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Sometimes, when we ran out of time and did not have space for any further activity, he used to tell us that should anyone need any assistance or have any query, accompany me to my office.

Microsoft Word is telling me that I should use "has" instead of "have", and this casts some doubts that I need to get rid of. So, what is right? And what is wrong?

I think that novelists and storytellers use "redundancy" in a good way to adorn their works of literature and to interestingly add more elaboration, which aids the reader with depicting the plot in his mind, or to show their range; however, when I attempt to apply that positive aspect of redundancy ("when we ran out of time and did not have space for any further activity,"), everyone tells me that I am being tautological. Could anyone explain how and when I can sound positively redundant? (I also believe that, somewhere in English, there is absolutely a more fitting word for that "positive redundancy" thing)

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    should is a modal verb that requires a bare infinitive- in this case, need and have. Yes, you are repeating yourself but if you do so knowingly and you feel that it adds in some way to the story, you are free to do so. Genuine tautologies are usually unintentional: here are some examples examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-tautology.html
    – JavaLatte
    May 14, 2017 at 20:08

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“when we ran out of time and did not have space for any further activity”, is tautological (says the same thing twice, using different words).

“should anyone need any assistance ”, could be written: “if anyone needs help”.

Inquire, enquire and/or query?

“accompany me to my office”, or: “come to my office”?

“. . . and we will finish them up”, is incorrect, and unnecessary.

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  • I followed your corrections. I do have one question: I understand that ". . . and we will finish them up” is unecessary but why it is "incorrect"?
    – Alosh
    May 14, 2017 at 10:05
  • @Alosh I am prevented from answering your question by the site admin.
    – ugajin
    May 15, 2017 at 11:42
  • I see. So, should I delete the question or what?
    – Alosh
    May 15, 2017 at 11:48
  • The problem is the answer is too long to fit in the Add Comment response, and it is blocked as a fresh answer.
    – ugajin
    May 15, 2017 at 12:02

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