| Element | FORM/USE: REPORTING VERBS, PAST CONTINUOUS |
|---|---|
| SuperCat | REPORTED SPEECH |
| SubCat | reported speech |
| Lexical Range | N/A |
| Level | B2 |
| Cando | Can use the past continuous of the reporting verb to report mental processes, with a finite or non-finite 'wh-'clause in the reported clause. |
| Corrected Learner Example | I was wondering why I failed. (Greece; B2 VANTAGE; 1993; Greek; Pass) So, he was wondering why we didn't have our letters. (Korea, North; B2 VANTAGE; 2006; Korean; Pass) I was thinking which of the two would be more interesting, and I prefer to go to "Can Animals Speak", since I love them and I have two. So, I want to know how to communicate with them. (Mexico; B2 VANTAGE; 2008; Spanish - Latin American; Pass) We were wondering what had happened for a few minutes but then we realised that there had been a power cut. (Spain; B2 VANTAGE; 1993; Spanish - European; Pass) While he was thinking how to reply, Jenny took his hand and led him to the school. (Poland; B2 VANTAGE; 2000; Polish; Pass) |
| Uncorrected Learner Example | |
| Comments | The development at C levels is to do with lexical growth rather than grammatical complexity. 'Say' and 'tell' dominate reported speech use in CLC at all levels. Complementation patterns after reporting verbs are covered in Verbs |
