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Tue 27 Oct, 2020 06:18 am
She said, "I have said everything that should be said and kept quiet about everything that should be kept quiet about."
I have made some amendments as follows. I wonder if it is an improvement. Thanks!
She said, "I have said everything that should have been said and have kept quiet about everything that should have been kept quiet about."
@tanguatlay,
If you are reporting direct speech you are saying what the person actually said. Unless ‘she’ is your own fictional character you have no place changing what was said.
Having said that spoken English is not as formal as written English and the first example sounds natural in conversation. If anything I would get rid of the ‘about’ at the end of the sentence.
Thanks, izzythepush.
I forgot it was direct speech. That's why I changed the wordings in some parts.
@tanguatlay,
tanguatlay wrote:
She said, "I have said everything that should be said and kept quiet about everything that should be kept quiet about."
I have made some amendments as follows. I wonder if it is an improvement. Thanks!
She said, "I have said everything that should have been said and have kept quiet about everything that should have been kept quiet about."
She said, "I have said everything that should have been said while keeping silent about everything else"