|
|
 Fri Aug 10, 2007 18:24 pm She said if I were/had been~ |
|
|
| edison_chen_e_c wrote: | 1.I know this one.
If I were you (now), I would be happy (now).
2.I don't get this one. Which one is correct?
She said if I had been you, I would have been happy.
She said if I were you, I would be happy. |
"She said if I were you I would be happy." is correct.  |
|
Harry Smiith
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 15 Jul 2007
Posts: 112
Location: Moscow, Russia
|
|
| Sun Aug 12, 2007 13:03 pm She said if I were/had been~ |
|
|
| Harry Smiith wrote: | | edison_chen_e_c wrote: | 1.I know this one.
If I were you (now), I would be happy (now).
2.I don't get this one. Which one is correct?
She said if I had been you, I would have been happy.
She said if I were you, I would be happy. |
"She said if I were you I would be happy." is correct. |
She said if I had been you, I would have been happy.
Is it wrong? Shouldn't I use past perfective? |
|
edison_chen_e_c
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 23 Jul 2007
Posts: 206
|
 |
| Sun Aug 12, 2007 15:53 pm She said if I were/had been~ |
|
|
for me both are wrong
She said that if she had been me, she would have been happy.
She said: "if I were you, I would be happy".
_________________
Alex
How much upchuck would a woodchuck upchuck if a woodchuck could upchuck ?
(a guy from Russia) |
|
 lost_soul
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 15 Sep 2006
Posts: 1812
Location: South Park, Colorado, USA
|
|
| Sun Aug 12, 2007 17:31 pm She said if I were/had been~ |
|
|
| lost_soul wrote: | for me both are wrong
She said that if she had been me, she would have been happy.
She said: "if I were you, I would be happy". |
Could you give your reason? |
|
Harry Smiith
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 15 Jul 2007
Posts: 112
Location: Moscow, Russia
|
|
| Mon Aug 13, 2007 6:46 am She said if I were/had been~ |
|
|
| Harry Smiith wrote: | | lost_soul wrote: | for me both are wrong
She said that if she had been me, she would have been happy.
She said: "if I were you, I would be happy". |
Could you give your reason? |
If it becomes this:
Mary said if Pitt were Dave, Pitt would be happy.
Mary said if Pitt had been Dave, Pitt would have been happy. |
|
edison_chen_e_c
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 23 Jul 2007
Posts: 206
|
|
| Mon Aug 13, 2007 13:15 pm She said if I were/had been~ |
|
|
.
As I see it, the way these sentences are changed to reported speech (form of the verbs) depends on the broader context. It is also likely that the "If I were you" part of the direct quote would simply be omitted in the reported speech.
LS's point about changing 'I' to 'she' is valid. Her direct speech was "If I were you". If "you" later reports to a third person what she said, then it would change to She said that if she were me, she would be happy or She said that if she had been me, she would have been happy.
If the situation (context) here is still current or valid at the time the original statement is reported, the verb forms would be best unchanged:
A to B (A's direct quote on Tuesday): "If I were you, I would be happy about having to work overtime every day this week."
B to C, reported speech (Wednesday): She said that (if she were me,) she would be happy about having to work overtime every day this week.
-OR-
B to C, reported speech (a week later): She said that (if she had been me,) she would have been happy about having to work overtime every day last week.
.
_________________
Amy
.
ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English |
|
Yankee
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 16 Apr 2006
Posts: 7866
Location: USA
|
|
| Tue Aug 14, 2007 9:02 am She said if I were/had been~ |
|
|
| Yankee wrote: | .
As I see it, the way these sentences are changed to reported speech (form of the verbs) depends on the broader context. It is also likely that the "If I were you" part of the direct quote would simply be omitted in the reported speech.
LS's point about changing 'I' to 'she' is valid. Her direct speech was "If I were you". If "you" later reports to a third person what she said, then it would change to She said that if she were me, she would be happy or She said that if she had been me, she would have been happy.
If the situation (context) here is still current or valid at the time the original statement is reported, the verb forms would be best unchanged:
A to B (A's direct quote on Tuesday): "If I were you, I would be happy about having to work overtime every day this week."
B to C, reported speech (Wednesday): She said that (if she were me,) she would be happy about having to work overtime every day this week.
-OR-
B to C, reported speech (a week later): She said that (if she had been me,) she would have been happy about having to work overtime every day last week.
. |
Well, I'm still a little confused.
1.All are the same meaning?
Last week Mary said "If I were Pitt, I would study hard."
=Last week Mary said that if she had been Pitt, she would have studied hard.
=Last week Mary said that if she were Pitt, she would study hard.
2.Which is better?
It is time you should go to bed.
It is time you should have gone to bed.
It was time you should go to bed.
It was time you should have gone to bed.
If there's a main clause in past tense, when to use 'It was time you should go to bed.', when to use 'It was time you should have gone to bed.'
Thanks in advance. |
|
edison_chen_e_c
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 23 Jul 2007
Posts: 206
|
|
| Tue Aug 14, 2007 10:01 am She said if I were/had been~ |
|
|
Hi edison_chen_e_c,
You might care to look at some material I've written for the site on Indirect/Reported Speech:http://www.english-test.net/lessons/6/index.html
It's also worth noting that changing from direct to indirect can sometimes result in a bit of a mouthful as: If he had been me, he would have done it differently and often we would leave it as: If he were me, he would do it differently keeping as it were the 'actualty' of the words fresh in the mind although of course the first construction is the 100% correct one.
On the other matter we would say: It's time you went to bed, where 'went' is the subjunctive or 'unreal past'.
Again you may care to look at this on the subjunctive:http://www.english-test.net/lessons/15/index.html
Hope these notes help.
Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Relative Pronoun |
|
Alan
Co-founder
Joined: 27 Sep 2003
Posts: 7392
Location: UK
|
|
| Wed Aug 15, 2007 9:06 am She said if I were/had been~ |
|
|
| Alan wrote: | Hi edison_chen_e_c,
You might care to look at some material I've written for the site on Indirect/Reported Speech:http://www.english-test.net/lessons/6/index.html
It's also worth noting that changing from direct to indirect can sometimes result in a bit of a mouthful as: If he had been me, he would have done it differently and often we would leave it as: If he were me, he would do it differently keeping as it were the 'actualty' of the words fresh in the mind although of course the first construction is the 100% correct one.
On the other matter we would say: It's time you went to bed, where 'went' is the subjunctive or 'unreal past'.
Again you may care to look at this on the subjunctive:http://www.english-test.net/lessons/15/index.html
Hope these notes help.
Alan |
Thanks, Mr. Alan, it's helpful. |
|
edison_chen_e_c
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 23 Jul 2007
Posts: 206
|
|
|
| obscure avenue | asked to/of him |
