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#2 (permalink) Sun Aug 31, 2008 13:43 pm Question about reported speech |
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I couldn't understand a lot of what you wrote, so I hope this will help you.
Mona has not arrived yet, and I am still waiting in the place where she told me to wait. In that case, I would say, "Mona told me to wait here until she comes."
Mona has not arrived yet, I am still waiting, and I am NOT in the place where she told me to wait: "Mona told me to wait there until she comes." (You are probably pointing to the place where she told you to wait.)
The whole event is finished, and it ended yesterday, a week ago, or maybe even years ago. You are standing in the place where Mona told you to wait: "Mona told me to wait here until she came."
The whole event is finished, and it ended yesterday, a week ago, or maybe even years ago. You are NOT standing in the place where Mona told you to wait: "Mona told me to wait there until she came." |
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Jamie (K) I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 24 Feb 2006 Posts: 6555 Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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#3 (permalink) Sun Aug 31, 2008 14:49 pm Question about reported speech |
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Hi MMA
I agree with Jamie. The sentences Jamie has given you illustrate in more detail what I told you in this thread.
Whether the word "here" should be changed to "there" in reported speech depends on the broader context. . _________________ "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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#4 (permalink) Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:27 am Question about reported speech |
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My dear friend Jamie , here I simple for you the question : I am said there was three answer to change the sentence to indirect speech 1- Mona told me to wait there until she returned.2- Mona told me to wait there until she came. 3- Mona told me to wait ther until she goes. The last one is the answer by a master teacher of English grammer. I couldnot understand the verb came how or why changed to goes ? what is the reason ? and the teacher defend about his right on answewring this question . Is his solution right or not ? please who knows the reason to explain that .... thank you . I am sorry that you didnot understand my message correctly....MMA _________________ MMA |
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Mohammad Ahmad I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 27 Jul 2008 Posts: 121 Location: Iraq
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#5 (permalink) Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:40 am Question about reported speech |
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I also don't understand why the verb changed to "goes".
Sentences 1 and 2 sound as if Mona is not with us and we are waiting for her to arrive. Sentence 3 sounds as if Mona is with us and we are waiting for her to leave.
If the sentences were all supposed to mean the same thing, then #3 would be wrong. If they're not supposed to mean the same thing, then I need to know what the teacher was trying to do.
Don't believe everything everything Iraqi English teachers tell you. I live in a part of the United States that is home to a lot of Iraqi immigrants. Many of the "master teachers of English" come to our colleges and have to take the English placement tests in order to take other courses here, and they have to take ESL classes at the intermediate level or even lower! I get them in my classes very often. Sometimes these teachers are embarrassed and say the problem is that they learned "British English" and not American, but their level would be the same in Britain. My students and friends from Iraq say that in your country the professors often insist that they are correct even when they are wrong.
One of my close Iraqi friends has a certificate from the language institute in Baghdad that says she finished an English course and that her level is "BAGINNIR". It should say "BEGINNER". This certificate is from the days of Saddam, so it means there were serious problems with English instruction even then.
Don't get yourself into any trouble, but don't believe everything the teacher says. |
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Jamie (K) I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 24 Feb 2006 Posts: 6555 Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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#6 (permalink) Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:58 am Question about reported speech |
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| Quote: |
| Sentences 1 and 2 sound as if Mona is not with us and we are waiting for her to arrive. |
(<<1- Mona told me to wait there until she returned.2- Mona told me to wait there until she came.>>)
But here, Jamie, you seem to be stating that the use of the past simple indicates a completed act/situation:
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| The whole event is finished, and it ended yesterday, a week ago, or maybe even years ago. You are standing in the place where Mona told you to wait: "Mona told me to wait here until she came." |
Are you, or are you not, suggesting that the past simple is not suitable where the act/situation is incomplete? |
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Molly I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008 Posts: 4017
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#7 (permalink) Mon Sep 01, 2008 9:07 am Question about reported speech |
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| Quote: |
| One of my close Iraqi friends has a certificate from the language institute in Baghdad that says she finished an English course and that her level is "BAGINNIR". It should say "BEGINNER". This certificate is from the days of Saddam, so it means there were serious problems with English instruction even then. |
Even so, most middle-eastern countries have always demanded that teachers of English have at least an M.A. before they are allowed into the classroom. In general, standards of English are very high in such countries. |
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Molly I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008 Posts: 4017
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#8 (permalink) Mon Sep 01, 2008 9:09 am Question about reported speech |
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Tell me, MMA, is this the actual question your teacher sent to you? Are these the actual words your teacher used?
| Quote: |
| Mona said to me "to wait here until she come". |
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Molly I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008 Posts: 4017
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#9 (permalink) Tue Sep 02, 2008 7:16 am Question about reported speech |
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of course This is the actual sentence you write , and the teacher told us the answer past the examination is ( Mona told me to wait there until she goes). I am answered as:Mona told me to waie there until she came, and he give me zero for the answer, however till now I am student of English and I want to place my knowledge on the correct way, also to expand it correctly........ thousand thanks from MMA _________________ MMA |
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Mohammad Ahmad I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 27 Jul 2008 Posts: 121 Location: Iraq
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#10 (permalink) Wed Sep 03, 2008 8:15 am Question about reported speech |
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| Well, MMA, I'd get a new teacher if I were you. I'd also be wary of taking Jamie's advice on reported speech above as it seems to be contraditory. Let's see if he clarifies the situation. |
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Molly I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008 Posts: 4017
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#11 (permalink) Wed Sep 03, 2008 12:16 pm Question about reported speech |
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| mohammad Ahmad wrote: |
| the teacher told us the answer past the examination is ( Mona told me to wait there until she goes). I am answered as:Mona told me to waie there until she came, and he give me zero for the answer, |
Hi MMA The words "come" and "go" suggest different things. They basically suggest movement in opposite directions: - come to a location (from a different location) - go from a location (to a different location) . _________________ "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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