Questions tagged [reported-speech]
For questions about the report of one speaker or writer on the words spoken, written, or thought by someone else.
438
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Said + (to me) in Reported Speech
Group A
He said he would be late.
He said to me he would late.
Group B (as in a request)
He said to open the door.
He said to me to open the door.
As I understand it, the second sentence in ...
2
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2
answers
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Without context, is there any difference between "had been cancelled" and "was cancelled"?
I have an example sentence that goes like this:
I rang the station, and they told me that the train had been cancelled.
Is there any difference between that sentence and:
I rang the station, and ...
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1
vote
1
answer
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the robber attacked/the robber had attacked
I was taking a test and the test said that 1 is correct. I wonder why 2 is considered wrong (according to the opinion of the author). Is 2 wrong?
1 She said that the robber attacked her when she was ...
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1
vote
0
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Inconsistent use of backshifting in a reported speech paragraph
Flow, he argued, was a state of mind, a level of concentration
in which outside stimuli, even time itself, seem to fall away.
But flow, he added, cannot be forced. nytimes
The backshifting for ...
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Why does Obi-Wan use 'were' in "He wanted you to have it when you were old enough"?
It's a phrase in Star Wars by Obi-Wan Kenobi: "He wanted you to have it when you were old enough." Why did he use the word "were" instead of "will be"?
(Regardless of the ...
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1
vote
1
answer
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Indirect speech - correct? - "She said he might have missed his train"
I have some doubts as to whether the sentence of the title is correct.
The direct speech reads:
She says, "he may have missed his train."
In my opinion the indirect speech has to be:
She ...
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When to use past tense after reported speech and when to use present tense after it? [duplicate]
He said that he had visited Paris last year.
She said that she is currently working on a new project.
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Reported speech in a sentence with many clauses
When I started learning French, I thought if I lived in Paris, I could speak French fluently.
How to report it?
I said that when I started learning French, I thought if I lived in
Paris, I could ...
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1
vote
1
answer
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till/if in the reported speech in the past
He had been following us till we reached our house.
She said that he had been following them till they reached their
house.
or
She said that he had been following them till they had reached their
...
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1
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0
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Reported speech more than 2 verbs in the past
How can I report this sentence:
"I thought u wanted to dance"
He told me :he had thought I had wanted to dance
Or
He told me :he had thought I wanted to dance
Which one?
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Present tense after past tense in long reported speech
Is it correct to use present tense clause in reported speech once we are done using past tense clause?
The CJI said since the Places of Worship Act was in operation, it would be open for parties ...
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2
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What stuctures can I use after "warn"?
"Don't put any personal information online", our IT teacher said.
Our IT teacher warned us against putting personal information online.
Our IT teacher warned us not to put any personal ...
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0
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He didn't know that Chatgpt "can" write an article - If the statement is a true thing it doesn't have to be shifted back to past tense?
Example 1
He didn't know that Chatgpt "can/could" write an article.
Example 2
He didn't think that Chatgpt "can/could" write an article.
Are both of them correct English?
because ...
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Reported speech within conditionals - to backshift or not?
I might be very wrong in what I'm about to ask, so sorry in advance.
Imagine someone says to you:
I like cats.
Now you want to report what they said to some other guy/gal but with an added twist - ...
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Changing from are to were in reported speech [duplicate]
The tv anchor said "Roads are crowded during peak hours"
When changing this to reported speech does the tense change i,e does "roads are" change to "roads were"?
Silver
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2
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How to change into indirect speech " She said to me, Where were you living before you came here?"
Do you think I am supposed to change the second part of the sentence as well which is " before I came here"?
Is this correct way to say, She asked me where I had been living before I came ...
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reported speech -- you said that wrestlers make [vs made] good fighters [duplicate]
In this movie there's a school teacher who want to fight in UFC. In collage he used to be a wrestler.
Now, a former UFC fighter says to that teacher wrestlers make good fighters
When they meet again ...
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Before she became queen, she had always said that she had not wanted to marry. - Indirect reported speech
This is about indirect reported speech:
Before she became queen, she had always said that she does not want to marry.
Looks logical to me (since the time has already been introduced with past perfect)...
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1
answer
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Indirect narration [closed]
What is the indirect narration of " he said,'Good morning John.'" Whether it is "he wished john good morning" or "he greeted john good morning." Which one is correct.?
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Reported speech (Would vs Would have)
For the sentence -
The rock star asked me, "Would you sing the song with me?
Would the reported speech be -
(a) The rock star asked me if I would sing the song with him.
OR
(b) The rock star ...
toxicbombgiant
0
votes
1
answer
64
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He says/is saying that he has or had a dog". He asks me, what I am or what i was eating" [duplicate]
"He says/is saying that he has a dog" (but we cannot say, he says/is saying that he had a dog)
"He asks me what i am eating"(but we cannot say, He asks me what i was eating)
My ...
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1
answer
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Choosing between two possible 'translations' to reported speech [closed]
Once ago I was trying to translate a quote into reported speech, I don't remember the exact words but was something like:
He said: "I started to listen the people around me. That was what has ...
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1
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Position of ‘was’ in reported speech
Let’s say someone I know visited a doctor. Do the following sentences mean the same?
What did the doctor say the problem was?
What did the doctor say was the problem?
I am pretty sure the first one ...
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1
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Punctuation before quoted speech after transitive speech verb
Which is the more correct way to write this:
"I heard you don't like noodles." He suggested, "you should get the soup."
"I heard you don't like noodles." He suggested: &...
