Job Interview

Blind Date

Green Machine

In my last vacations

Wishes Present and Past

Present wishes indicate something that is "contrary to fact." That is, wishes are something that is untrue but desired. For example,

I wish that I had a sports car. I wish that I were a doctor.

(The truth is I don't have a sports car.) (I'm really not a doctor.)

For present wishes, the past tense is used in the that clause, because it indicates a situation that is only imagined. Sometimes the word that is omitted.

• She wishes (that) she had a diamond ring.
• He wishes (that) he were rich.

To express possibility (can) and future intention (will), use the modals could and would respectively.

• She wishes that she could sing.
• They wish that she would stop.

When a "be" verb is required, the word were is used, regardless of the subject.

• We wish you were here.
• I wish (that) I were taller.

Past wishes indicate things we imagine would have been different in the past, although we cannot change them. For past wishes, use the past perfect in the that clause. I wish (that) I had gone to Cincinnati He wishes that he had been elected chairman. They wish they had won the lottery. (I really didn't go.) (He wasn't elected.) (They didn't win.) Form and meaning Wishes about the present and future We use wish + past simple to express that we want a situation in the present to be different. I wish I spoke Italian. (I don't speak Italian.) I wish I had a big car. (I don't have a big car.) I wish I was on a beach. (I'm in the office.) We use wish + past continuous to express that we want to be doing a different action in the present. I wish I was lying on a beach now. (I'm sitting in the office.) I wish it wasn't raining. (It is raining.) I wish you weren't leaving tomorrow. (You are leaving tomorrow.) Wishes about the past We use wish + past perfect to express a regret, or that we want a situation in the past to be different. I wish I hadn't eaten so much. (I ate a lot.) I wish they'd come on holiday with us. (They didn't come on holiday with us.) I wish I had studied harder at school. (I was lazy at school.)

Report Speech

If we report what anothe person has said, we usuallu do not use the speaker's exact words (direct speech), but reported (indirect) speech. Therefore, you need to learn how to transform direct speech into reported speech. The structure is a little different depending on whether you want to transform a statement, question or request.


Statements

When transforming statements, check whether you have to change:

• pronouns
• present tense verbs (3rd person singular)
• place and time expressions
• tenses (backshift)

Type	Example
direct speech	“I speak English.”
reported speech (no backshift)	He says that he speaks English.
reported speech (backshift)	He said that he spoke English.

        

Questions

When transforming questions, check whether you have to change:

• pronouns
• present tense verbs (3rd person singular)
• place and time expressions
• tenses (backshift)

Also note that you have to:

• transform the question into an indirect question
• use the interrogative or if / whether

Type		Example
with interrogative	direct speech	“Why don’t you speak English?”
	reported speech	He asked me why I didn’t speak English.
without interrogative	direct speech	“Do you speak English?”
	reported speech	He asked me whether / if I spoke English.

Request

When transforming questions, check whether you have to change:

• pronouns
• place and time expressions

Type	Example
direct speech	“Carol, speak English.“
reported speech	He told Carol to speak English

Additional Information and Exeptions 

Apart from the above mentioned basic rules, there are further aspects that you should keep in mind, for example:

• main clauses connected with and / but
• tense of the introductory clause
• reported speech for difficult tenses
• exeptions for backshift
• requests with must, should, ought to and let’s

Special reporting verbs

Form and meaning

We use reporting verbs to report what someone said more accurately than using say and tell.

Verb + infinitive

Agree, decide, offer, promise, refuse, threaten

• They agreed to meet on Friday.
• He refused to take his coat off.

Verb + object + infinitive

Advise, encourage, invite, remind, warn

• Tom advised me to go home early.
• She reminded me to telephone my mother.

Verb + gerund

Deny, recommend, suggest

• They recommended taking the bus.
• She suggested meeting a little earlier.

Verb + object + preposition (+ gerund)

Accuse, blame, congratulate

• He accused me of taking the money.
• They congratulated me on passing all my exams.

Verb + preposition + gerund

Apologize<<<, insist

• They apologized for not coming.
• He insisted on having dinner.

Verb + (that) + subject + verb

Admit, agree, decide, deny, explain, insist, promise, recommend, suggest

• Sarah decided (that) the house needed cleaning.
• They recommended (that) we take the bus.