|
ESL Forum:
Techniques and methods
in Language Teaching
Games, activities
and teaching ideas
Grammar and
Linguistics
Teaching material
Concerning
worksheets
Concerning
powerpoints
Concerning online
exercises
Make suggestions,
report errors
Ask for help
Message board
|
ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > Which one is correct?
Which one is correct?
|
szamoca
|
Which one is correct?
|
|
Dear Colleagues,
Please tell me which one is correct:
Mum asked me how long......................... for her.
A. I had been waiting
B. have I been waiting |
12 Jan 2011
|
|
|
|
magneto
|
Hi!
The correct answer is A - I had been waiting, as this is a reported question.
The direct question would probably be: How long have you been waiting for me?, so in reported speech:
(a) the Present Perfect changes into Past Perfect and
(b) the word order in reported questions changes from AUXILIARY VERB + SUBJ + PAST PARTICIPLE OF MAIN VERB to SUBJ + AUXILIARY VERB + PAST PARTICIPLE OF MAIN VERB.
Therefore: Mum asked me how long I had been waiting for her.
Hope I �ve helped!
Have a nice day/ evening/ etc. 
|
12 Jan 2011
|
|
|
micimacka
|
|
A) is correct, in B) the word order is that of questions, and this is an indirect question |
12 Jan 2011
|
|
|
NORINET
|
"As fast as magneto"  ...How quick you are ! 
In addition to magneto �s post, the present perfect never exists in the reported speech in case the introductory verb (here, asked) is in the past simple.
Adding to that, the action of waiting preceded the action of asking. That is , the past perfect is used for the first action and the past simple for the second/ following action.
We hope we have done something to clarify the point |
12 Jan 2011
|
|
|
oualihicham2000
|
|
either past perfect or past perfect progressive are possible. it s surely A not B.
|
12 Jan 2011
|
|
|
szamoca
|
|
Thank you very much for each of you. have anice day!
|
12 Jan 2011
|
|
|
