I didn't know that he WAS or DID? [closed]

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I hope you have the answer for my question. What is correct:

1) He was joking but I didn't know that he was.

2) He was joking but I didn't know that he did.

msh210 · Accepted Answer · 2019-02-13 23:10:22Z

2

Was, to match the verb in the first half of the sentence.

answered Feb 13, 2019 at 23:10

msh210

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Hot Licks · Accepted Answer · 2019-02-13 23:16:33Z

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As msh210 indicates, one of the words is elided and its presence is implied. The full sentence would be:

He was joking but I didn't know that he was joking.

Saying

He was joking but I didn't know that he did joking.

might be syntactically correct, but what it says that you never knew that this guy knew how to joke.

answered Feb 13, 2019 at 23:16

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