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Question

Difficulty: HardDirect and Indirect (Reported) Speech

Read the direct speech statement below and complete the reported speech sentence by supplying the correct expressions for each blank. What are the appropriate words to complete the indirect speech transformation?

Answer:Direct Speech: "Did the accreditation panel inspect the newly commissioned laboratory yesterday?" the provost inquired.

Reported Speech: The provost inquired whether the accreditation panel 【had inspected】 the newly commissioned laboratory 【the day before】.

Answer

blank_1: had inspected; blank_2: the day before (or the previous day)
In reported speech with a past reporting verb like 'inquired', direct questions in the simple past tense ('did inspect') backshift to the past perfect tense ('had inspected'). Simultaneously, the temporal adverbial 'yesterday' converts to 'the day before' or 'the previous day'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the verb tense in the direct speech question.
The direct question uses the simple past tense ('did inspect').
When converting a sentence from direct speech to indirect speech with a past tense reporting verb ('inquired'), simple past tense verbs must backshift to the past perfect tense ('had inspected').
2
Determine the corresponding shift for the time adverbial.
'yesterday' shifts to 'the day before' or 'the previous day'.
Time words referring to a specific past day relative to the time of speaking must be adjusted to match the past perspective of the reporting verb.

Key Concept

Backshifting Simple Past tense to Past Perfect tense and modifying temporal adverbials in reported questions.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Direct and Indirect (Reported) Speech

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