【明報專訊】Pat has recently had her hair set for a party. She likes her new hairstyle so much that she hasn't had a shampoo for a week...

“ Eason: Hello Pat, your new hairstyle looks great! ”

“ Pat: Oh, thank you Eason. I do like it very much. ”

“ Bill: Pat, when did you shampoo you hair last? ”

“ Pat: Last week in a salon. ”

“ MoMo: Bill, do you know when Pat shampooed her hair last? ”

“ Bill: She told me she had it washed last week. ”

“ Dr Panda: I know you like this hairstyle, but it is very unhygienic to keep it for such a long time! ”

“ Pat: Sorry... I actually began to feel itchy a few days ago. ”

■English highway: -sentences

Reported speech

When we report someone's speech, we usually use reporting verbs in the past tense such as said, told, asked, explained, suggested and replied. The tense, word order and pronouns in the speech may have to be changed. For example, in reported speech:

Simple present → Simple past

Present continuous → Past continuous

Simple Past / Present perfect → Past perfect

Present perfect continuous → Past perfect continuous

e.g. "I work in Hong Kong." → He told me he worked in Hong Kong.

■Quiz

Rewrite the following direct speech in reported speech.

(answers on next text)

1. ''I have to leave,'' MoMo said.

＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

2. "I have been to Italy," he told me.

＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

3. They complained, "We have too little time.''

＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

4. "I think Mary should stay for two more days," Tommy suggested.

＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

■Glossary

hairstyle (n) 髮型

shampoo (n/v) 洗髮劑╱用洗髮劑洗髮

salon (n) 美髮店╱美容院

itchy (adj) 發癢的