reported speech in wish-clause

nessie · Wed Jun 25, 2008 17:34 pm *reported speech in wish-clause*

Hi,
Please have a look at this:

"I wished I would have a new house"
=> She said... (reported speech)

=> She said she had wished she would have a new house

My questions:
1. In my original sentence, the wish-clause is kept intact (type 1) though the verb "wish" in the main clause is in past tense. So is it correct?
2. When I change it into reported speech, I use the verb "wish" in past participle (because it refers to an earlier action), but the wish-clause is still kept in tact, and is it correct, too?

Many thanks
Nessie.
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Haihao · Wed Jun 25, 2008 23:45 pm *reported speech in wish-clause*

I wished I would have a new house", said she...

=> She said she had wished to have a new house.

nessie · Thu Jun 26, 2008 12:27 pm *reported speech in wish-clause*

Thanks a lot, Haihao Smile

I think I've known about that way of transforming the sentence: wish + to V. However here I just want to ask about the way of transforming it without changing the structure: wish + that...

lost_soul · Thu Jun 26, 2008 13:01 pm *reported speech in wish-clause*

By the way, with the static verbs, such as "have, be" we use the past form of the verb after "wish".
For example,

I wish I had a million dollars.
I wish I were a millionare.

So, your original sentence needs correction.

Alan · Thu Jun 26, 2008 13:08 pm *reported speech in wish-clause*

Hi Nessie,

You should bear in mind that the 'saying' and the 'wishing' are in the same tense - She said she wished she had a new house.

Alan
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MrPedantic · Fri Jun 27, 2008 0:28 am *reported speech in wish-clause*

Hello Nessie,

Molly · Fri Jun 27, 2008 1:28 am *reported speech in wish-clause*

Yankee · Fri Jun 27, 2008 1:41 am *reported speech in wish-clause*

.
Yes.
.
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

Molly · Fri Jun 27, 2008 8:44 am *reported speech in wish-clause*

nessie · Fri Jun 27, 2008 12:33 pm *reported speech in wish-clause*

Alan · Fri Jun 27, 2008 12:44 pm *reported speech in wish-clause*

Hi Nessie,

I think you have to change direct to indirect speech mindful of the situation in which the direct speech is delivered. In your example I would say something like: Mary said in the past she used to wish .... In my earlier reply when I said the 'saying' and the 'wishing' are contemporaneous, I was assuming that when she said what she said it was the same as saying she wished.

Alan
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Yankee · Fri Jun 27, 2008 12:49 pm *reported speech in wish-clause*

Hi Nessie

I agree with Alan.

I might choose to use the past perfect in your sentence if she no longer wished/wanted to have a new house. (Note Alan's suggestion of "used to".)
.
_________________
Amy
.
ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

Haihao · Sat Jun 28, 2008 1:27 am *reported speech in wish-clause*

I agree with Alan And Amy and am absolutely convinced wtih their excellent AAA assessment. O I'm sorry for the uninteresting joke.

nessie · Sat Jun 28, 2008 16:38 pm *reported speech in wish-clause*

Thanks a lot, everybody, I got it now Smile

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