5 7 Reported speech today that day Examples

5. 7 Reported speech today that day Examples Jane said, “I am meeting him today. ” Jane said that she was meeting him that day.

5. 7 Reported speech tomorrow the next day, the following day yesterday the previous day Examples “Are you coming tomorrow? ” I asked Gwen whether she was coming the following day. She said, “I called Jane yesterday. ” She said that she had called Jane the previous day.

5. 7 Reported speech next week the following week last week the previous week Examples “The new term starts next week, ” she said. She said that the new term started the following week. “We are calculating last week’s sales, ” he said. He said that they were calculating the previous week’s sales.

5. 7 Reported speech this that these those Examples “I like this car, ” Mr Singh said that he liked that car. “These apples are delicious, ” Siew Lee said that those apples were delicious.

5. 7 Reported speech Apply the ‘one tense back’ rule when changing direct speech to indirect or reported speech. Examples Simple present: “I work in a nursing home, ” Mrs Tan said. Simple past: Mrs Tan said that she worked in a nursing home. Simple past : “Did you pass the message to Marcia? ” Mum asked me. Past perfect: Mum asked me whether I had passed the message to Marcia.

5. 7 Reported speech Examples Present continuous: said. “I am seeing Ellen tomorrow, ” Mary Past continuous: Mary said that she was seeing Ellen the following day. Past continuous : “I was taking a walk, ” Past perfect Continuous: Mr Wong said that he had been taking a walk.

5. 7 Reported speech Examples Present perfect: “I have returned the book, ” William said. Past perfect: book. William said that he had returned the Present perfect Continuous: “I have been working non-stop, ” the manager said. Past perfect Continuous: The manager said that he had been working non-stop.

5. 7 Reported speech When reporting a speech which contains a contraction, it is advisable not to use the contracted form in the reported speech. Examples “I’ve written to Letitia, ” Anthony said that he had written to Letitia.

5. 7 Reported speech Sometimes, with words such as before, the ‘one tense back’ rule is optional. Examples I asked her, “Where were you working before you joined the company? ” I asked her where she had been working before she joined the company. I asked her where she was working before she joined the company.

5. 7 Reported speech When reporting a speech in the subjunctive (If I were…), the ‘one tense back’ rule does not apply. Examples “If I were you, I would take up the job offer, ” Irene told me that if she were me, she would take up the job offer.

5. 7 Reported speech When a specific time is stated, the ‘one tense back’ rule does not apply. Examples “Where were you at ten last night? ” Mrs Wong asked Joanne where she was at ten the previous night.

5. 7 Reported speech When reporting expressions with must, should or ought to, you may use words like advise or urge. Examples “You must study hard, ” Tom’s father said. Tom’s father urged him to study hard.

5. 7 Reported speech When reporting a suggestion with let’s, you may use suggest as the reporting verb. Examples “Let’s go shopping, ” Lily said. Lily suggested that we should go shopping.

5. 7 Reported speech When reporting requests or instructions, use to + infinitive of the verb, and change the reporting verb, if necessary. Examples “Chris, complete your homework before you watch TV, ” Chris’s mum said. Chris’s mum told him to complete his homework before he watched TV.

5. 7 Reported speech Use if or whether to report a yes/no question. Examples “Are you watching this movie, Peter? ” she asked. She asked Peter if / whether he was watching that movie. “Will you be free this evening? ” she asked John. She asked John if / whether he would be free that evening.

5. 7 Reported speech Helpful trick Form the habit of highlighting the quotation marks to remind yourself to change the necessary words in the direct speech portion when you report it.