Unit 9 Page 87 Lesson A2

Page 87:

2: grammar: reported speech

when you report the things people say, the verb tense often shifts back.

direct speech:

Michael Landy:

my goal is to destroy all my possessions.

reported speech:

he said his goal was to destroy all his possessions.

I want to bury them underground.

he said he wanted to bury them underground.

my father gave me a sheepskin coat.

he said his father had given him a sheepskin coat.

I haven’t found the right shopping center.

he said he hadn’t found the right shopping center.

I have been making an inventory.

he said he had been making an inventory.

Genie:

I can’t throw anything away.

she said she couldn’t throw anything away.

maybe I’ll stop buying so much stuff.

she said maybe she would stop buying so much stuff.

when you report information that is still true, the verb tense often remains the same.

someone explain to me that this is what you call performance art.