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Part 2 · Episode 39 B1-B2

He Said He Would Return

📐 Reported statements (backshift)

Douglas MacArthur · 1942: MacArthur's promise from Australia 📖 5 min read

Episode 39: He Said He Would Return

Reported Statements — MacArthur, 1942 (B1-B2)

Grammar Box

Meaning: Reported statements (indirect speech) tell what someone said without using their exact words, typically shifting tenses backwards.

Form: Reporting verb (said/told) + (that) + subject + verb (usually one tense back from original). ‘Will’ becomes ‘would,’ present becomes past.

Example 1: Direct: “I will help you.” → Reported: She said she would help me. (Will → would)

Example 2: Direct: “I am leaving tomorrow.” → Reported: He said he was leaving the next day. (Am → was, tomorrow → next day)

Common mistake: Wrong: “He said he will return.” Better: “He said he would return.” (Must backshift ‘will’ to ‘would’ in past reporting.)

The Challenge

Luna wrote: “My teacher said she will give us extra time.” Professor Wisdom circled ‘will.’ “When reporting what someone said in the past, shift the tense back: ‘said she would give us.’ This is called backshift.” Luna tried: “She said she would?” “Perfect,” he nodded. “Reporting isn’t quoting. It’s telling what someone said, and the grammar shifts to show time has passed since they spoke.” The watch glowed with wartime urgency. “Let’s hear the most famous reported promise in military history.”

The Journey

Terowie, South Australia, March 1942. General Douglas MacArthur had just escaped the Philippines after Japanese forces overwhelmed American defenses. Ordered by President Roosevelt to leave his troops behind and relocate to Australia to build a new defense, MacArthur felt the weight of what felt like abandonment.

At a small railway station, journalists gathered as MacArthur prepared to continue to Melbourne. They expected a routine statement. Instead, MacArthur, his face lined with exhaustion and determination, delivered three sentences that would echo through the war: “I came through and I shall return.”

The next day, newspapers worldwide reported his words. Australian papers wrote: “General MacArthur said he had come through and would return to the Philippines.” American papers reported: “MacArthur told journalists he would return to liberate the islands.” The direct quote “I shall return” became a promise, but in reported speech, it became a commitment tracked through time.

Over the next two and a half years, soldiers in the Pacific theater repeated the reported version: “MacArthur said he would come back. He told us he wouldn’t abandon the Philippines.” The backshift from “will” to “would” actually strengthened the promise—it wasn’t just a future intention anymore; it was a stated commitment that he was working to fulfill.

In October 1944, when MacArthur waded ashore at Leyte in the Philippines, his first words were: “I have returned.” Radio broadcasts immediately reported: “MacArthur announced he had returned.” The general who said he would return, did return. The reported speech proved true.

The Deep Dive

Reported statements (indirect speech) tell what someone said without exact quotation, requiring tense backshift when the reporting verb is past tense (said, told). Present tenses shift to past, ‘will’ becomes ‘would,’ ‘can’ becomes ‘could.’ This grammatical shift reflects that time has passed between the original statement and our report of it.

Compare: “He says he will come” (reporting verb ‘says’ is present—no backshift needed) vs. “He said he would come” (reporting verb ‘said’ is past—must backshift ‘will’ to ‘would’). Time and place words also change: ‘today’ becomes ‘that day,’ ‘tomorrow’ becomes ‘the next day,’ ‘here’ becomes ‘there.’

When NOT to use: If reporting a universal truth or something still true, backshift is optional: “She said Paris is beautiful” works as well as “She said Paris was beautiful.” Also, immediate reporting might skip backshift for naturalness: “What did he say? He says he’s coming” (very recent, still feels present).

More Examples

Promise: Direct: “I will help you move.” → Reported: He said he would help me move. (Will → would)

Statement: Direct: “I can speak three languages.” → Reported: She told me she could speak three languages. (Can → could)

Information: Direct: “The meeting is at 3 PM.” → Reported: He said the meeting was at 3 PM. (Is → was)

Plan: Direct: “We are leaving tomorrow.” → Reported: They told us they were leaving the next day. (Are → were, tomorrow → next day)

Contrast: “She says she loves pizza” (present reporting—no backshift) vs. “She said she loved pizza” (past reporting—backshift required).

Practice & Reflection

Exercises:

  1. Fill in the blank: Direct: “I will call you later.” → Reported: He said he _ (call) me later.

  2. Correct the mistake: “My boss told me I will get a raise next month.”

  3. Choose and explain: Which reporting is correct?
    a) “She said she will attend the meeting.”
    b) “She said she would attend the meeting.”

  4. Rewrite: Change to reported speech: “I am working on a new project.” (Use: She told me…)

  5. Compare: Explain why “He said he lives in Tokyo” and “He said he lived in Tokyo” can both be correct.

  6. Your reflection: Write a reported statement about something a friend or colleague told you recently.

Answer Key:
1. would call (backshift from ‘will’ to ‘would’)
2. “…told me I would get a raise…” (Must backshift ‘will’ to ‘would’ with past reporting verb.)
3. (b) is correct (proper backshift with past reporting verb ‘said’).
4. “She told me she was working on a new project.” (Am → was)
5. “He lives” = he still lives there now (no backshift for current truth). “He lived” = standard backshift, or he no longer lives there. Both grammatically acceptable.
6. Check: Does your sentence use past reporting verb with proper backshift? Example: “My colleague said she would finish the report by Friday.”

The Lesson

Luna practiced: “The professor said he would explain it again next class.” The Professor smiled. “Perfect. MacArthur’s promise shows why reported speech matters. When he said ‘I shall return,’ it was future. When newspapers reported ‘he said he would return,’ it became a commitment being tracked through time. The backshift isn’t just grammar—it’s how we hold people accountable to their words.” Luna understood. Reporting doesn’t just repeat what someone said. It preserves their words and carries them forward through time.