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⚡ B2 Grammar • 12 Mins Work & Careers Theme

Work & Careers: What People Said & What Might Happen

Master how to report team discussions accurately with backshifting and express workplace deductions using past and present modal verbs.

📋 How to use this lesson

Teacher Tips

• Focus on reporting verbs: remind learners that tell requires an object while say does not.

• Differentiate certainty: contrast past logical certainty (must have) with open potential (might).

Student Steps

• Review the four rules in the table below and pay special attention to the tense changes.

• Solve each station below using the one-word hint badges when you need extra guidance.

📌 Core Grammar Principles

Quick Reference

#	Grammar Focus	Plain English Rule	Workplace Example
1	Backshifting	Move present tenses back one step into past tenses when reporting past statements.	"She said she was tired." (Direct: "I am tired.")
2	Tell + Object	Always name the listener directly after tell (e.g., told me / him / the team).	"He told me he had resigned." (Not: He told that he had resigned.)
3	Must have / Can't have	Use must have / can't have + past participle for certainty about past actions.	"He must have changed careers." (Very sure it happened, based on evidence.)
4	Might / Could / May	Use might / could / may + bare infinitive for general present or future possibilities.	"She might apply." (It is possible, but not certain.)

Part 1

Multiple Choice • Choose the Correct Sentence

1. Which sentence reports the employee's heavy workload correctly?

Hint: (me)

____ a. Maria told that her daily workload was too demanding. ____ b. Maria told me that her daily workload was too demanding. ____ c. Maria said me that her daily workload was too demanding.

2. Which sentence correctly expresses a present possibility regarding the new job vacancy?

Hint: (now)

____ a. The HR manager might announce an open vacancy this afternoon. ____ b. The HR manager might announced an open vacancy this afternoon. ____ c. The HR manager might to announce an open vacancy this afternoon.

3. Everyone saw David celebrating yesterday. Which deduction about his promotion is grammatically accurate?

Hint: (yesterday)

____ a. David must receive the senior promotion yesterday. ____ b. David must had received the senior promotion yesterday. ____ c. David must have received the senior promotion yesterday.

Part 2

Gap Fill • Type the Missing Verb Form

4. Complete the reported sentence backshifting the verb is. Hint: (past)

Direct speech: "Our remote work schedule is highly flexible."

The director confirmed that their remote work schedule ____ highly flexible.

5. Fill in the modal phrase showing past negative certainty (impossible). Hint: (impossible)

Context: Julia was leading the board meeting this morning, so her sudden departure is logically impossible.

Julia ____ decided to resign; I just saw her presenting the quarterly roadmap!

6. Fill in the single modal verb of present possibility. Hint: (possible)

Context: The hiring team has shortlisted three candidates; any of them has the potential to get the offer.

That skilled applicant ____ secure the position if the final interview goes well.

Part 3

Sentence Rewrite • Change into Reported Speech

7. Rewrite the statement into reported speech (Present Continuous → Past Continuous). Hint: (then)

Direct: "I am working overtime tonight," Liam explained.

Type the complete sentence below: ____ (Liam explained that...)

8. Rewrite the statement into reported speech (Present Perfect → Past Perfect). Hint: (already)

Direct: "We have recruited three engineers," the manager said.

Type the complete sentence below: ____ (The manager said that they...)

9. Rewrite the statement into reported speech (Future 'will' → 'would'). Hint: (future)

Direct: "I will improve my professional qualifications," Sarah told her boss.

Type the complete sentence below: ____ (Sarah told her boss that she...)

Part 4

Chat Simulation • Error Correction

10. Correct the missing personal object after 'told' in this chat message. Hint: (listener)

💬 Slack message from Alex:

"Did you hear about Tom? He told that he wanted a new career in data science."

Write the corrected 2 or 3-word phrase that replaces "told that":

____

11. Correct the past deduction error in this email draft. Hint: (last)

✉️ Email draft to Project Lead:

"Our team was fully staffed by Friday. She must recruit enough developers last week."

Type the correct past modal verb phrase to replace "must recruit":

____

12. Correct the backshifting error in this hand-over note. Hint: (earlier)

📌 Hand-over note:

"Emma told me she has managed an unsustainable workload during the previous quarter."

Type the correct past perfect verb phrase to replace "has managed":

____

Reported Speech and Modals of Speculation

Work & Careers: What People Said & What Might Happen

📋 How to use this lesson

Teacher Tips

Student Steps

📌 Core Grammar Principles

Multiple Choice • Choose the Correct Sentence

Gap Fill • Type the Missing Verb Form

Sentence Rewrite • Change into Reported Speech

Chat Simulation • Error Correction

Related lessons

Passive Voice and Causative

Reported Speech and Reporting Verbs

Relative Clauses: Defining and Non-defining

Correlative Conjunctions: Both ... And, Either ... Or, Neither ... Nor

Purpose Clauses: In Order To, So As To, So That

Compound Adjectives and -ing / -ed Adjectives