Home · B2 Upper-Intermediate · Unit 01
Unit 01
Reported Speech (Advanced)
modals, conditionals & mixed reporting
Advanced Reported Speech
At B2 level, reported speech goes beyond simple statements. We need to handle modal verbs, conditional sentences, and mixed reporting — where context decides whether the tense shifts at all.
Modal Verbs That Change
| Direct | Reported | Example |
|---|---|---|
| will → would | shifts back | "I'll call you." → He said he would call me. |
| can → could | shifts back | "I can help." → She said she could help. |
| may → might | shifts back | "I may go." → He said he might go. |
| shall → should / would | shifts back | "I shall return." → He said he would return. |
| must → had to | shifts back (obligation) | "You must leave." → She said I had to leave. |
Modal Verbs That Stay the Same
These modals are already "past" or hypothetical in form, so they do not change:
| Modal | Example |
|---|---|
| could | "I could swim." → She said she could swim. |
| might | "I might come." → He said he might come. |
| should | "You should study." → She said I should study. |
| would | "I would help." → He said he would help. |
| ought to | "You ought to rest." → She said I ought to rest. |
Reporting Conditional Sentences
- First conditionals shift to a "would" form.
- Second and third conditionals usually stay unchanged — they are already hypothetical.
| Type | Direct | Reported |
|---|---|---|
| First | "If it rains, I'll stay home." | He said if it rained, he would stay home. |
| Second | "If I were rich, I'd buy a car." | He said if he were rich, he would buy a car. (no change) |
| Third | "If I had studied, I'd have passed." | She said if she had studied, she'd have passed. (no change) |
Mixed Reporting — When NOT to Shift
When the statement is a universal truth, fact, or ongoing reality, no tense change is needed even after a past reporting verb.
- "The Earth is round." → He said the Earth is round. (still true)
- "I work as a teacher." → She said she works as a teacher. (still true)
- "I'll call you tomorrow." → He said he'd call me the next day. (time shift applies)
Reporting Verbs for Complex Sentences
Instead of always using "said", advanced reporting uses precise verbs that capture the function of the speech.
| Direct speech | Reported with a specific verb |
|---|---|
| "You should try again." | She encouraged me to try again. |
| "Don't forget to send the report." | He reminded me to send the report. |
| "Let's go for a walk." | She suggested going for a walk. |
| "I didn't steal it!" | He denied stealing it. |
| "I'll pay you back." | He promised to pay me back. |
Is Backshift Optional?
After a past reporting verb, backshift is normal, but it is optional when the situation is still true or still in the future at the moment of reporting:
| Situation | Example |
|---|---|
| Still true → both possible | "I live in Izmir." → He said he lives / lived in Izmir. |
| Still in the future → both possible | "The meeting will be on Friday." (it's Monday) → She said the meeting will / would be on Friday. |
| No longer true → backshift | "I'm tired." (last week) → She said she was tired. |
| Present reporting verb → no backshift | "I love it." → She says she loves it. |
| must → must / had to | "You must sign here." → He said I must / had to sign there. |
Reporting Questions with Modals & Whether
- "Could you help me?" → She asked if I could help her. / She asked me to help her. (request)
- "Should I call him?" → He asked whether he should call him.
- "Do you want tea or coffee?" → She asked whether I wanted tea or coffee.
- whether ... or not: He asked whether or not I was coming. (not
if or not)
Annotated Examples
Subject
Verb
Auxiliary
Object
Adjective
Adverb
Preposition
Hover over any word to see its role.
verbShe saidsubjectIauxiliaryhad toverbleaveadverbimmediately.
↳ Must → had to in reported obligation.
subjectHeverbremindedobjectmeverbto sendobjectthe report.
↳ Specific reporting verb "remind" + object + to-infinitive.
verbShe saidifverbshe wereadjectiverich,verbshe would buyobjecta car.
↳ Second conditional reported — stays unchanged.
Common Mistakes
He said that he will go.
→
He said that he would go.
Standard backshift: will → would. ("Will" is possible only if the event is still in the future and you want to stress that.)
She asked me where was I.
→
She asked me where I was.
No inversion in reported questions — subject + verb order.
He told me that I must to leave.
→
He told me that I had to leave.
Must → had to; never "must to".
She said she can help.
→
She said she could help.
Standard backshift: can → could. ("Can" is possible if it is still true now.)
He suggested me to go.
→
He suggested going.
"Suggest" is not followed by object + to + verb — use a gerund.
She asked me if or not I was coming.
→
She asked me whether or not I was coming.
"Whether or not" (not "if or not").