The Past Times
Senior 4 · English
The Past Times
Lesson 4 of 5
25 min
Let's begin
Historians spend much of their time reporting what other people said: witnesses, leaders, letters, radio broadcasts. They also have to put events in order so clearly that a reader never loses the thread. This lesson gives you both tools. You met the basics of reported speech in O-level; here you learn to report like a historian, with precise reporting verbs and correct time references, and to guide a reader through events with sequencing connectors.
Written by Ganzaa. A student reports the programme from Lesson 2. Sequencing connectors are in bold; reporting verbs are underlined.
On Liberation Day, a radio station interviewed a history teacher, Mr Kamanzi, about the liberation struggle. First, he explained that the Rwandan Patriotic Front had been founded in Kampala in December 1987 by Rwandans who were living in exile, and he added that many of them had grown up as refugees. He then described how the struggle had begun on 1 October 1990, and said that its commander, Fred Gisa Rwigema, had been killed the next day. When the presenter asked whether there had been any attempt at peace, he replied that an agreement had been signed in Arusha on 4 August 1993. After that, he recalled how six hundred soldiers had been housed in the CND building to protect the RPF's politicians. He then recalled that on 7 April 1994, the day the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi began, the RPA had been ordered to stop the genocide and rescue the victims. Meanwhile, he added, the soldiers at the CND had gone out on rescue missions in the surrounding area. Eventually, he said, Kigali had been liberated on 4 July 1994, and the genocide had been stopped. Finally, he urged young listeners to visit the Campaign Against Genocide Museum, where, he said, the marks of the fighting can still be seen.
Notice: most verbs after the reporting verbs have moved one step back into the past, but the last one, can still be seen, has not. Why not? (Answer below.)
| Stage | Connectors | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Beginning | first, first of all, at first, initially, in the beginning | Initially, the talks made slow progress. |
| Next steps | then, next, after that, afterwards, later, subsequently (formal) | The agreement was signed in August. Subsequently, soldiers arrived in Kigali. |
| At the same time | meanwhile, at the same time, while, as | The talks went on. Meanwhile, the danger was growing. |
| Immediately after | as soon as, the moment (that), immediately | As soon as the news was announced, people gathered. |
| Before and after | before / after + noun or -ing, by the time, until, previously | After signing the agreement, both sides returned home. |
| End | finally, eventually, in the end, at last, lastly | Eventually, Kigali was liberated. |
Four endings, four meanings. Finally introduces the last item in a list or the last step. Eventually means "after a long time or a lot of effort". In the end means "after everything that happened" and can introduce a result you did not expect. At last shows relief after waiting: At last the rains came.
| Direct speech | Reported speech (said on another day, in another place) |
|---|---|
| today, tonight | that day, that night |
| yesterday | the day before, the previous day |
| tomorrow | the next day, the following day |
| last week, next week | the week before, the following week |
| ago | before, earlier |
| now, here, this | then, there, that |
When not to move back. (1) If the fact is still true: He said that the marks can still be seen (they still can). (2) If the reporting verb is in the present: She says that she teaches history. (3) A past perfect cannot move further back.
| Verb | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| explain, add, reply, claim | + that + clause | He explained that the RPF had been founded in 1987. |
| admit, deny | + that + clause, or + -ing | She admitted making a mistake. He denied that he had been there. |
| recall, describe | + how / + -ing / + noun | He recalled how six hundred soldiers had been housed in the CND. |
| urge, advise, warn, encourage | + person + (not) to + verb | He urged young listeners to visit the museum. |
| suggest, insist | + that + clause, or + -ing | She suggested visiting the museum. (Not suggested to visit.) |
Worked example: reporting a short exchange a week later
Direct: Mutesi: "Why do we celebrate today?" Mr Kamanzi: "Because Kigali was liberated on this day in 1994. You must never forget it."
Answer to the Notice question: can still be seen stays in the present because the marks can still be seen today: the fact is still true.
Warning
Tip
Report like a historian: verb + source + one step back. According to Mr Kamanzi, … or Mr Kamanzi recalled that …, then move the tense back. Vary your reporting verbs: a paragraph with said five times tells the reader nothing about how the speaker spoke.
Can you use REPORTED SPEECH? Grammar Lesson + Examples, mmmEnglish (about 21 minutes, 2022). Watch the section on reporting verbs and note three verbs that the presenter uses instead of 'said', with their patterns.
Practice
Key points
Sources and credits
Quick check
Mutesi asked: "Was there any attempt at peace?" Choose the correct reported question.
