why are you saying that?

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Two persons/people are talking to each other.
the first persons is saying something :‘I…’
the second person is replying: ‘Why are you saying that?’

Why not :’ ‘Why are you saying this?’
I often meet situations when I would say ‘this’ instead of ‘that’? I only agree that when some object is in a longer distance from us we should say ‘that’, but what are the rules concerning my question to the text above?

Thanks a lot!

2

Hi Saneta,

Very generally, ‘this’ relates to ‘here’ and ‘that’ relates to ‘there’. In your example the other speaker is using ‘that’ because he is referring to what (that which) the other person has just said, which in a sense means something already said. Possibly someone could be talking and you could interrupt what they are saying with a comment like: Why are you saying this? The reason in that example is the conversation is actual and so are the words and that is why you would say ‘this’.

Hope that helps.

Alan

3

Thank You Mr Alan, did you mean: ‘and so are the words’ instead of: ‘and ao are the words’?
Possibly someone could be talking = did you mean: Possibly two persons/people could be talking?

Many thanks again :slight_smile:

4

Hi Saneta,

The wording is ‘so are’ but you must have read it just before I had edited it! As I see it, one person is talking and you (the other person listening) interrupt them.

Alan