13
votes
Can “was not ᴠᴇʀʙing” and “will not ᴠᴇʀʙ” ever be exact equivalents in reported speech?
The short answer is that no, they do not mean the same thing.
The first with an inflection of the progressive construction be playing is a simple statement of the evidentiary future, but the second ...
- 137k
6
votes
Accepted
Can I use "Would" instead of the infinitive?
"Would" is used after past reporting verbs where "will" was used in direct speech. This is contained in Practical English Usage (Michael Swan, OUP 1995, n° 604, indirect speech). ...
- 23.9k
6
votes
Accepted
Modal verbs (must, may, would) in reported-speech backshift
Maybe a native speaker could and maybe they couldn't, depending on what pack of rules you've been saddled with. The list above isn't really about modals; it's about the necessities of events and how ...
- 109k
5
votes
Accepted
Can “was not ᴠᴇʀʙing” and “will not ᴠᴇʀʙ” ever be exact equivalents in reported speech?
This is reported speech, where we backshift tenses. Backshifting happens when a verb tense is shifted back to a past form in reported speech.
What was said by John: "I am hungry." In ...
- 12.1k
5
votes
Accepted
Changing “You don't listen to me” to reported speech
Firstly, C is the only feasible answer. A and B do not accurately report the words "You don't listen to him." And D is ungrammatical.
You are right to think that "Jamil told Jaffar that ...
- 33.5k
4
votes
Accepted
Direct Speech: the subordinator "that" before the reported clause
One can write a sentence with a partial quotation:
Direct speech: We live in a madhouse! We have to move.
She says they "live in a madhouse" most of the time.
This is unobtrusive: the ...
4
votes
Accepted
We decided that if they do not leave the place in one day, we would surely force them out. To use 'do not' or 'did not' in this sentence?
Your second sentence is idiomatic and is speaking about the past. Presumably they have now left. Perhaps it all happened a while ago.
The first sentence might be:
We decided that if they do not leave ...
- 5,597
3
votes
why --not <or> to infinitive in "indirect speech"
In answer to OP's original [amended here]
According to Longman Dictionary [reference needed],
"Why not" is a "spoken phrase" used to say that you agree with a suggestion.
My question is: ...
- 31
3
votes
Modal verbs in reporting
Your examples don't work, as they change the intended meaning of the original speaker:
'I could meet you at the airport.'
This means it is possible for the speaker to meet at the airport
He ...
- 22.9k
3
votes
Accepted
Would like in the passive voice
Be is not always required to mark passive voice. There are other constructions like the one in the example given where the passive is not marked by be (CaGEL p1245):
i Most of the sense verbs
I heard ...
- 11.1k
3
votes
Accepted
How does "dare" change in indirect speech?
This Collins Dictionary grammar note says that both dared or dare can be the past tense of the modal dare:
The past form needed is not used as a modal; dared is occasionally used as a modal.
The ...
- 90.3k
3
votes
Reported speech about something that is still in the future
From Word Reference Forum, where Annadim asks the same question [minor tweaks, eg bolding, mine]:
Which grammatical tense would you use in the following situation? You
are reporting about a past ...
- 87.2k
2
votes
Modal verbs in reporting
The authors of English Language Today, available on the Cambridge Dictionary website, agree with Hewings that in reported speech modals such as could, would, should, etc. admit no change. They do, ...
- 28.2k
2
votes
2
votes
That's What She Said Quote
The meta-humor lies in making reported speech into quoted speech, as a play on words. The original "That's what"—She renders as
"That's what," she said
Your alternative "That" — She reads as
...
- 43.5k
2
votes
Reported Speech: preference for using that after say/tell
I don’t know about television, but at least in Google Books it is the British who are little more likely to use that to introduce reported speech. Or, more precisely, were in the second half of the ...
- 10.2k
2
votes
We decided that if they do not leave the place in one day, we would surely force them out. To use 'do not' or 'did not' in this sentence?
We decided that if they do not leave the place in one day, we would surely force them out.
Spoken after the decision but before they have left -> They have not left yet.
We decided that if they ...
- 46.4k
2
votes
Indirect speech: The day after
It might be argued that Cambridge Dictionary licenses this usage (though POS assignment may well be contested):
after [adverb] A2
later than someone or something else:
soon after Hilary got here at ...
- 87.2k
2
votes
What punctuation is used to indicate paraphrased dialogue?
Paraphrase is usually not marked with distinct punctuation or typography in English formatting styles. In academic styles like MLA, APA, or Chicago, one can include a citation after the paraphrased ...
- 41.7k
1
vote
Introducing reported speech- has said/ said
A lot depends on the specific context, but, roughly speaking, "has said" implies at some unspecified time in the past, while "said" refers to a specific occurrence. For instance:
I ran into Steve ...
- 27.6k
1
vote
Direct Speech: the subordinator "that" before the reported clause
(1) I agree that the sentence you mark as wrong is much better without the that; (2) do not look to Wikipedia for good English. I would leave the that out in both sentences, the one you marked wrong ...
1
vote
How to handle "I'd say" when turning into reported speech
'Would + verb' either stays the same (if it is a more general statement), or can, but does not need to, change into 'would have + past participle' (if we are hypothesising).
'I would buy it if I had ...
- 740
1
vote
Reported Speech: He said, "I was sad"
The past perfect continuous form is: Subject + had been + infinitive + ing.
For example: he had been learning.
Had been sad is past perfect.
The correct answers for the given sentences are:
He ...
- 2,826
1
vote
Is there a grammatical form that helps you to express that you don't believe the speaker? (reported speech)
When reporting a speaker's words about the present or the future, we can choose to backshift into the past or to keep the original speaker's tenses. For example:
I told my boss I will/would be late ...
- 33.5k
1
vote
Accepted
Which is the correct tense: "earth was/is round"?
Both the sentences are correct. It depends on what context and which tense you are using it. For example:
Past tense:
Aristotle was the first person who described the shape of the Earth.
He ...
1
vote
Accepted
Reported speech - "last January"
Next Month Jan 2019 we can say for Jan 2018
"We have not been to London since last January."
This current year (2018) we would not use last
"We have not been to London since January."
for ...
- 3,179
1
vote
Accepted
Reported Speech - sentence with two verbs
While both sentences are grammatically correct, the first sounds much more natural.
If you wanted to use the wording of the second sentence, you could instead use:
"The doctor asked if it hurt when I ...
- 1,071
1
vote
May I know which one is correct?
The first sentence is fine.
My only objection is the use of called in the second sentence, because it is an instruction to do something, and has not yet happened.
It also differs by using "didn't ...
- 22.1k
1
vote
Indirect Speech/whether-if
We use "if" or "whether" to introduce clauses after verbs of doubting:
I don’t know if I can drive. My foot really hurts.
Look at If or whether: indirect questions at the Cambridge ...
- 179
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