LANGUAGES

INSTITUTE ENGLISH
LEVEL V
REPORTED SPEECH WORKSHOP

Professor’s name: Salomón Torres Vidal Date: 23/02/11

Student’s name: Marcela Caicedo Ortiz Group:

Warm up:

In pairs, discuss the following questions:

1. Name three companies you consider are successful and say why you believe they
are successful.

2. What characteristics do you think these companies look for when recruiting their employees?

3. In which of these companies would you like to work and why?

Answers:

1. The companies that I consider successful are the family company Johnson & Johnson, L'oreal Paris and
Sura because they are companies that have a very good image at the national level, have the best job
opportunities and have had many awards.
2. The characteristics that these companies look for when recruiting staff is teamwork, responsibility, the
ability to solve problems and be able to work under pressure.
3. I would like to work at Johnson & Jhonson because I think it is a great company, it has a good job offer
because it helps you grow in the company and it has good salaries.

Vocabulary: Look at the following words or expressions and without using a dictionary try to
match the meaning.

1. reverence 8. goal
2. expertise 9. challenge
3. hire 10. effortless
4. potential 11. role
5. “thinking outside the box” 12. meaningful
6. refine
7. cross-functional
collaboration

8 aim or purpose.
 10 done so well that it seems not to need much mental or physical activity.
4 someone’s or something’s ability to develop, achieve or succeed.
5 to think imaginatively using new ideas instead of traditional or expected ideas.
1 feeling of respect or admiration for something or someone.
7 involving people or departments who do different types of work for the same company.
3 to employ or pay someone to do a particular job.
9 something needing great mental or physical effort in order to be done successfully.
12 important or valuable.
2 high level of skill or knowledge.
6 to improve an idea, method, system, etc. by making small changes.
11 position or purpose that someone or something has in a situation, organization,
society or relationship.

GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT
Let´s practice our listening skills!

Watch the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9SK052cF3c

1. While you are watching the video, write beside each sentence in column A the name of the
person who said that. The first one is done for you as an example. You might need to watch the video
two times.

John Marcus Luci Greg Gra

ana nt
Gary Marisa Maki Joel Derr
ko ik
 REPORTED OR INDIRECT SPEECH
If we report what another person has said, we usually do not use the speaker’s exact words (direct
speech), but reported (indirect) speech. Therefore, you need to learn how to transform direct speech into
reported speech. Indirect speech is also called reported speech because it is used by a person to report
someone’s speech in his/her own words.
For example: Direct speech: “I am going to the cinema!” Tom
said.
Indirect Speech: Tom said he was going to the cinema.

RULES
Rule 1. When reporting speech, the tense usually 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). The verbs, therefore, usually have to be in the past too (Backshift). If the situation is reported
in the present tense, then the tense does not change.
Rule 2: TIME EXPRESSIONS Words expressing nearness in time or place are generally changed into
words expressing distance.

Examples:

Direct: He said, ‘I am too weak to work now.’

Indirect: He said that he was too weak to work then.

Direct: She said, ‘I will leave for New York tomorrow.’
Indirect: She said that she would leave for New York the next day.

Rule 3: REPORTING COMMANDS AND REQUESTS.

In reporting commands and requests, the Indirect Speech is introduced by some verb expressing command
or
request, and the imperative mood is changed into the Infinitive.
https://create.kahoot.it/create#/edit/7cb3fcbf-454a-4b91-ac4d-d5182145bc19/overview

Let’s practice!
From the video you just watched; report some things the employees said using Reported Speech.

“In Apple, we never stop” Gary said.

“One of the unique things about Apple is the level of cross-collaboration between different groups.”
Marcus said.

“Everyone at Apple is moving forward.” Makiko said.

“You don’t know how much work goes in each Apple product” Gary said.

“Be flexible and adaptable” Marisa said.

Quiz yourself: http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=1629

 FURTHER PRACTICE

Rewrite the following sentences using Reported Speech.

1. He said, "I like my job."

→ He said that he liked his job.
2. "I went to Quebec with my family last year” she said.
→ She said
3. "I don't speak Italian" she said.
→ She said
4. "My job makes me feel happy" he said.
→ He said
5. "You can work with your colleagues" she said.
→ She said
6. They said, “ We are travelling to Paris tomorrow”
→ They said
7. Amy said, “I will finish my major next year”.
→ She said she would finish her major next year

8. “Don´t go to bed late” he said.

→ He said don’t be late
9. Dario said, “I’m applying for a job position in Google”.
→ He said
10. “Max hasn’t come to work this week” she said.
→ She said
11. “Don’t call me in the morning.” he said.
→ He said
12. My mom said, “I have taught you that twice this month.”
→ She said