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How will, can, and must shift under reporting.
Why you specifically
Trong câu tường thuật, các modal verbs thường lùi về “một bậc” khi động từ tường thuật ở quá khứ. Can thường đổi thành could, will đổi thành would, và must thường đổi thành had to khi must mang nghĩa bắt buộc hoặc cần thiết. Trong câu hỏi tường thuật, trật tự từ đổi sang trật tự câu trần thuật, nên modal đứng sau chủ ngữ: he asked if he could..., không phải he asked if could he.... Các trạng ngữ chỉ thời gian cũng có thể đổi, ví dụ now thành then, tomorrow thành the next day, và next week thành the following week. Tuy nhiên, không phải mọi modal lúc nào cũng đổi; đôi khi ý nghĩa đặc biệt như lời đề nghị, quy tắc cố định, hoặc chân lý chung có thể giữ nguyên. Nhưng trong bài IELTS, quy tắc quan trọng nhất thường là lùi thì của modal.
The rule
In reported speech, modal verbs often shift one step back in time when the reporting verb is in the past. Can usually becomes could, will becomes would, and must often becomes had to when it means obligation or necessity. In questions, the word order changes to statement order, so the modal comes after the subject: he asked if he could..., not he asked if could he.... Time expressions may also change, for example now to then, tomorrow to the next day, and next week to the following week. Not every modal always changes: for example, modal meaning can stay the same if the speaker is reporting a fixed rule, an offer, or a general truth, but for IELTS practice the main pattern is usually the backshift.
The trap
She said that she can help me tomorrow.
She said that she could help me tomorrow.
In reported speech, can usually changes to could, and the time expression tomorrow often changes to the next day or the following day.
He said that he must leave early.
He said that he had to leave early.
Must often changes to had to when the meaning is obligation or necessity in reported speech.
They said that they will call us later.
They said that they would call us later.
Will usually changes to would when the reporting verb is in the past.
She asked whether could she borrow my pen.
She asked whether she could borrow my pen.
In reported questions, the modal changes just like in reported statements, and the question word order is removed.
Prove it
10 drills
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