Writing Academic English 4th Edition

198 Pall'! 111 ISentenceStructure

SpecialVerbTensesinThatClauses..

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PRA.CT1CE 2

ThatClauses 11

ReportedSpeech

Oneofthemostcommonusesofnounclausesinacademicwritingis toreportwhat

someoneelsehassaidorwritten.Thiskindofnounclauseis calledreportedspeech,

indirectspeech,orindirectquotation.Verbtensesinreportedspeechfollowspecial

rules.

• Ifthemainclauseverbis simplepresent,presentperfect,orfuture,theverb
  inthenounclauseis inthetensethatexpressesthemeaningthatthemain
  clauseintends.
  Theprimeministersagreethatglobalwarmingisa seriousworldproblem.

Theyhopethatallnationswillberesponsibleforsolvingthisproblem.

Scientistsreportthatatmosphericwarminghasalreadybegun.

MeasurementshaveindicatedthattheaveragetemperatureofEarthhas

riseninthepasthundredyears.

Furtherresearchwillprovethatcarbondioxideislargelyresponsible.

• Ifthemainclauseverbis inpasttense,theverbinthenounclauseis usually
  ina pastform.

Theprimeministersagreedthatglobalwarmingwasa seriousworldproblem.

Theyhopedthatallnationswouldberesponsibleforfindinga solution.

AninternationalgroupofscientistsreportedthatEarth'stemperaturehad

risen1.1of(O.6°C)inthelastcentury.

Theirreportstatedthatcarbondioxidewaslargelyresponsible.

Exception:Theverbinthenounclausestaysinthepresenttensewhenit

reportsa factora generaltruth:

Researchersinthefieldverifiedthaticebergsandglaciersaremelting.

Formoreexamplesandpractice,referalsotoIndirectQuotationsandSequence

ofTensesRulesinChapter3,page48.

Step1 Readthefollowingarticle.

Step 2 Writesentencescontainingthatclauses.Usethepromptsandinformation

fromtheatticletoformyoursentences.

• Whenthepromptbeginswithit,usethepassivevoiceintheindependent
  clause.


• Useanappropriateverbtenseinbothclauses.

Thefirsttwohavebeendoneforyouasexamples.