Business English: Surveys and Reported Speech Guide
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5 cards
Question: How do you change present simple tense when reporting speech?
Answer: Present simple → past simple (e.g., 'I work for Ford.' → She said (that) she worked for Ford.)
Question: How do you change present continuous tense in reported speech?
Answer: Present continuous → past continuous (e.g., 'I'm doing the accounts.' → He said (that) he was doing the accounts.)
Question: How do you change present perfect tense when reporting speech?
Answer: Present perfect → past perfect (e.g., 'I've written the report.' → She said (that) she had written the report.)
Question: How do you change past simple tense in reported speech?
Answer: Past simple → past perfect (e.g., 'I missed the meeting.' → He told me (that) he had missed the meeting.)
Question: How do you change 'will' when converting direct speech to reported speech?
Answer: 'Will' → 'would' (e.g., 'Profits will rise.' → She predicted (that) profits would rise.)