Reported speech: tomorrow/the day after

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He said, "I'll go to the library tomorrow."
He said he would go to the library the next day/the day after.

Am I right to say that both phrases can be used in reported speech?

Many thanks.

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@tanguatlay,

Quote:

He said, "I'll go to the library tomorrow."
He said he would go to the library the next day/the day after.

Am I right to say that both phrases can be used in reported speech?

There are no rules specific to reported speech, Tan, that come ahead of common sense, of meaning.

It's important to establish when the speech is being reported.

[Imagine it's Monday] A: "I'll go to the library tomorrow."

B: [reporting A's speech, it's still Monday] He said he would go to the library tomorrow.

In this situation, neither the next day/the day after sound natural.

He said he would go to the library the next day/the day after.

Both of these, underlined, sound like somebody reporting speech some time after it occurred, say as in a trial, where an actual day had been established and understood.

A: He said he would go to the library on Saturday, September, 23?

B: No, he said he would go there the next day/the day after that.

1 Reply

@JTT,

Hi JTT

1. I notice that my version is '... the day after', while yours is 'the day after that'.
Am I right to conclude that the word 'that' must be used, without which the sentence is not correct?

Quote:

He said he would go to the library the next day/the day after./quote]

B: No, he said he would go there the next day/the day after that.

2. He said he would go to the library tomorrow.
Is it correct to say He said he will go the the library tomorrow.

Many thanks for helping me so often.

Best regards.

Ms Tan

1 Reply

@tanguatlay,

Hi JTT

1. I notice that my version is '... the day after', while yours is 'the day after that'.
Am I right to conclude that the word 'that' must be used, without which the sentence is not correct?

Quote:
He said he would go to the library the next day/the day after.

B: No, he said he would go there the next day/the day after that.

2. He said he would go to the library tomorrow.
Is it correct to say He said he will go the the library tomorrow.

Many thanks for helping me so often.

Best regards.

Ms Tan

PS Sorry for the the duplicate post, but I was unable to edit my earlier post as I've exceeded the time for editing. Looks like the issue, which I brought up recently, has not been addressed. (BTW, is 'addressed' the correct word in the sense that they have not done anything about my request?)
Thanks in advance.

1 Reply

@tanguatlay,

Quote:

Hi JTT

And a warm howdy do to you, Ma'am.

Quote:

1. I notice that my version is '... the day after', while yours is 'the day after that'.
Am I right to conclude that the word 'that' must be used, without which the sentence is not correct?

Quote:
He said he would go to the library the next day/the day after.

B: No, he said he would go there the next day/the day after that.

'that' would not necessarily be needed, Ms Tan. But in the scenario I laid out, 'that' would likely be included to make clear to A: that it means the one A mentioned or it could be used to drive the point home, be more forceful.

Quote:

2. He said he would go to the library tomorrow.
Is it correct to say He said he will go the the library tomorrow.

It surely is. There is no absolute compulsion for speakers to "backshift". There are reasons we do but there's no absolute demand we do it.

Quote:

Many thanks for helping me so often.

Best regards.

Ms Tan

PS Sorry for the the duplicate post, but I was unable to edit my earlier post as I've exceeded the time for editing. Looks like the issue, which I brought up recently, has not been addressed. (BTW, is 'addressed' the correct word in the sense that they have not done anything about my request?)
Thanks in advance.

You're most welcome, Ms Tan. 'addressed' is poifect!

1 Reply

@JTT,

Hi JTT

Thank you very much for your detailed reply. It helps me a lot in improving my English. Very Happy

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Reported speech: tomorrow/the day after

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