English grammar
Reported speech shifts: tomorrow → the next day, here → there, today → that day
Retell what people said on another day and in another place, shifting time and place words.
From the scene The next day
In short
When you report later and elsewhere, shift time and place words: tomorrow becomes the next day, here becomes there.
Your turn
Which one goes with here → there?
Options: in that hall · he said they would sign there · he said that the next day they would sign
Show answer
here → there → he said they would sign there
How it works
When you report words later and somewhere else, time and place words shift along with the tenses.
Good to know
Tomorrow becomes the next day, yesterday becomes the day before, today becomes that day, here becomes there, and this becomes that.
tomorrow → the next day he said that the next day they would sign
Nuria
So write: "He said that the next day they would sign there."
Pues escribe: "Dijo que al día siguiente firmarían allí."
Your turn
What fills the gap?
So write: "(blank) there."
Options: In that hall · He said that the next day they would sign · He said they would sign there
Show answer
Nuria
So write: "He said that the next day they would sign there."
Pues escribe: "Dijo que al día siguiente firmarían allí."
here → there he said they would sign there
Your turn
What goes with he said they would sign there?
Options: here → there · tomorrow → the next day · this → that
Show answer
he said they would sign there → here → there
this → that in that hall
Nuria
Here, in our flat? No, silly: there, in that hall.
¿Aquí, en nuestro piso? No, hombre: allí, en aquella sala.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
Here, in our flat? No, silly: there, (blank).
Options: in that hall · he said that the next day they would sign · he said they would sign there
Show answer
Nuria
Here, in our flat? No, silly: there, in that hall.
¿Aquí, en nuestro piso? No, hombre: allí, en aquella sala.
today → that day (reported) the vote that day was postponed
Nuria
"The councillor announced that the vote that day was postponed."
"La concejala anunció que la votación de aquel día quedaba aplazada."
Your turn
What fills the gap?
"The councillor announced that (blank)."
Options: he said that the next day they would sign · he said they would sign there · the vote that day was postponed
Show answer
Nuria
"The councillor announced that the vote that day was postponed."
"La concejala anunció que la votación de aquel día quedaba aplazada."
yesterday → the day before the day before she had received forty letters
Elena
Because the day before she had received forty letters from a resident.
Porque el día anterior había recibido cuarenta cartas de una vecina.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
Because (blank) from a resident.
Options: he said that the next day they would sign · he said they would sign there · the day before she had received forty letters
Show answer
Elena
Because the day before she had received forty letters from a resident.
Porque el día anterior había recibido cuarenta cartas de una vecina.
Practise it in the story
Meet this rule inside a short animated scene. Answer as it plays, then say the lines yourself.
Practise free in the appSee all forms
| tomorrow → the next day | he said that the next day they would sign |
|---|---|
| here → there | he said they would sign there |
| this → that | in that hall |
| today → that day (reported) | the vote that day was postponed |
| yesterday → the day before | the day before she had received forty letters |
More lines from the story
- JaviBut that was on Thursday. It's already Monday.Pero eso fue el jueves. Hoy ya es lunes.
- ElenaAn anonymous resident. From the third floor.Una vecina anónima. Del tercero.