46
votes
Accepted
Why does Obi-Wan use 'were' in "He wanted you to have it when you were old enough"?
Let's clear up some grammar points first.
Time clauses about the future never include "will", and almost always use a present tense:
When I am older, I'll be a doctor.
After I win, I'm ...
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19
votes
Accepted
Convert to indirect speech: ‘Rajeev said, “But, dad, didn't you promise me a new laptop?”’
In the direct speech
But, dad, didn't you promise me a new laptop?
the verb didn't you is inverted. This is normal when one is asking a question: "Didn't you...?" "Have you...?"
...
- 2,388
15
votes
Why is "here" changed into "there" when converting this sentence into direct speech?
The words "here" and "there" reflect the perspective of the speaker.
For the example with reported speech,
Jack told me that he would be here at seven.
In this example, the ...
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15
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Convert to indirect speech: ‘Rajeev said, “But, dad, didn't you promise me a new laptop?”’
Your answer is not correct, nor is the answer provided in the textbook.
You cannot remind somebody if or whether. You remind them that or of something. You can ask them if/whether
So while there are ...
- 26k
13
votes
What tense of the word sing completes the sentence below appropriately?
This is complicated because it depends how you interpret heard. In the examples below, each line shows
what the original speaker said -> how it was reported.
It could be hear meaning listen to
...
- 61.4k
11
votes
Does "is" turn into "was" or "were" in indirect speech?
It is not the change to indirect speech which dictates the change in verb form; rather it is the use of the verb could to describe the possibility of an outcome contrary to what occurred, and the ...
10
votes
Accepted
"In whose symbolic shadow we stand today"
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
"In whose symbolic shadow we stand today" is a subordinate clause and ...
- 23.2k
9
votes
Using "scold" in reported speech
You can certainly use past tense X scolded Y to report what X did to Y.
But scold doesn't work the same as, for example, tell, inform, convince, all of which can be followed by a subordinate clause ...
- 74.6k
8
votes
Is ‘I screamed that she get out of there’ reported speech for “Get out of there” I screamed?
No, but a version that would work is I screamed for her to get out of there. Or, of course, I screamed at her, “Get out of there!”
I will add that an outdated usage of that meant what we today convey ...
- 11.3k
7
votes
Changing the verb for indirect quote/reported speech expressing habitual actions
In reported speech, the tense of the verbs in the reported speech is normally backshifted.
I am ready
He said he was ready
There are, however, exceptions. If the original statement is a general ...
- 61.4k
7
votes
Accepted
Indirect speech - past tense
You're talking about backshifting, which is common in indirect speech, but not required. For events that happened in the past and are complete, it makes more sense to backshift.
My sister said ...
- 88.5k
6
votes
Accepted
Confusion about "Backshift" of Verbs in Indirect Speech (To Kill a Mockingbird)
Your concern seems to be this: "Why doesn't the author backshift the verbs in reports of Jem's simple past statements to the past perfect?"
I think the best answer is simply that we don't always do ...
6
votes
Accepted
Imperative in reported speech
Mom said, "Don't trust strangers".
When you change an imperative sentence from direct to indirect (reported) speech, you don't change the tense in the reported speech; you keep the present tense. ...
- 27.3k
6
votes
Should "the belief that the world was round" be "the belief that the world is round" in this sentence?
With a timeless property like that, your version (with is) is possible; but it is not usual.
The habit in English of converting the tense of reported speech in the past ("He believed 'It is round'" =...
- 77.1k
6
votes
Changing the verb for indirect quote/reported speech expressing habitual actions
I agree that options 2 and 3 are correct if they still pray every day and that only option 3 is correct if they no longer pray every day.
But the question as given is select the one which best ...
- 36.4k
6
votes
Difference Had been Twins and Were Twins
a) I asked if he and my father had been twins.
= I asked, "Were he and my father twins?"
b) I asked if he and my father were twins.
= I asked, "Are he and my father twins?"
Therefore,
If he ...
- 449
6
votes
How to handle “next Monday” in reported speech?
It depends on the time from which you are reporting the speech.
So if on Wednesday 1st May, someone says "next Monday" they mean Monday 6th May.
If you are reporting their speech on Thursday ...
- 231k
6
votes
Accepted
Backshifting tenses in reported speech
My answer to this question is to advise you to think completely differently. Don't think about backshifting. Don't take a sentence with one set of tenses and try to transfer it into a different set of ...
- 5,409
6
votes
How to render the word WOULD / MUST in the Reported Speech?
I've read this article ... but couldn't understand the explanation.
I sympathise! It's a good answer, but it's also a technical answer.
My advice is to make life simple for yourself as a learner. ...
- 5,409
5
votes
Accepted
Question related to past tense of the verb
She said she would help me when she finished her work.
Compare:
I will help you when I finish my work.
That is what she really said.It is called "direct speech". The sentence you are interested ...
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5
votes
Accepted
How to convert advice to reported speech?
Let's suppose Alice said "You should only connect to people you know well", and Bob has to decide how to tell other people about this later. Bob needs to choose between saying...
1: Alice said that ...
- 74.6k
5
votes
Why does Obi-Wan use 'were' in "He wanted you to have it when you were old enough"?
I agree with the answer by gotube about "He wanted you to have it when you were old enough." - this is perfectly understandable to me. However, there is context to this particular line that ...
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5
votes
Should "before getting" be changed to past tense when converting to reported speech?
The salesman said," You need to fill in this form before getting the exchange."
Assuming that you are the person the salesman spoke to:
The salesman said I needed to fill in that form ...
- 137k
4
votes
What tense of the word sing completes the sentence below appropriately?
The correct choice is sing or singing.
She said that she heard Esther sing.
Or: She said that she heard Esther singing.
So at some point in the past, Esther was singing, and "she" heard ...
- 778
4
votes
Which tense should I use when describing the following facts?
We usually make changes to the original verbs in indirect speech when time has passed between the moment of speaking and the time of the report:
In the 5th century people believed that the Earth ...
- 9,657
4
votes
Accepted
how to properly distinguish between two indirect sentences?
Move the time adverbial up to the front to make it modify "mentioned", and don't use "the previous day", use "yesterday" since that is the word that means "the day before today".
Yesterday he ...
- 231k
4
votes
Past simple for a reported speech still true
No, it's ambiguous.
It's what she did say, and what she meant at the time. Whether or not she still has a problem with the modern world is unknown.
But if she does still have a problem with it, then ...
- 36.4k
4
votes
Accepted
Reported speech: When to not change "was" to "had been"?
Actually, I can definitely understand why this seems complicated, but I think it's actually not as bad as it seems at first. With reported speech, we have two verbs, and they're both combined ...
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4
votes
Accepted
Why is 'I asked who was the winner' correct?
This issue arises because we have a nominal clause (sometimes called content clause, noun clause, etc.) that is introduced by an interrogative pronoun and includes a predicate nominative (PN). (Please ...
- 15.4k
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