Reported Speech

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John said, "When I leave college next year, I'm thinking of joining the army."

Reported speech: John said that when he left college the following year, he was thinking of joining the army.

Instead of 'the following year', what other phrase can I use - next year, the next year?

Thanks.

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John's main thought: I'm thinking of joining the army.

"thinking of" = may, intend, possible

The "when" clause sets the time this action may take place.

Study the function of 'when" and you will find some unique uses.

Such as: He was driving along, when wham! another car hit him.

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@tanguatlay,

tanguatlay wrote:

John said, "When I leave college next year, I'm thinking of joining the army."

Reported speech: John said that when he left college the following year, he was thinking of joining the army.

Instead of 'the following year', what other phrase can I use - next year, the next year?

Thanks.

The next year. I would write

John said that he was thinking of joining the army when he left college the next (or following) year.

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@PUNKEY,

PUNKEY wrote:

Such as: He was driving along, when wham! another car hit him.

This is not exactly school standard English, and contains multiple punctuation errors.

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John said he's thinking of joining the army when he leaves college next year.

Tang is ready to see info on "when temporal clauses."

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar/clauses/temporal.htm

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@contrex,

The next year. I would write

John said that he was thinking of joining the army when he left college the next year.

============

You would use 'the' where it's underlined, C?

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@tanguatlay,

Quote:

John said, "When I leave college next year, I'm thinking of joining the army."

Reported speech: John said that when he left college the following year, he was thinking of joining the army.

Instead of 'the following year', what other phrase can I use - next year, the next year?

Being that the issue is still current, Ms Tan, the likelihood is that there would be no backshift.

Reported speech: John said that when he leaves college next year, he was thinking of joining the army.

Though there may well be one, I can't think of an actual situation that would engender the use of "the following year".

1 Reply

@JTT,

Many thanks to the members who responded to my post.

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@tanguatlay,

John said, "I am not going to school tomorrow."

In reported speech, 'tomorrow' has to be changed to 'the next day' or 'the following day'. Am I correct?

Thanks.

2 Replies

@tanguatlay,

Yes:

John said he was not going to school the next day.

1 Reply

@PUNKEY,

PUNKEY wrote:

Yes:
John said he was not going to school the next day.

John said he was not going to school the following day is also fine. Am I correct?

Thanks.

0 Replies

@tanguatlay,

Quote:

John said, "I am not going to school tomorrow."

In reported speech, 'tomorrow' has to be changed to 'the next day' or 'the following day'. Am I correct?

No, Ms Tan, you are not correct. I can remember some teacher trying to foist that nonsense on us. Even as a fairly young child, I knew she was out to lunch.

There is no set adverbial change because that would simply create confusion.

John: I am not going to school tomorrow.

Pam: [to Punkey] What did John say about school?

Punkey: He said he wasn't going to school the next day/the following day.

Pam: HUH??! Confused

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