[Vocabulary] After the incident, Tim excused himself

[Nikitus]

Hello.

Are the following sentences grammatically correct?

"After the incident, Tim excused himself telling that he needed to went to the bathroom."

Thanks.

 

[Rover_KE]

There is only one sentence and it's not grammatically correct.

I think you know enough English to improve it yourself.

 

[GoesStation]

Look up to tell. Is that the right verb?

 

[Nikitus]

"After the incident, Tim excused himself explaining that he needed to went to the bathroom."

Is the sentence grammatically correct?

Thanks.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Have you learned about the to-infinitive?
http://www.grammaring.com/to-infinitive-or-gerund-need-require-want

 

[GoesStation]

"After the incident, Tim excused himself explaining that he needed to went to the bathroom."

Is the sentence grammatically correct?

"Explaining" is a good choice of verbs there. (You could also say "saying", which is the direct replacement of "telling" in this case.)

You still have a problem in the second part of the sentence.

This is a bit more advanced, but there should be a comma after "himself".

 

[Matthew Wai]

but there should be a comma after "himself".

I wonder whether the following is true in this case.

but in many uses, commas are a matter of individual preference.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Is this because 'excuse oneself' is an idiom?

 

[Barb_D]

It doesn't have to do with the idiom.

As a side note, we tend not to say "I have to use the bathroom." We do not broadcast our need to use the toilet.
We tend to say "Excuse me. Be back in a moment."

 

[GoesStation]

Is this because 'excuse oneself' is an idiom?

No. The comma would still be necessary if you re-phrased the statement: After the incident, Tim said "Excuse me", explaining that he needed to [do something].

 

[Rover_KE]

We're still waiting patiently for Nikitus to twig what's wrong with '... he needed to went to the bathroom'.

 

[GoesStation]

We're still waiting patiently for Nikitus to twig what's wrong with '... he needed to went to the bathroom'.

I'm waiting impatiently.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Tim excused himself, thus explaining that he needed to ...

Does it explain why a comma is needed? If not, can anyone explain why?

 

[jutfrank]

The comma is needed to make the reader aware that a present participle clause is being introduced. A new piece of information is coming.

In speech, this would be shown with intonation and a short pause. This is what the comma is doing here. Without it, the reader would not be guided to make the separation.

 

[jutfrank]

We do not broadcast our need to use the toilet.

Yes, we often do. Certain people might not.