What the Doctor Told Me — Reported Speech
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What the Doctor Told Me
In Réunion, my doctor spoke French. I understood, mostly. But when I had to report what she said to the specialist — in English — I realised how much reported speech matters. ‘She told me that I needed rest.’ Not: ‘She says I need rest.’ The tense shifts. The meaning stays.
Reported speech repeats what someone said, with changes to tense, pronoun, and sometimes time words.
Direct: ‘You need to rest,’ she said.
Reported: She said (that) I needed to rest.
Key tense shifts: present simple → past simple | will → would | can → could | must → had to
1. “I am tired.” → She said she was tired.
2. “I will call you.” → He said he would call me.
3. “You must take this medicine.” → The doctor told me I had to take the medicine.
Report these sentences
1. ‘I can help you.’ → She said she ___ could help me.
2. ‘We are going to Paris tomorrow.’ → They said they ___ were going to Paris the next day.
3. When do we NOT need to backshift? When the situation is still true now. e.g. ‘He said water boils at 100°C.’
Independent project; not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Confers no qualification.
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