He told a lie that he studied English very hard.

[taked4700]

Hi,

"He told a/the lie that he studied English very hard."

I guess that "He told that he studied English very hard. But it was a lie." would be much more idiomatic.

I wonder if "He told a/the lie that he studied English very hard." is grammatical or not.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Chicken Sandwich]

I find "He lied that he had studied English very hard" more natural.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Hi,

"He told a/the lie that he studied English very hard."

I guess that "He told that he studied English very hard. But it was a lie." would be much more idiomatic.

I wonder if "He told a/the lie that he studied English very hard." is grammatical or not.

Thanks in advance.

He lied when he said that he had studied English very hard.

 

[taked4700]

Thank you, Chicken Sandwich.
I'm afraid that "He lied that he had studied English very hard" is not grammatical.

Thank you, MikeNewYork.
Is it OK for me to understand that "He told a/the lie that he studied English very hard." is not idiomatic?

Thanks in advance.

 

[bhaisahab]

Thank you, Chicken Sandwich.
I'm afraid that "He lied that he had studied English very hard" is not grammatical.

Thank you, MikeNewYork.
Is it OK for me to understand that "He told a/the lie that he studied English very hard." is not idiomatic?

Thanks in advance.

It's not idiomatic.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Thank you, Chicken Sandwich.
I'm afraid that "He lied that he had studied English very hard" is not grammatical.

Thank you, MikeNewYork.
Is it OK for me to understand that "He told a/the lie that he studied English very hard." is not idiomatic?

Thanks in advance.

Yes. I agree with Bhai.

 

[Chicken Sandwich]

Thank you, Chicken Sandwich.
I'm afraid that "He lied that he had studied English very hard" is not grammatical.

Really? Why is it ungrammatical?

 

[MikeNewYork]

Really? Why is it ungrammatical?

The verb "lie" is usually intransitive.

 

[Chicken Sandwich]

I see, but some people use it as a transitive verb. For example:

He lied that he had met the man weeks before.
(Revisions of - Goodloe Byron)

He lied that he had landed with only $63 in his pocket, and he made it clear that he was taking his family to his brother's home in Texas, although brother's home in Texas, although brother Robert wouldn't be able to chip in for the fare to bring them there.
(Brothers in Arms: The Kennedys, the Castros, and the Politics of Murder - Gus Russo and Stephen Molton)

I lied that I had a stamp and a coin collection but that my real hobby was drawing.
(Secret Frequencies: A New York Education - John Skoyles)

(There are many other examples.) I take it that you would write, "He lied when he said that he had met the man weeks before" and "He lied when he said that he had landed with only..." and so on?

 

[MikeNewYork]

I see, but some people use it as a transitive verb. For example:

He lied that he had met the man weeks before.
(Revisions of - Goodloe Byron)

He lied that he had landed with only $63 in his pocket, and he made it clear that he was taking his family to his brother's home in Texas, although brother's home in Texas, although brother Robert wouldn't be able to chip in for the fare to bring them there.
(Brothers in Arms: The Kennedys, the Castros, and the Politics of Murder - Gus Russo and Stephen Molton)

I lied that I had a stamp and a coin collection but that my real hobby was drawing.
(Secret Frequencies: A New York Education - John Skoyles)

(There are many other examples.) I take it that you would write, "He lied when he said that he had met the man weeks before" and "He lied when he said that he had landed with only..." and so on?

Yes I would. Check the dictionaries.

 

[konungursvia]

Really? Why is it ungrammatical?

You say a word, you tell a story, but cannot lie a tale. It is an intransitive verb.

 

[taked4700]

This is a very interesting thing that some verbs can not be used as transitive. I guess these verbs are used to focus on its behavior, not on the concrete content of the lie or some other things that would have been uttered.

 

[taked4700]

Thank you, all the contributors.

Let me ask some more questions.

1. Don't tell a lie that you like dogs.

2. Don't tell a lie that would make people feel bad.

I think that 1 is not idiomatic while 2 is grammatical and idiomatic.

Am I right?

If I am right, what do you say to a sentence below?

3. Don't tell such a lie as you like dogs.

Thanks in advance.

 

[bhaisahab]

Thank you, all the contributors.

Let me ask some more questions.

1. Don't tell a lie that you like dogs.

2. Don't tell a lie that would make people feel bad.

I think that 1 is not idiomatic while 2 is grammatical and idiomatic.

Am I right?

If I am right, what do you say to a sentence below?

3. Don't tell such a lie as you like dogs.

Thanks in advance.

#3 is unnatural.