English grammar - remind me this...

[Renmoo]

Hi all,

Let's say if I want to refer to an event that happened yesterday:

"At 11am yesterday, I said I am in Auckland doing a bit of shopping"

vs

"At 11am yesterday, I said I was in Auckland doing a bit of shopping"

Which is correct of the two?

[Edit] - Is there an exception where it is the opposite? e.g. if you say the second statement is correct, is there a time where the first statement is actually more valid?

Thank you

[dugimodo]

You'd need quotation marks around the phrase to indicate that it was what you said yesterday in the first sentence. The second one is correct as a description of what you did as it is.
That's my take on it, both are correct depending on whether you want to convey the actual words or not. I'm far from the expert though.

So "At 11am yesterday, I said "I am in Auckland doing a bit of shopping""

[kenj]

Any Christmas bargains?

Ken

(Only kidding James )

[Marnie]

I agree with dugimodo. This is a case where punctuation (quotation marks) can change the meaning. The first statement is valid if you are explaining what you said to the person on the day of the event.

The English language ....she is a b******

ps...I don't know why the gender should even come into it.

[B.M.]

Seek help, anybody that was “Cycling Somewhere” and wound up in “Auckland” doing some “Christmas Shopping”, needs all the help they can get.

You weren’t wearing "Lycra" by some chance when this tragedy occurred?

[Marnie]

Seek help, anybody that was “Cycling Somewhere” and wound up in “Auckland” doing some “Christmas Shopping”, needs all the help they can get.

You weren’t wearing "Lycra" by some chance when this tragedy occurred?

I don't think he is a MAMIL.

[gary67]

I don't think he is a MAMIL.

Who BM? Now that would be funny. BM the closet MAMIL makes sense as to why he is always harping on about Lycra bet he has a wardrobe full of Lycra stuff