NO! We've got him on the back foot so don't waver now. It was not 'reported
speech' - the verb was active - 'the minister reported that' - so those rules
don't apply. It was a clumsy verb, you're right, but it was not in the domain
of the reporter.
Andrew Fildes
afildes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.soultheft.com
Author/Publisher:
The SLR Compendium:
revised edition -
http://blur.by/19Hb8or
The TLR Compendium
http://blur.by/1eDpqN7
On 07/01/2014, at 4:51 AM, Bob Whitmire wrote:
> Okay, so it's that divided by a common language thing. <g> Assuming it's
> common usage in your media, then I suppose I'll put by blue pencil away and
> let it go. Hard to do, but I can manage.
>
> --Bob Whitmire
> Certified Neanderthal
>
> On Jan 6, 2014, at 12:17 PM, Chris Barker wrote:
>
>> “reported speech” is a description or term, Bob. It puts into context the
>> way the sentence is written and provides the rules governing its form. It’s
>> not about reports, as such.
>>
>> Chris
>>
>> On 5 Jan 2014, at 22:02, Bob Whitmire <bwhitmire@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>> So, if I were looking at the sentence in question as copy coming across my
>>> desk. I would question the use of the word "reported." I would want to know
>>> if the writer meant that the Prime Minister reported as in a written report
>>> of some sort, or if, at some point, he _said_ he was keen to preserve the
>>> State Pension.
>>>
>>> Unless "reported" originated in a document excavated from 10 Downing St., I
>>> would encourage the writer to phrase the sentence differently. For example,
>>> "The Prime Minister said . . ." or, if the quote deserved more emphasis,
>>> "The Prime Minister was adamant in his support for the State Pension."
>>> Using "The Prime Minister reported" sounds a bit pretentious to me. But
>>> then I'm not a Brit. <wink>
>>
>
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