your post and your examples, I understand you've got Swann's book, right?
So, may I suggest another approach to clear your doubt?
That's an indirect question.
If you've got the same edition as me (the 3rd), have a look at section 276, "Indirect speech: questions and answers":

In reported questions the subject normally comes before the verb in standard English, and auxiliary do is not used.
- DIRECT: Where's Alice?
- INDIRECT: I asked where Alice was. (NOT ... ~~where was Alice~~.)
...
- DIRECT: What do I need?
- INDIRECT: She asked what she needed. (NOT ... ~~what did she need~~.)
...

If we try and use the same approach:

- DIRECT: Why do I have two cars?
- INDIRECT: You may wonder why I have two cars. (NOT ... ~~why do I have two cars~~.)

Yes, you are absolutely right! It is indeed indirect speech (I realized it later after reading more) and then we don't use auxiliary "do" in indirect questions.
But I found this to be a tricky one. Yes, I have Swan's book but he doesn't mention that we can use auxiliary do in indirect speech when the sentence
is negative.

I found this from my Finnish-English grammar book: "Auxiliary do is not used in indirect questions except in negative sentences".
Example: "Philip asked why children didn't read anymore."

So on the basis of what has been said so far I would find these examples correct:

"You may wonder why I have two cars."
"You may wonder why I don't have two cars." (negative sentence)
"You may wonder why I do have two cars." (emphatic sentence)

That emphasis is a nice suggestion from you guys!

Re: ..why do I have vs ..why I have

Tanit — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:47:12 GMT

"You may wonder why I have two cars."
"You may wonder why do I have two cars."

Hi,

As Goodman says, only the first one is correct,
From your post and your examples, I understand you've got Swann's book, right?
So, may I suggest another approach to clear your doubt?
That's an indirect question.
If you've got the same edition as me (the 3rd), have a look at section 276, "Indirect speech: questions and answers":

In reported questions the subject normally comes before the verb in standard English, and auxiliary do is not used.
- DIRECT: Where's Alice?
- INDIRECT: I asked where Alice was. (NOT ... ~~where was Alice~~.)
...
- DIRECT: What do I need?
- INDIRECT: She asked what she needed. (NOT ... ~~what did she need~~.)
...

If we try and use the same approach:

- DIRECT: Why do I have two cars?
- INDIRECT: You may wonder why I have two cars. (NOT ... ~~why do I have two cars~~.)

Re: Please help in these indirect speech sentences.

Huevos — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:48:11 GMT

You should try to do this yourself in future and others will help you with your errors.

1. "They were all writing when I arrived", she said. -> She said that they were all writing when she arrived.

2. "I have had a rest and soon I must start work again", he said. -> He said that he had had a rest and that he should soon start work again.

3. "I can see that someone has told you", she said to him. -> She said to him that she could see that someone had told him.

4. "You shall have your dinner as soon as I return", promised her mother. -> Her mother promised that she/she/I/we would have her/her/my/our dinner as soon as she [her mother] returned. "You" is ambiguous in the source. Antecedent problem.

5. "The sun is becoming cooler all the time", said the professor. -> The professor said that the sun was becoming cooler all the time.

Please help in these indirect speech sentences.

youralibaba — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 08:50:30 GMT

Please give me indirect speech of these sentences.

1. :They were all writing when I arrived", she said.

2. "I have had a rest and soon I must start work again", he said.

3. "I can see that someone has told you", she said to him.

4. "You shall have your dinner as soon as I return", promised her mother.

5. "The sun is becoming cooler all the time", said the professor

Re: Change into indirect speech....

Clive — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 21:27:54 GMT

Hi,
As the sentence is about a single person(You need a holiday; you haven't had one for such a long time)

but as u said in the second part of the answer(because they hadn't had one for such a long time)

i feel it should be "because he hadn't had one for such a long time"
We don't know whether 'you' refers to a male or a female.
In such a case, you can say "because he hadn't had one . . ' or 'because he or she hadn't had one . . .'.
But it's very common in everyday speech to use the pronoun 'they'. eg
A: Someone phoned while you were out.
B: Oh, what did they want?

Clive

Re: Change into indirect speech....

Anonymous — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:26:51 GMT

Hi, Mr. Clive

As the sentence is about a single person(You need a holiday; you haven't had one for such a long time)

but as u said in the second part of the answer(because they hadn't had one for such a long time)

i feel it should be "because he hadn't had one for such a long time"

am i rite?

Re: Change into indirect speech....

New2grammar — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:13:28 GMT

Patience is a virtue. I believe you're the guy who sent me an PM judging from the same questions.

Re: Change into indirect speech....

Anonymous — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:10:33 GMT

Sorry Mr. Clive..i am xtremely sorry.

Mr. Clive..i am not clear with the 5th answer..please..can u make me clear with that?

Re: Change into indirect speech....

Clive — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:52:57 GMT

Hi,
Please don't rush me. Do you realize that people often wait 2 or 3 days to get a reply? You are very lucky.

I'm just an unpaid volunteer,and I have many other things to do, away from the computer.

Clive