Reported Speech

REPORTED SPEECH

1st Bachillerato

M. Reig

REPORTED SPEECH

We use it when we want to tell another person about a conversation that took place in the past (e.g telephone call, news or a story that someone told us, etc.)

CHANGES FROM DIRECT TO REPORTED SPEECH:

1) Verb Tense (a back shift)

2) Personal Pronouns, Possessives: change from first or second person to third person, except whenthe speaker is reporting his own words.

3) Demonstratives: This That These Those

4) Time & Place Expressions: Here There

' I know quite a lot of people here.’ Robert said.

Present Simple

Simple Past

He said that he ......................quite a lot of people there

'John is feeling much better ‘ Paul said.

Present Continuous

Past Continuous

He said that John ............................ much better.......

' I enjoyed my holiday in the States’ David said.

Simple Past

Past Perfect

He said that he ...................... his holiday in the States

'Jackie wasn´t feeling very well ‘ The teacher said.

Past Continuous

Past Perf.Cont.

He said that Jackie…………… ................................very well

' They‘ve seen the Eiffel Tower ‘ John said.

Present Perfect

Past Perfect

He said that they ……........................... the Eiffel Tower

' I have been waiting for ages ‘ My father said.

Present Per. Cont.

Past Perf. Cont.

He said that he ......................…………...for ages

' Nobody had warned them about the storm ‘ He said.

Past Perfect

Past Perfect

He said that nobody .................... about the storm

' She had been reading all day ‘Brenda said.

Past Perf. Cont.

Past Perf. Cont.

She said that she …………… ........................ all day

Verb Tense Changes:knew

wasfeeling

had enjoyed

hadbeen feeling

had

seen

had beenwaiting

had warned

hadbeen reading

' I will be here with you.'Robert promised me.

Future Simple

Conditional Robert promised that he ...............................there with me

'John is going to study French ' Paul said.

Be going to

Was/Were going to

Paul said that John ................................................French

MODAL VERBS:

' We can start the lesson'David said.

Can

Could

David said that we ............................... start the lesson

' They may come home 'My husband said.

May Might My husband said that they .........................come home

' You must be quiet in class ‘ The teacher told us.

Must

Had to The teacher told us that we ..................... be quiet in class.

would be

was going to study

could

might

had to

Changes in Time and Place expressions:

Time PlaceNowAgo

ThenBefore

Here there

Today that day This town/ garden...

That town/ garden ...

Tomorrow the following day OR the day after

These cities/ ...

Those cities/ ...

Yesterday the previous day OR the day before

Last week/ month/ ...

the previous week/ month ... OR the week before

Next week / month/ ...

The following week / month OR the week/ month after

Statements are Affirmative or Negative Sentences.

We use a Reporting Verb + That (it can be omitted) + Subject + verb in Previous tense + ...

Ex: “The students are tired”- said the teacherThe teacher said (that) the students were tired.

Ex: “It’s the funniest show I’ve ever seen” -Joan told me.Joan told me (that) it was the funniest show she had

ever seen.

Reporting Statements:

Reporting verb

Subject Verb in previous

tense

A) YES / NO QUESTIONS:

Reporting Verb + If or whether + Subject + Verb +... *Order of Reported Question: Subject + Verb - as in StatementsNo question mark

Ex: “Are you working these days?” he said.He asked if/whether I was working those days.

Ex: “Did you speak to John last night?” she askedShe wanted to know if I had spoken to John, the night before.

Reporting Questions:

B) WH- QUESTIONS:

Reporting Verb + Question Word (s) + Subject + Verb

(The Word Order is again the same as in Statements)

Ex: “Where did you go last summer?”. He asked me where I had gone the previous summer.

Ex: “How long were you waiting for us?”She wanted to know how long I had been waiting for them.

Reporting Questions:

Reporting Verbs:1) Verb + “that clause”: Admit, declare, explain, insist,

recommend, reply, reveal, say, suggest…

Ex: “We took the wrong way” she said She explained that they had taken the wrong way.

2) Verb + Indirect Object + (not) to infinitive: ask, advise, invite, order, remind, tell…

Ex: “Would you like to come to my party?” she said.She invited me to go to her party.

Ex: “Don’t do that” He told me not to do that.

3) Verb + to infinitive: agree, decide, offer, promise, refuse, threaten…Ex: “I’ll do it” she said. She offered to do it.

4) Verb + (preposition) + verb(-ing): accuse, apologise, recommend, suggest, …

Ex: “Let’s go to the theatre” She suggested going to the theatre.

Ex: “I’m sorry I’m late” He apologised for being late

Reporting Verbs:

The Imperative changes into (Not) To Infinitive:

Ex: He said to us: “Stay here” He told us to stay there

The Reporting Verb must indicate “order”:

He said: “Don’t mention that” He told me not to mention that.

“Say that again”, he said to me He ordered me to say that again.

REPORTING COMMANDS (= ORDERS)

We normally use suggest + gerund OR suggest that + Clause

•Let’s, why don’t we, shall we, why not… are omitted:

“Let’s go to the theatre” “Why don’t we go to the theatre?”“Shall we go to the theatre?”She suggested going to the theatreShe suggested that we (should) go to the theatre

“Let’s not argue again,” he said.He suggested not arguing againHe suggested that they should not argue again.

