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ESL forum > Ask for help > must and could in reported speech    

must and could in reported speech



class centre
Belarus

must and could in reported speech
 
Please, make it clear for me - must and could in reported speech?
He said it must be done or it had to be done?
He said we could go or we had been able to go?
Pleeeeease! It �s urgent!
Thanks
Natasha

15 Oct 2010      





arlissa
United States

"Must be done" suggests present and/or future, while "had to be done" suggests it was done in the past.

"We could go" suggests future choice, while "had been able to go" suggests it was done in the past or was an option to go in the past.


15 Oct 2010     



L. habach
Morocco

"You must type the report now", my boss told me
My boss said that I had to type the report then.
"We could run 10 miles a day at the age of 12" My friends said.
My friends told me that they had been able to run 10 miles a day at the age of 12.

15 Oct 2010     



class centre
Belarus

Thanks anyway to everyone. But the answers are different. Any referencies to look at?

15 Oct 2010     



arlissa
United States

The answers aren �t different, it �s just that L.habach gave you examples of how to use them. Perhaps you can visit http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/601/09/ for more help

15 Oct 2010     



kodora
Greece

Have a look at this one you can download it as well:
http://kisi.deu.edu.tr/binnur.kavlak/ingilizce/belgeler/A_Practical_English_Grammar.pdf
Page 135 for could and page 142 for must
Dora

15 Oct 2010     



class centre
Belarus

Thank you so much, all of you who have answered my request. Now I have it pretty clear.
natasha

15 Oct 2010