Transformation

Handout 4

Recap

Statements

1) If the introductory sentence starts in the present (Susan says), there is no backshift of tenses in Reported speech.


Example: 
Direct speech: Susan: "I work in an office." 


Reported speech: Susan says (that) she works in an office.

2) If the introductory sentence starts in the past (Susan said), there is often backshift of tenses in Reported speech.

Example: 
Susan: "I work in an office." 


Susan said (that) she worked in an office.

Backshift of tenses
from	to
Simple Present	Simple Past
Simple Past	Past Perfect
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
will	would
Progressive forms
am/are/is	was/were
was/were	had been
has been
had been

Backshift of tenses
from	to
Peter: "I work in the garden."	Peter said (that) he worked in the garden.
Peter: "I worked in the garden."	Peter said (that) he had worked in the garden.
Peter: "I have worked in the garden."
Peter: "I had worked in the garden."
Peter: "I will work in the garden."	Peter said (that) he would work in the garden.
Peter: "I can work in the garden."	Peter said (that) he could work in the garden.
Peter: "I may work in the garden."	Peter said (that) he might work in the garden.
Peter: "I would work in the garden." (could, might, should, ought to)	Peter said (that) he would work in the garden. (could, might, should, ought to)
Progressive forms
Peter: "I'm working in the garden."	Peter said (that) he was working in the garden.
Peter: "I was working in the garden."	Peter said (that) he had been working in the garden.
Peter: "I have been working in the garden."
Peter: "I had been working in the garden."

If the sentence contains an expression of time, you must change it as well.

Peter: "I worked in the garden yesterday."
Peter said that he had worked in the garden the day before.

Shifting/Conversion of expressions of time

this (evening)	that (evening)
today/this day	that day
these (days)	those (days)
now	then
(a week) ago	(a week) before
last weekend	the weekend before / the previous weekend
here	there
next (week)	the following (week)
tomorrow	the next/following day

Note:

In some cases the backshift of tenses is not necessary, e.g. when statements are still true.

John: "My brother is at Leipzig university."
John said (that) his brother was at Leipzig university. or
John said (that) his brother is at Leipzig university.

or

Mandy: "The sun rises in the East."
Mandy said (that) the sun rose in the East. or
Mandy said (that) the sun rises in the East.

Task

The following lines are from The Straits Times. Change them into direct and reported speech respectively.

1.    "They want to work six days but also want to make sure that their overtime pay is not affected," Mr Ong said.

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2.    Dr Kleinrock says his resistance is not due to discomfort with technology. After all, he is arguably the world's first Internet user. The University of California, Los Angeles professor was part of the team that invented the Internet. 

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3.    Mr Png said, "I think DPM has not visited Hougang or talked to the residents as intensely as I have.” 

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4.    Mr Choo added, "If progress in Hougang was ideal, I wouldn't have to."

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5.    "Feeling lethargic especially after a meal is likely to be related to insulin and blood sugar response," explained Ms Fahma Sunarja, senior dietitian at Parkway Cancer Centre. 

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6.    "Take one hour a day and turn your screen off," Mr Schmidt told graduates at Boston University.

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7.    "Some of you are probably tweeting this speech right now,” he added.

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8.    Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt challenged college graduates yesterday to take the radical step - at least for their generation - of tearing their eyes away from their smartphones and computer screens.

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9.    Mr Teo, who is also Minister in charge of the Civil Service, urged public officers to continue to earn the trust of the public.

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10.  Mr Choo said that as an MP, his role would be to put pressure on the Government to ensure the work is carried out in a timely manner. 

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