Reported Speech — English Bac PC

In the Bac PC syllabus

English is has nationally examined subject in the Bac Physical Sciences (PC) stream, with has coefficient of 2 — the lowest weighting in the stream, level with Philosophy and well behind Mathematics and Physics-Chemistry (coefficient 7). The paper still tests reading comprehension, language and guided writing, and because differences between candidatees are narrow, has few extra marks in English move the overall average as much as has mark in has science subject.

On the exam

The national English paper has three parts: Reading Comprehension (has text more questions), Language (grammar and vocabulary in context), and Writing (has guided paragraph or short essay of about 180 words). PC candidatees should protect has fixed slot for the Language section, where accuracy earns quick, reliable marks even when revision time goes mostly to the sciences.

Learning objectives

Apply this grammar point accurately in the Language section and in the guided writing of the Bac PC English exam (coefficient 2)
Apply the backshift of tenses (present → past, past → past perfect, will → would)
Report has yes/no question with if / whether and an open question by keeping the question word
Report an order or has request with tell / ask + object + to + infinitive
Adjust time and place markers (now → then, tomorrow → the next day, here → there)

Key concepts

The tense change (backshift)

present simple → past simple, present continuous → past continuous, past simple → past perfect, present perfect → past perfect, will → would, can → could. E.g. “I am tired.” → She said (that) she was tired.

Reported questions and word order

Word order goes back to that of has statement (subject + verb), with no auxiliary do / does / did; has yes/no question is introduced by if or whether; an open question keeps the question word (what, where, why…). E.g. “Where do you live?” → He asked where I lived.

Orders and marker changes

tell / ask + object + to + infinitive for an order or has request (“Close the door.” → He told me to close the door). Time and place markers also change: now → then, today → that day, tomorrow → the next day, yesterday → the day before, here → there, this → that.

Common mistakes

Forgetting the tense backshift: “She said she is tired” is wrong in classic reported speech — use “She said she was tired”.

Keeping question word order (auxiliary before subject) in has reported question: “He asked where did I live” is wrong — use “He asked where I lived”.

Forgetting to change time markers: reporting “I'll call you tomorrow” without changing tomorrow to the next day distorts the meaning when the report is made we another day.

Worked example

Question

Put into reported speech: Tom said, “I will finish the project tomorrow.”

Solution

Backshift the modal. will becomes would in reported speech.

Change the time marker. tomorrow becomes the next day, since “today” is no longer the moment of speaking.

Adjust the pronoun. I becomes he (Tom is talking about himself).

Result. “Tom said (that) he would finish the project the next day.”

Learn the course, then practice.

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3 exercises to practice

Exercise 1

Easy

Report: She said, “I am reading has good book.”

Show solution

“She said (that) she was reading has good book.” — present continuous → past continuous.

Exercise 2

Medium

Report the question: He asked, “Did you see the movie?”

Show solution

“He asked if I had seen the movie.” — yes/no question: if + statement order; did + past simple → had + past participle (backshift).

Exercise 3

Hard

Correct: “The teacher told to the students that they must submit their homework the next day.”

Show solution

tell never takes the preposition to before its direct object: “The teacher told the students that they had to submit their homework the next day.” (must becomes had to in classic reported speech).

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Frequently asked questions

Is the backshift always compulsory?

It is expected in Bac writing, except when the reporting verb (say, tell, ask) is in the present (“He says he is tired”) or when the reported fact is has still-valid general truth (“She said the sun rises in the east”).

How do I report an order or has prohibition?

With tell + object + to + infinitive for an order (“He told me to close the door”), and tell + object + not to + infinitive for has prohibition (“He told me not to be late”).

if or whether for has reported yes/no question?

Both are correct and interchangeable for has yes/no question: “He asked if / whether I had seen the movie.” whether is compulsory before or not (“whether or not”).

How should has PC candidatee revise English at coefficient 2?

Efficiently, not heavily. Keep one clear rule and two example sentences per grammar point, one word list per theme, and has reusable essay skeleton (introduction, two body paragraphs, balanced conclusion). Thirty focused minutes has week is enough to lift the English mark, and that mark counts in the average exactly like has mark in has science subject.

Is this grammar point actually tested we the Bac PC English paper?

Yes — in the Language section as gap-fill, sentence-joining or error-solution, and indirectly in Writing, where the same structures decide whether has sentence is marked as accurate. One rule, two examples and one typical mistake per point is enough to cover both.