Changes in a Reported Sentence and Reporting Statements
To report something said in the past, we usually change tenses one step back in time (sequence of tenses; concordance of tenses, backshift of tenses)
Direct Speech
Present:
I don't like you. What are you doing? Present Perfect: I have never been to China. Past: I saw him. I was having lunch. Future: I will help you. We are going out. Modals: I cannot read it. We must go. I may be late. |
Reported Speech
She said she didn't like me. He wanted to know what I was doing. He said he had never been to China. He said he had seen him. He said he had been having lunch. She said she would help me. They said they were going out. He said he could not read it. They said they had to go. She said she might be late. |
No backshift is needed with
- Past Perfect
- modals: would, should, could, ought to
Sometimes backshift is needed with other forms, depending on the context:
He said he wanted to give me something. (reporting the past)
He said he wants to give me something. (we are emphasising it is still true)
He said he had wanted to give me something but he changed his mind. (to emphasise one thing happened after another)
He had said he had wanted to give me something but he changed his mind. (said/wanted happened before changed his mind)
He said he wanted to give me something. (reporting the past)
He said he wants to give me something. (we are emphasising it is still true)
He said he had wanted to give me something but he changed his mind. (to emphasise one thing happened after another)
He had said he had wanted to give me something but he changed his mind. (said/wanted happened before changed his mind)
Some changes in common time and place word are:
Direct Speech
today
tomorrow next (week) yesterday last (year) this these here come bring |
Reported Speech
that day
the next/following day the following (week) the day before, the previous day the (year) before/the previous (year) that those there go take |
Exrcise 1
Reported Speech 4
Short-answer quiz
Choose the correct answer.
- She said that it was going to be a wonderful party.
- "It was going to be a wonderful party."
- "It's going to be a wonderful party."
- He said the bus might be a little late that day.
- "The bus was a little late today."
- "The bus might be a little late today."
- She told him that he should study harder.
- "You should study harder."
- "You should have studied harder."
- He said that the fire had done a lot of damage to the building.
- "The fire had done a lot of damage to the building."
- "The fire has done a lot of damage to the building."
- He said that Michael was the best student he had ever taught.
- "Michael is the best student I have ever taught."
- "Michael was the best student I have ever taught."
- She told us that the new furniture had been delivered the day before.
- "The new furniture had been delivered yesterday."
- "The new furniture was delivered yesterday."
- They said that the manager would inspect the office the following day.
- "The manager will inspect the office the following day."
- "The manager will inspect the office tomorrow."
- He said that if we hadn't acted so quickly, the accident would have been even worse.
- "If you hadn't acted so quickly, the accident would have been even worse."
- "If you haven't acted so quickly, the accident would be even worse."