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#2 (permalink) Wed Jun 25, 2008 22:45 pm reported speech in wish-clause |
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I wished I would have a new house", said she...
=> She said she had wished to have a new house. |
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Haihao I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 26 Oct 2006 Posts: 2471 Location: Japan
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#3 (permalink) Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:27 am reported speech in wish-clause |
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Thanks a lot, Haihao :)
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... _________________ :(... something we never have again, I know... I guess I really really know.. :(
Sorry seems to be the hardest word... |
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Nessie I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 16 Feb 2008 Posts: 1102
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#4 (permalink) Thu Jun 26, 2008 12:01 pm reported speech in wish-clause |
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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. |
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Lost_Soul I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 15 Sep 2006 Posts: 1861 Location: South Park, Colorado, USA
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#5 (permalink) Thu Jun 26, 2008 12:08 pm reported speech in wish-clause |
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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 _________________ English as a Second Language You can read my ESL story Present Simple |
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Alan Co-founder

Joined: 27 Sep 2003 Posts: 13891 Location: UK
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#6 (permalink) Thu Jun 26, 2008 23:28 pm reported speech in wish-clause |
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Hello Nessie,
| nessie wrote: |
"I wished I would have a new house" => She said... (reported speech)
=> She said she had wished she would have a new house
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I think the progression would be as follows:
1. I wish I had a new house! 2. I wished I had a new house. 3. She said she wished she had a new house.
All the best,
MrP |
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MrPedantic I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 13 Oct 2006 Posts: 1326 Location: Southern England
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#7 (permalink) Fri Jun 27, 2008 0:28 am reported speech in wish-clause |
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| Quote: |
| She said she wished she had a new house. |
Do native speakers really speak in that way? |
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Molly I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008 Posts: 4017
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#8 (permalink) Fri Jun 27, 2008 0:41 am reported speech in wish-clause |
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. Yes. . _________________ "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln |
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Yankee I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 16 Apr 2006 Posts: 8316 Location: USA
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#9 (permalink) Fri Jun 27, 2008 7:44 am reported speech in wish-clause |
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Commonly? Sounds quite EFLese to me. |
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Molly I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008 Posts: 4017
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#10 (permalink) Fri Jun 27, 2008 11:33 am reported speech in wish-clause |
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| Alan wrote: |
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 |
Thanks a lot, everybody :) I think now I understand that all tense in the wish-clause must be kept in tact in reported speeches. However, as for "the "saying" and the "wishing" are in the same tense", is this a fixed rule (thus we never say "She said she wished she had a new house)? Or does it depend on the situation?
Please have a look at this situation:
Yesterday Mary came to visit John and on chatting, she said: "In the past, I wished I had a new house". Today John meets Jack and he says "Yesterday, Mary said she had wished/wished she had a new house (in the past)"
So, in this situation, the "saying" and the "wishing" are not in the same tense, aren't they? _________________ :(... something we never have again, I know... I guess I really really know.. :(
Sorry seems to be the hardest word... |
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Nessie I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 16 Feb 2008 Posts: 1102
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#11 (permalink) Fri Jun 27, 2008 11:44 am reported speech in wish-clause |
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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 _________________ English as a Foreign Language You can read my EFL story Progressive Forms |
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Alan Co-founder

Joined: 27 Sep 2003 Posts: 13891 Location: UK
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#12 (permalink) Fri Jun 27, 2008 11:49 am reported speech in wish-clause |
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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".) . _________________ "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln |
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Yankee I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 16 Apr 2006 Posts: 8316 Location: USA
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#13 (permalink) Sat Jun 28, 2008 0:27 am reported speech in wish-clause |
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| I agree with Alan And Amy and am absolutely convinced wtih their excellent AAA assessment. O I'm sorry for the uninteresting joke. |
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Haihao I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 26 Oct 2006 Posts: 2471 Location: Japan
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#14 (permalink) Sat Jun 28, 2008 15:38 pm reported speech in wish-clause |
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Thanks a lot, everybody, I got it now :) _________________ :(... something we never have again, I know... I guess I really really know.. :(
Sorry seems to be the hardest word... |
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Nessie I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 16 Feb 2008 Posts: 1102
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| convince vs persuade | "were" with He, She and It |