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View Full Version : Rephrase these sentences, please!


Anonymous
06-04-2004, 03:18 AM
Hi,
Would you please rephrase these sentences into natural ones for me?
1. I will help you on/with this when I'm sure after I [think over, look into] it some more.
2. Caught [red-handed, in the act, on the scene, at the spot], he had no alternative/choice but to confess.
3. I happened to know today that Jack [has quit, had quit, quit] (his job).
Thanks in advance.
Have a good day.

Pete
06-07-2004, 06:24 AM
>Would you please rephrase these sentences into natural ones for me?
-- In general I think they sound natural the way you wrote them:

1. I will help you on/with this when I'm sure after I [think it over, look into it] some more. [Ok. I would prefer a comma after "sure".]
2. Caught [red-handed, in the act, on the scene, at the spot], he had no alternative/choice but to confess. [All sound natural to me.]
3. I happened to know today that Jack [<strike>has quit</strike>, had quit, quit] (his job). [I think that "had quit" is most natural, but you will sometimes hear "quit". I don't think the present perfect sounds right with the past tense main verb.]