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2
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How to change Conditional sentence of Present unreal into reported speech
How to change Conditional sentence of Present unreal into reported speech. I have an example :
“If the weather is fine, I will go on a picnic with my friends,” she said.
As I read the answer key, the ...
user81242
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0
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Indirect of live ,if i still live in that place
direct : she said to him, "where do you live ?"
indirect : she asked him where he lived.
does this mean, he does not live there anymore but used to live in the past.
indirect : she asked ...
0
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1
answer
34
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Why is it ".....before any help would arrive" but not ".......before any help arrived."
This is from the BBC about a story in which a fisherman fell off the boat into sea and was finally saved. The sentence tells about his first thoughts when he fell off into the sea:
I thought I would ...
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3
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I asked if she knew French.(I asked if she knows French)
I asked if she knew French. vs. I asked if she knows French.
If you are a native English speaker, which sentence would you say? Or is there any difference between them?
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Indirect speech in future
Can you please explain use of the future tense in this sentences:
What time did Amy say she was coming?
I think she said she will be coming at 8 o'clock
Why we use Past Perfect in the question and ...
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1
answer
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Reported speech for questions - optional back-shifting - past tense
REPORTED SPEECH for questions
Could the back-shifting to the past be optional for these sentences?
PS: I am wondering especially about sentence (3) (past).
(1) "Which dress do you like best?"...
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someone asked if we have something or had something?
Which one is correct?
1 Last night, one of our neighbors knocked on our door and asked if we had a pair of pliers to lend.
2 Last night, one of our neighbors knocked on our door and asked if we have ...
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41
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No back-shifting for reported speeches that remain true at the moment of reporting (past tense)
Is It informal not to back-shift? or is it acceptable in formal situations as well?
Sherri and Dan: “We enjoyed the concert.”
Sherri and Dan told us they enjoyed the concert.
1
vote
1
answer
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Changing present tense to past tense in indirect speech
These following sentences are from some websites about "Have You Ever" questions. Is it correct to use the present simple or present continuous in the sentences? Should I change them into ...
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1
answer
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How to explain the different tenses here?
I'm doing TOEFL speaking practice, and today I met something I can't explain in TPO15: the girl is in the choir where everyone is asked to wear a white shirt and black pants. But she just spilled ...
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Conversion of tense in interrogative sentence from direct to indirect speech
"Can you see a woman seated at a table?" he asked.
A) He asked her if she could see a woman seated at a table.
Since the reported speech is in past tense, the tense of the indirect speech ...
Arjun
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vote
1
answer
46
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Backshift in time to distance yourself from indirect speech if introductory sentence in present?
For indirect speech with introductory sentences in simple past, there's a backshift in time:
Peter: “The sky is blue.”
Peter said the sky was blue.
Now, I want to quote a general idea/thought using ...
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1
answer
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What is "The day before yesterday" in reported speech?
If "yesterday" becomes "the previous day" in reported speech, what about "the day before yesterday"?
Direct Speech: "I came back the day before yesterday" he ...
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1
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Transfer "Would you mind if..." into indirect speech
Direct speech: "Would you mind if I gave you a brief instruction, Jason?" said Chloe.
--> Chloe told......
Someone wrote: Chloe told Jason to give him a brief instruction.
It sounds very ...
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2
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Direct to Indirect Speech
May I please check how to convert the following direct speech to indirect?
Mary asked me "can you do it"?
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"Would" when used to express polite, uncertain, or tentative - Does it trigger back-shift (past tense) in reported speech?
A conditional sentence makes the reported part past tense and back-shifted.
Example 1:
If I were you, I would say that I didn't want to join his team.
"Would" can be used to make the ...
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Reported speech explanation [closed]
I need a very detailed explanation about reported speech. I'm confused about the tense change. Thanks!
user151926
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Convert to indirect speech: ‘Rajeev said, “But, dad, didn't you promise me a new laptop?”’
I have an exercise to convert a sentence into direct speech:
Rajeev said, "But, dad, didn't you promise me a new laptop?"
I believe the answer should be
Rajeev reminded his dad hadn't he ...
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1
answer
428
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He said he has read that book VS He said he had read that book
He said he has read that book.
He said he had read that book.
Both of these sentences are grammatically correct.
It seems there is a nuance in meaning between them. So, what is the nuance?
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He said that he have vs he had
lets assume I saw my friend last night and he said exactly on of these to me:
I've lost my keys.
or
I Had lost my keys.
so, I know in reported speech I must convert "Have" to "Had&...
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2
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Why would it be necessary to backshift here
Can somebody explain why it would be necessary to backshift
The parcel was not delivered so it remains the seller's property.
He said the parcel was not delivered, so it remains the seller's ...
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Reported speech with the word "before"
I have such a sentence:
'Who did you see at the club last night?' Tony asked me.
I need to transform it into reported speech using the word before. But wherever I put the word, it changes the ...
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Reported speech with no change in tense
I am doing homework about this topic and I don't know how to turn these statements into reported speech:
Direct speech: The concert is cancelled.
Julian said that the concert is cancelled.
Or
Julian ...
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Can I change the future tense into the past tense?
Can I change the future tense into the past tense when I change the direct speech into the indirect speech?
“I will open the door”
I said I would open the door.
I said I opened the door.
The door ...
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Can "shout" or "scream" be used to introduce reported speech?
Is it grammatically correct to say:
She shouted at him that he hooked up with his friend.
She screams at him that he is stupid.
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Does "any" change to "some" in reported speech?
This sentence appeared in a reported speech exercise assigned to me.
"Are there any oranges in the fridge?", she asked her mom.
This is the exercise's key — it changed "any" to &...
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