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Which is appropriate?(3)

 
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fw



Joined: 12 Oct 2005
Posts: 361

PostPosted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 4:49 pm    Post subject: Which is appropriate?(3) Reply with quote

Hello everyone.

In a novel a woman tells her girlfriend that she is pregnant. The sentence below is what she says when she finds he is at a loss for words.

I tried to figure out what you'd say when I told you.

My question is:
Which is appropriate, #1, 2, or 3, for the blank below if the sentence above is rewritten into the sentence below?

I said to myself, �( )�
1. What will you say when I tell you?
2. What would you say when I tell you?
3. What would you say when I told you?

Best regards,
Fw
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Kristea



Joined: 17 Nov 2005
Posts: 167
Location: Minneapolis, MN USA

PostPosted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 4:45 am    Post subject: Re: Which is appropriate?(3) Reply with quote

fw wrote:
Hello everyone.

In a novel a woman tells her girlfriend that she is pregnant. The sentence below is what she says when she finds he is at a loss for words.

I tried to figure out what you'd say when I told you.

My question is:
Which is appropriate, #1, 2, or 3, for the blank below if the sentence above is rewritten into the sentence below?

I said to myself, �( )�
1. What will you say when I tell you?
2. What would you say when I tell you?
3. What would you say when I told you?

Best regards,
Fw


Hi -

The use of the pronoun "you" is not natural to me. I would finish the sentence thsi way...

I asked myself, "What will he say when I tell him?"

Having said that, this sentence is not as natural as the original statement in blue text.

Hope that helps - Kristi
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