REPORTING SUGGESTIONS:

We use these Reporting Verbs: beg, ask, demand, request + (not) to

(The word “please” is omitted)

“Can I go out tonight, mum, please?” The boy begged.The boy begged to go out that night.

“John, don’t open the window, please” I saidI asked /requested/begged John not to open the window.

“Can I use your phone?” I asked my neighbourI asked my neighbour to use her phone OR (as a question)I asked my neighbour if I could use her phone

REPORTING REQUESTS

Reported Speech Exercises1.“Who lives next door?”, he asked us. He asked us who lived next door.2. “Get your coats!”, the mother ordered the children. The mother ordered the children to get their coats.3.“Shall we go out for a drink tonight?”, David suggested. David suggested going out for a drink that night.4. “I have nothing to show you”, he said to me. He said to me he had nothing to show me.5. “I’ll come with you as soon as I am ready”, she said to me. She said to me that she would come with me as soon as she was ready.6. “We moved into our new flat yesterday”, they said. They said that they had moved into their new flat the day before.7. How long have you been waiting for the bus here?, he asked us. He asked us how long we had been waiting for the bus there.

Reported Speech Exercises8. “What are you going to study?”, he asked her.

He asked her what she was going to study. 9. “What is your new house like?”, he asked them. He asked them what their new house was like.10.“Close all the windows!”, she told us. She told us to close all the windows.11.“Put down this gun. It’s loaded!”, she told him. She told him to put down that gun BECAUSE it was loaded.12. “How big are the classes?”, he asked me. He asked me how big the classes were.13.“I’m going fishing with my father tomorrow morning”, he said.He said he was going fishing with his father the following morning.

Reported Speech Exercises

14. “They should put traffic lights here. It’s a dangerous crossroads”, he said.

He said they should put traffic lights there because it was a dangerous crossroads.

15. “I will also work during the summer”, she explained.She explained that she would also work during the summer.16. “I’m watching a romantic film on TV with my girlfriend

now”, he says.He said he was watching a romantic film on TV with his

girlfriend then.17. “A lot of gold is mined in South Africa”, the diplomat said.The diplomat said that a lot of gold was mined in South Africa.18. “I had a bad cold last week”, the worker said.The worker said he/she had had a bad cold the previous

week/the week before.


19. “Would you like to come to my wedding?”, he asked me. (invitation)

He invited me to go to his wedding.20. “I’ll drive you home in a minute.” She offered She offered to drive me home in a minute.21. "You ought to see a doctor about your eyes," Sally

said to her mother. (advice)Sally advised her mother to see a doctor about her eyes.22. "What about going to the opera?", she suggested. She suggested going to the opera/ She suggested that

we go to the opera.23."I’m sorry I spilt coffee on this tablecloth," said Greg

(apology)Greg apologized for having spilt coffee on that tablecloth.


24.“Let’s go for a coffee!”, she said. She suggested ...She suggested going for a coffee./ She suggested that we

go for a coffee.25. How does she know my name? she asked.She asked how she knew her name.26. “Close these windows now!” the manager said. (order)The manager ordered to close those windows then.27.“I’ll cook the supper” she said (offer)She offered to cook the supper.28. “Where are you going tomorrow?, Anne asked him.Anne asked him where he was going the following day.29. “Don’t eat any sweets!”, the doctor told us.The doctor told us not to eat any sweets.


30.“Don’t argue with me!”, the teacher said to the boy.The teacher told the boy not to argue with her/him.31.“Don’t take the dog into the children’s bedroom!”, she

ordered.She ordered not to take the dog into the children’s bedroom.32.“Put the toys away in this cupboard!”, he told the

children.He told the children to put the toys away in that cupboard.33.“I live in a big house with my girlfriend”, Paul said.Paul said that he lived in a big house with his girlfriend. 34.“We’re watching TV with our friends now”, they declared.They declared that they were watching TV with their friends

then.35.“I’ve invited you to my wedding party”, Sarah said to me.

(invitation)Sarah invited me to her wedding party.


36. “I saw Paul with my sister at the party last night”, Susan said to me.Susan said to me that she had seen Paul with her sister at the party the night before/the previous night.

37.“I’m going to play tennis with my father tomorrow morning”, he said.He said that he was going to play tennis with his father the following morning.

38. “I´m sorry I broke the chair”, she apologized..He apologized for having broken the chair.

39. “I will send the letters tomorrow”, the secretary offered.The secretary offered to send the letters the following day.

40. “What time does the plane leave?”, she asked me.She asked me what time the plane left.


41. “Did you see the robbers yesterday?”, the policeman asked me.The policeman asked me if I had seen the robbers the day before.

42. “This book is mine.” She explained.She explained that that book was hers.

43. “Why don’t you fit new locks on the door?”, he suggested.He suggested fitting new locks on the door./ He suggested that I fit new locks on the door.

44. Sam, would you mind opening the window, please? It’s too hot.”, I asked. (request)I asked Sam to open the window because it was too hot.

45. “If I were you, I’d stop taking tranquillizers”, he said to me. (advice)He advised me to stop taking tranquillizers.


46. “Please, stop shouting! I can’t concentrate on my work”, he asked his daughter.He asked his daughter to stop shouting because he couldn’t concentrate on his work.

Reported Speech

Technology

Transcript of Reported Speech