Reported Speech

Reported Speech

We use reported speech to inform about what other person has said without his/her exact words (We report what others have said).

For example:

Direct speech � María: I’m going to read the text”

Reported speech � María said (that) she was going to read the

text.

En el lenguaje formal utilizamos that para empezar la oración de estilo indirecto. En

lenguaje informal, se puede omitir that. (ocurre lo mismo que en las oraciones de

relativo)

REPORTING VERBS

Para introducir el estilo indirecto se pueden utilizar muchos verbos:

• Agree, offer, promise, refuse, insist, admit, declare, explain, insist,

promise, recommend, reply, reveal, say, suggest, tell, add …

Los verbos “say” y “tell” significan lo mismo pero se

usan de forma diferente:

•Say (+that) + estilo indirecto

The teacher said that she had corrected the exams.

•Tell + complemeto indirect (+that) + estilo indirect

The teacher told us that we had passed the exams.

TENSE CHANGES:

When using reported speech we must remember that some changes related to

verb tense may occur since time changes.

This is because when we use reported speech, we are usually talking about a

time in the past (because obviously the person who spoke originally spoke in

the past)

As a rule when you report something someone has said you go one tense back .

•In some cases the backshift of tenses is not necessary, e.g. when statements are

still true.

John: "My brother is at Leipzig university."

John said that his brother was at Leipzig university.

John said that his brother is at Leipzig university.

Mandy: "The sun rises in the East."

Mandy said that the sun rose in the East.

Mandy said that the sun rises in the East.

Modal verbs also change.

COMMANDS AND REQUESTSEn estilo directo utilizamos el imperativo para dar órdenes y pedir cosas. Al pasarlo

a estilo indirecto utilizamos las siguientes estructuras:

•COMMANDS: Tell + complemento directo + infinitivo con “to”

“Study lesson three” � The teacher told us to study lesson three.

•REQUESTS: Ask + complement directo + infinitivo con “to”

“Can you close the door, please?” � She asked me to close the door.

Si queremos dar una orden o hacer una petición en negativa, solo tenemos que poner “not”

delante del infinitivo:

-The teacher told us not to speak in class.

- - She asked me not to close the door.

•Estos son otros verbos que puedes y debes utilizar para dar órdenes y hacer peticiones.

Advise = aconsejar order = ordenar warn = advertir

Ask = pedir persuade = persuadir

Encourage = animar remind = recordar

Invite = invitar tell = contar

QUESTIONS

En las preguntas en estilo indirecto, el orden de las palabras varía. Se utiliza el

mismo orden que para las frases afirmativas:

“what’s your name?” � He asked her what her name was.

• Como puedes ver, si una pregunta en estilo directo contiene particulas

interrogativas, estas se repiten en la frase en estilo indirecto.

- “Where did you buy these jeans?” � She asked me where I had bought those

jeans.

• Si una pregunta no lleva partícula interrogativa, utilizamos “if” o “wether”

- “Can I see your driving licence?” � The policeman asked me if/wether he

could see my driving licence.

TIME EXPRESSIONS.

PLACE

SOME PRACTICEACTIVITY 1.

1. ‘I bought the tickets yesterday.’

She said that ………………………………………………………………………………

2. ‘They’re going to Florida next week.’

Tim told me that ……………………………………………………………………………

3. ‘He won’t be in the office tomorrow.’

The secretary said that ………………………………………………………………………

4. ‘Jenny has passed her driving test.’

Jenny’s brother told me that ………………………………………………………………

5. ‘Carl might come to the football match this afternoon.’

He told me that ……………………………………………………………………………

6. ‘Will the flight be delayed?’

Jill wanted to know …………………….………………………………………………………

7. ‘Where have you been all night?’

My parents wanted to know ……………………………………………………………………

8. ‘Will I pass my exam?’

Mark wondered …………………………………………………………………………………

9. ‘Did you remember the invitations?’

Sue asked me ……………………………………………………………………………………

10. ‘How long have you been learning German?’

Karl wondered …………………………………………………………………………………

ACTIVITY 2

Rewrite the commands in reported speech.

‘Keep to the left.’

The police officer told the cyclist to keep to the

left.

1 ‘Please don’t smoke in this area.’

The waitress asked them

………………………

2 ‘Sit down and be quiet.’

The teacher told the class ……………………

3 ‘Don’t forget to post the letter.’

Jane told her boyfriend ………………………

4 ‘Don’t talk during the exam.’

The examiner told us …………………………

5 ‘Please switch off your mobile phone.’

The air hostess asked him ……………………

ACTIVITY 3

Rewrite the sentences in reported speech. Use

the correct form of the verbs from the box.

order warn remind offer advise

‘Put down your gun, Paul.’

The police officer ordered Paul to put down

his gun.

1 ‘I think you should have a holiday, Kate.’

He ……………………………………………

2 ‘Don’t touch that electric wire, John.

It’s dangerous!’

She ……………………………………………

3 ‘Would you like me to help you, Brad?’

She ……………………………………………

4 ‘Jamie, don’t forget that it’s Julie’s birthday on

Friday.’

She ……………………………………………

Reported Speech: Dad's Not Coming Home for Dinner

Instructions: Change the dialog to the reported form. Tell what each person did and

said.

Mrs. Cantor: (comes into the living room) What are you doing, Andy?

Andy: (looks up) I'm fixing my radio.

Mrs. Cantor: Where's your sister?

Andy: She's in the kitchen making a sandwich.

Mrs. Cantor: (runs into the kitchen) Dolores! Don't eat anything before dinner!

Dolores: (quickly swallows a piece of cake) Mom, I'm starving!

Mrs. Cantor: Have some cheese, but don't eat the cake.

Dolores: There isn't any cheese left. I ate it yesterday.

Mrs. Cantor: (speaks angrily) Go to the store and buy some more because I'm

making lasagna tonight.

Dolores: Okay, I will. I'll go when I finish my homework.

Andy: (enters the kitchen) Mom, when's Dad coming home?

Dolores: He's working late tonight, remember?

Mrs. Cantor: I completely forgot!

Andy: Don't worry, Mom. He doesn't like your lasagna anyway.

Mrs. Cantor came into the living room and asked her son, Andy, what he was doing. He

looked up and answered that he was fixing his radio.

Mrs. Cantor asked him where his sister was.

He told her that she was in the kitchen making a sandwich.

Mrs. Cantor ran into the kitchen and ordered Dolores not to eat anything before dinner.

Dolores quickly swallowed a piece of cake and exclaimed to her mother that she was

starving.

Mrs. Cantor told her to have some cheese but not to eat the cake.

Dolores informed her mother that there wasn't any cheese left because she had eaten it

the day before.

Mrs. Cantor spoke angrily and ordered Dolores to go to the store and to buy some more

because she was making lasagna that night.

Dolores agreed and said that she would go when she finished her homework.

Andy entered the kitchen and asked his mother when his father was coming home.

Dolores reminded him that their father was working late that night.

Mrs. Cantor exclaimed that she had completely forgotten.Andy told his mother not to

worry because his father didn't like her lasagna anyway.