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Introduction

What language can you use when you're gossiping? Pippa and Phil talk about some office gossip, and our grammar guru Georgie explains language we can use when we're speculating about something which may or may not be true. Learn about reported speech, and how to use 'may' or 'might' to speculate.

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Grammar explanation

may/might for the present and future

Use 'may' or 'might' + a base verb to speculate about an event happening in the present or future.

Examples:

Shh! You shouldn't say that about her... She might be listening. 
We think they may be going on a date next week. 
Andrew told me that he mightmove to another country.  

may/might for the past

Use 'may' or 'might' + have + past participle to speculate about something that has already happened.

Examples:

She hasn't texted me for a while so I think she may have lost her phone. 
Dad's not usually late... He might have missed his train.
Jeffrey's looking very happy today. He may have had a good date last night.

reported speech

When saying what someone else has said, we often change the verb tense to a tense one step back in time.

Examples:

"I'm going to the shops." > She said she was going to the shops. 
"I want to paint the walls blue." > He said he wanted to paint the walls blue. 
"I have never been to Scotland." > She said she had never been to Scotland. 

reported speech with a direct quote

When repeating exactly what someone has said, use a direct quote, without changing the tense or the pronoun. 

Examples:

She said, "I'd love to."
When I asked her what her favourite colour was, she said, "My favourite colour is yellow."
When my toddler woke up from his nap, he said, "I'm so tired."

To do

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