Journal – 5, 14/02/2025
Common Mistakes and Explanations:
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"There was some pressure in my work." → "I was under some pressure at work."
- "Pressure" is usually expressed as "under pressure," and "at work" is more natural than "in my work."
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"It took quite a time" → "It took quite a lot of time."
- "Quite a time" is incorrect; "quite a lot of time" or simply "a long time" is better.
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"Because because" → Typo, just one "because" is needed.
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"Interesting that after you understand what is the problem..." → "It’s interesting that after you understand what the problem is..."
- "It’s interesting" is more natural than just "interesting."
- "What the problem is" (not "what is the problem") because it's an indirect statement.
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"Today I also was quite busy." → "Today I was also quite busy."
- "Also" usually goes after the verb "to be" in this case.
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"After coming home I ate my lunch" → "After coming home, I had lunch."
- "Had lunch" sounds more natural than "ate my lunch."
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"When air conditioning works it make me feel sleepy." → "When the air conditioning is on, it makes me feel sleepy."
- "The air conditioning" needs "the" because it's a specific system.
- "Works" means "functions" in general, but here, you mean "is on" (actively running).
- "It make" → "It makes" (subject-verb agreement).
B2 Version:
Yesterday, I worked a lot. I was under some pressure at work. I had two serious tasks that I wanted to complete as soon as possible, but they took quite a lot of time because there were some problems that I didn’t notice at first. It took me a while to find them. It’s interesting that once you understand what the problem is, you only need a few minutes to solve it, but finding the problem itself can take a long time, and sometimes you have no idea where to look.
Today, I was also quite busy. In the morning, I went to a catering company to buy some food for my parents. When I got home, I had lunch and took my dog for a walk. So, I only started working on my English in the evening when I wasn’t very fresh and was already a bit tired. It’s cold at home, so we use air conditioning for heating, but when it’s on, it makes me feel sleepy.
Conversational C1 Version:
Yesterday was a pretty intense workday. I was under a lot of pressure because I had two important tasks that I wanted to finish as soon as possible. But things took longer than expected because there were some issues I didn’t notice at first. The tricky part is that once you figure out what’s wrong, fixing it only takes a few minutes—but actually finding the problem? That can take forever, especially when you don’t even know where to start looking.
Today was busy too. In the morning, I went to a catering company to pick up some food for my parents. When I got back, I had lunch and took my dog for a walk. So, I didn’t get around to studying English until the evening—when I was already tired and not at my best. It’s pretty chilly at home, so we use the air conditioner for heating, but whenever it’s on, I start feeling drowsy.
Can you explain what is the indirect statement?
Great question! An indirect statement is when we report what someone said or thought without quoting them directly. In indirect statements, the word order often changes, and we usually don’t use question forms even if the original sentence was a question.
Direct vs. Indirect Statements
1️⃣ Direct Statement (quotation, exact words):
- He said, "I am tired."
- She asked, "Where is the book?"
2️⃣ Indirect Statement (reported speech, reworded):
- He said he was tired.
- She asked where the book was.
Your Sentence and Correction
❌ Incorrect: "Interesting that after you understand what is the problem, you need only a few minutes to solve it."
✅ Correct: "It’s interesting that after you understand what the problem is, you only need a few minutes to solve it."
✔ Why?
- "What is the problem?" is a direct question.
- In an indirect statement, we say "what the problem is" instead of keeping the question word order.
💡 Rule: In indirect statements, the verb usually moves to the end of the clause.
More Examples
❌ Wrong: I don’t know where is my phone.
✅ Right: I don’t know where my phone is.
❌ Wrong: Can you tell me what time is it?
✅ Right: Can you tell me what time it is?
❌ Wrong: She didn’t say why was she late.
✅ Right: She didn’t say why she was late.
Here are some examples of Indirect Statements (also called Reported Speech).
1. Statements (Present → Past)
Direct Speech:
She says, "I am tired."
Indirect Speech:
She says (that) she is tired.
She said (that) she was tired.
2. Statements (Past → Past Perfect)
Direct Speech:
He said, "I saw a great movie yesterday."
Indirect Speech:
He said (that) he had seen a great movie the day before.
3. Questions (Change Word Order & Remove ‘Do’)
Direct Speech:
He asked, "Where do you live?"
Indirect Speech:
He asked where I lived.
4. Yes/No Questions (Use ‘if’ or ‘whether’)
Direct Speech:
She asked, "Do you like coffee?"
Indirect Speech:
She asked if I liked coffee.
5. Commands & Requests (Use ‘to’ or ‘not to’)
Direct Speech:
The teacher said, "Close the door."
Indirect Speech:
The teacher told me to close the door.
Direct Speech:
She said, "Don't be late."
Indirect Speech:
She told me not to be late.
6. Modals (Can → Could, Will → Would, Must → Had to)
Direct Speech:
He said, "I will call you tomorrow."
Indirect Speech:
He said (that) he would call me the next day.
Direct Speech:
She said, "I must finish this today."
Indirect Speech:
She said (that) she had to finish it that day.