Couldn't vs Wouldn't be able to (reported speech)
Hello! Which of these two sentences is correct (or both)?
Direct speech: She said, ‘Sorry, I can’t solve this problem’.
Reported speech 1: She said that she couldn't solve that problem.
Reported speech 2: She said that she wouldn’t be able to solve that problem.
Thainks!
Top answer
The idea of both sentences is essentially the same if you were just speaking. There would no appreciable difference between them, and most native speakers wouldn't notice anything odd. "
- The idea of both sentences is essentially the same if you were just speaking.
- There would no appreciable difference between them, and most native speakers wouldn't notice anything odd.
- "
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
The idea of both sentences is essentially the same if you were just speaking. There would no appreciable difference between them, and most native speakers wouldn't notice anything odd. If you are answering a grammatical question, where you have to change the sentence from direct to indirect speech, you should go with "She said (that) she couldn't solve the problem."
0
Related Questions