B Modal verbs in indirect speechIf the reporting verb is in the past tense, modals change if there is "a past equivalent". will - would can – could may – might Could, would and might do not change. "I might be late", she said. She said (that) she might be late. But if the reported version refers to past permission we use instead of "could" such expressions as: "be allowed to, have permission to." "We could borrow two books at a time last year", he said. He said that they were allowed to borrow two books at a time the previous year. Shall I/we? is usually a request of the speaker adressing somebody else to know his opinion, so it is a request to obtain a piece of advice. In the reported version "shall"; changes into "should" "Shall I wear this dress?"; She asked her friend if she should wear her green dress. In other contexts, if " shall"; does not imply suggestions, recomendations or requests for advice, "would" tends to be used in the reported version, even if the speaker reports his own words. "Shall I ever see this city again?" She wondered if she would ever see the city again. "Must"; can be reported as either "had" or remain unchanged but if "must" is used for deduction "must" never changes. She said, "I'm always running into him, he must live near here."; She said that she was always running into him and that he must live in the neighbourhood. If "must"; expresses arrangement or a kind of order it is generally replaced by "was to" She said, "I must ring him up at two o'clock." She said she was to ring him up at two o'clock. "needn't"; can remain unchanged and usually does. Alternatively it can change to "didn't have to / wouldn't have to" I said, "If you could lend me the money I needn' t go to the bank"; I said that if he could lend me the money I needn't / wouldn't have to go to the bank. need I /you / he? behaves exactly in the same way as "Must I / you / he? i.e. it normally becomes "had to" "Need I finish my pudding?, asked the small boy. The small boy asked if he had to finish his pudding.
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