ReportedSpeech

DIRECT SPEECH        

When you want to say what another person said before, you can use that person's own words: ✓Tom: "It'’s cold now".✓Tom said: "It'’s cold now".

INDIRECT SPEECH 

Or you can use indirect speech "reporting" what the other person said: ✓Tom: "It's cold now".✓Tom said that it was cold.

TELL OR SAY?

We use tell if we want to mention the hearer, and this verb always needs an Indirect Object.  He told her that he couldn't go.

TELL OR SAY?

We use say when we do not mention the hearer: He said he wouldn't go. We can mention the hearer adding "to": He said to her that...

TELL OR SAY?

We don't have to add "that" after "tell" or "say" if we don't want to.

• In formal texts it's better to keep it.

OTHER REPORTING VERBS

We can use a clause with that with:admit, advise, agree, insist, promise, remind, suggest and warn. They are used like say and tell.

CHANGES

When we report someone's words, some changes take place: Person Time/place Verbs tenses 

CHANGES of PERSON

I            he/she➪my        his/her➪we        they➪ours      theirs➪  

CHANGES of PLACE

      here                there➪

  

CHANGES of TIME

now             then➪today          that day➪yesterday   the day before➪                      the previous day tomorrow    the next day➪                      the following day

  

CHANGES of TIME

this week     that week➪last week     the previous week➪a year ago    the year before➪                      

TENSE CHANGES

present simple    past simple➪He is tired            ➪ He was tired Present perfect   Past perfect➪He has eaten      He had eaten➪

                      

TENSE CHANGES

present continuous past continuous➪He is playing       ➪ He was playing Future simple       Conditional➪He will go             ➪ He would go

                      

TENSE CHANGES

can                           could➪he can play        ➪ He could play must                   had to➪He must go       ➪ He had to go

                      

TENSE CHANGES

past simple               past perfect➪                          ➪        past simple  He went             ➪ he went                          ➪ he had gone

                      

TENSE CHANGES

These modal verbs do not change:

•could•should•might•ought to•would

  

TENSE CHANGES

We don't have to change the tense if the sentence refers to something general or that is still true:

I love playing cards; She said that she loves playing cards.                      

REPORTED QUESTIONS

 We do not use auxiliaries in reported questions:

He wanted to know if I was coming with them.

 

REPORTED QUESTIONS

 We do not use auxiliaries in reported questions:

He wanted to know if I was coming with them.

 

REPORTED QUESTIONS

WORD ORDER:

The word order in reported questions is the same as in a positive sentence: 

He asked me if I had some money.

WH- QUESTIONS

We can report questions with verbs like ask, wonder or want to know. What's the time?

He wanted to know  ➪He asked  ➪      what the time was.He wondered ➪

YES/NO QUESTIONS

 They are introduced by if or whether. Are you happy?She wanted to know if/whether I was happy. 

ASKING FOR INFORMATION

 To ask politely for information we can use a phrase like: • Could you tell me...?• Do you know...?• Have you any idea...?

REQUESTS AND ORDERS We can use the structure tell/ask someone to do something.  Go inside:  She asked me to go inside. She told me to go inside.Don't go inside: She asked me not to go inside.

She told me not to go inside. 

OFFERS, SUGGESTIONS AND MORE

We can use agree, offer, promise, refuse and threaten with a to-infinitive:

I'll open the windows. He offered to open the windows.

OFFERS, SUGGESTIONS AND MORE

We can also use an  object + to-infinitive after advise, invite, remind and warn. Don't forget to bring the toys.He reminded me to bring the toys.

OFFERS, SUGGESTIONS AND MORE

We can use admit, apologize for, insist on and suggest followed by an -ing form.

You should play cards with us.He insisted on playing cards.