Re: reportet speach

Adrian Bailey wrote:
> "mUs1Ka" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> > "Adrian Bailey" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> > news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >
> > > "Owain" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> > > news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > >
> > > > "Adrian Bailey" wrote
> > > > | > Original:
> > > > | > can you bring these letters to the post office ?
> > > > | The original should be: "Can you *take* these letters to the post
> > >
> > > office?"
> > >
> > > > | Both the speaker and the listener are not at the post office, nor is
> >
> > the
> >
> > > > | speaker going to be at the post office, so "bring" is not possible.
> > > >
> > > > The sentence, given without context, doesn't exclude that possibility.
> >
> > If
> >
> > > > the speaker and listener were arranging to meet at a later time at the
> > >
> > > post
> > >
> > > > office, the speaker might ask the listener to bring the letters with
> >
> > him.
> >
> > > > Or the speaker might be at the post office and telephoning the
>
> listener
>
> > to
> >
> > > > ask him to bring the letters to the post office.
> > > >
> > > > "These letters" may refer to letters which are being discussed, not
> > > > necessarily ones which are near by.
> > >
> > > You're trying too hard. Okay, the sentence doesn't exclude that
> >
> > possibility,
> >
> > > but it's all but excluded. Given the context in which the sentence was
> > > found, ie. an English lesson, I can only say that the sentence is a
> >
> > mistake.
> >
> > Unfortunately, it is not a mistake; just American English.
>
>
> ie. not good English. QED
I presume this is meant to be ironic - it's difficult to describe 
standard American usage as bad usage since the overwhelming majority of 
English speakers are no speakers of American English - the rest of us 
have to like it or lump it.

On the substantive matter under discussion I have no problem whatsoever 
with the use of "bring" in the sense of "take with you".

Regards, einde O'Callaghan