When reporting what someone said, we change direct speech into indirect speech (reported speech). This often means shifting the tense back in time.
Key Rule:👉 Shift the Tense Back
- "He is a self-made man." She told me he was a self-made man. 👉 Present Simple → Past Simple
- "I agreed with it." He told us that he had agreed with it. 👉Past Simple → Past Perfect
- "I have never been to London". She remarked that she had never been to London . 👉Present Perfect → Past Perfect
Time expressions often shift:
"yesterday" → "the day before"
"tomorrow" → "the next day"
"now" → "then"
"Used to" works for both situations and repeated actions in the past.
Example (situation): I used to live in London. (It was true in the past, but not anymore.)
Example (repeated action): I used to ride my bike to school every day.
"Would" only works for repeated actions in the past, never for situations.
Example: When I was a child, I would play outside every afternoon.
❌ I would live in London. (Incorrect—because "living" is a situation, not a repeated action.)
Would this explanation work for your students?
Je zei:
Can you use would when asking questions and making negative sentences
ChatGPT zei:
Good question! In the context of past habits, "would" is usually not used in questions or negative sentences. Instead, we use "used to."
Negative sentences:
✅ I didn’t use to like vegetables. (Correct)
❌ I wouldn’t like vegetables. (Incorrect in this context)
Questions:
✅ Did you use to play football? (Correct)
❌ Would you play football? (Incorrect in this context)
However, "would" can be used in questions and negatives when talking about hypothetical situations or polite requests:
Would you help me with this? (Polite request)
I wouldn’t do that if I were you. (Hypothetical)
But when talking about past habits, stick to "used to" for negatives and questions.
Je zei:
Explain Direct & Indirect Speech based on this grid. You are an Englsih teacher 4VWO , keep it short, give examples. direct speech
indirect speech
“He is a self-made man.”
She told me he was a self-made man. (present simple > past simple)
“Bored people become boring people.”
He said that bored people became boring people. (present simple > past simple)
"I think it has a lot to do with being interested.”
We thought it had a lot to do with being interested. (present simple > past simple)
“I agreed with it.”
He told us that he had agreed with it. (past simple > past perfect)
“I saw an old friend yesterday."
She remarked she had seen an old friend the day before. (past simple > past perfect)
ChatGPT zei:
Direct vs. Indirect Speech
When reporting what someone said, we change direct speech into indirect speech (reported speech). This often means shifting the tense back in time.
Key Rule: Shift the Tense Back
Direct Speech Indirect Speech Tense Change
"He is a self-made man." She told me he was a self-made man. Present Simple → Past Simple
"Bored people become boring people." He said that bored people became boring people. Present Simple → Past Simple
"I think it has a lot to do with being interested." We thought it had a lot to do with being interested. Present Simple → Past Simple & Present Perfect → Past Perfect
"I agreed with it." He told us that he had agreed with it. Past Simple → Past Perfect
"I saw an old friend yesterday." She remarked she had seen an old friend the day before. Past Simple → Past Perfect & Time Change ("yesterday" → "the day before")
Other Changes in Indirect Speech:
Pronouns may change:
"I" → "he/she/they" (depending on the speaker)
Time expressions often shift:
"yesterday" → "the day before"
"tomorrow" → "the next day"
"now" → "then"