Change of speech: Martha said, 'I am going to Mexico next year.'

Appeared in: WCL Staff Nurse - 2022

Explanation

The core concept is changing direct speech to reported speech when the reporting verb is in the past tense ('said').
The rule requires 'backshifting' the tense. The verb in the direct speech, 'am going' (Present Continuous), correctly shifts back to 'was going' (Past Continuous).
The pronoun 'I' must change to 'she' to match the subject, 'Martha'.

Option A: This option uses 'had been going' (Past Perfect Continuous). This is an incorrect tense shift. Present Continuous shifts to Past Continuous, not Past Perfect Continuous.
Option C: This option uses 'had gone' (Past Perfect). This tense is used for a completed past action. It's an incorrect shift from Present Continuous and creates a logical contradiction with the future time marker 'next year'.
Option D: This option uses 'will be going' (Future Continuous). It fails to backshift the tense from the original 'am going'. The presence of the past tense reporting verb 'said' makes this change mandatory.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Conversion of Direct Speech to Indirect (Reported) Speech as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
This question assesses general English grammar, a component of the non-nursing section of recruitment exams.
Strong communication skills, including correct grammar, are essential for nurses for clear documentation in patient records, effective handover reports, and unambiguous communication with patients, families, and the healthcare team.
What if the reporting verb was 'says' (present tense)? If the sentence was 'Martha says, "I am going to Mexico next year"', there would be no backshift in tense. The correct reported speech would be: 'Martha says that she is going to Mexico next year.'.

How to Approach the Question

Step 1: Identify the reporting verb in the sentence. Here, it is 'said', which is in the past tense.
Step 2: Recognize that a past tense reporting verb requires a 'backshift' in the tense of the speech being reported.
Step 3: Identify the verb tense in the original direct speech. 'I am going' is in the Present Continuous tense.
Step 4: Apply the backshift rule: Present Continuous changes to Past Continuous. So, 'am going' becomes 'was going'.
Step 5: Adjust pronouns as needed. 'I' becomes 'she' to refer to Martha.
Step 6: Evaluate the options based on this conversion. Only the option with 'she was going' is correct.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Qs4Y_OVO0kRtFEsEU_I30w

Practise the full WCL Staff Nurse - 2022

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.