Support material

Learning activity 4
This material has been designed for you to reinforce the language
corresponding to learning activity 4 of level 7.

Presentation

A. Reported speech

1. When you report what someone said the verb forms usually change one
tense into the past as the following examples:

Direct speech Reported speech

(What people said) (what you report)

Present simple (I work) Past simple (I worked)

Present continuous (I’m working) Past continuous (I was working)

Past simple (I worked) Past perfect (I had worked)

Past perfect continuous (I had

Past continuous (I was working)
been working)

Present perfect (I have worked) Past perfect (I had worked)

Present perfect continuous (I Past perfect continuous (he had

have been working) been working)

Past perfect (I had worked) Past perfect (I had worked)

Past perfect continuous (I had Past perfect continuous (I had

been working ) been working)

Will (I will work) Would (I would work)

May (I may work) Might (I might work)

Must (I must work) Had (I had to work)

2. You can also change questions when reporting. To do so, transform the
questions into a direct questions and use the question words where,
when, what, or if / whether. Look at the following examples:
 Direct speech Reported speech
(What people asked) (What you report)

What are you doing? Someone asked me what I was

doing.

Did you do homework? Someone asked me if I did

homework.

B. Vocabulary about crime and punishment

Here is a list of words related to crime and punishment and an example.

Have a look of it and review the vocabulary once more.

Word Example

Assault The robber assaulted my grandmother.

Burglary He was found guilty of burglary, for breaking into a

building.

Community After grafting the park, he was sentenced to do

service community service.

Domestic An incident involving domestic violence was reported last

violence Thursday.

Drunk driving She was caught drunk driving.

Fine I had to pay a fine for running a red light.

Fraud The construction of the new hospital was a fraud.

Jail time Julian is serving jail time as a consequence him robbing

money from the company.

Kidnapping A kidnapping of seven workers took place recently.

Murder The news network reported a murder during the last

carnival.

Shoplifting The group of vandals was also accused of shoplifting.

Speeding I was caught speeding so the police gave a ticket.

Terrorism Religious terrorism is the most insane thing in the world.

 Theft A theft appeared last night inside the building.
Fortunately, the police caught the man.

Vandalism Vandalism is affecting the whole community.

Practice

A. Match the expressions in direct speech to the ones in reported speech.

Direct speech

1. Can.

2. Will.

3. Must.

4. May.

5. Now, at the moment.

6. Here.

7. Today.

8. Yesterday.

9. Tomorrow.

10. Next.

11. This.

12. These.

13. Ago.

14. Last week.

15. Next month.

Reported speech

a. ___ The day before.

b. ___ The previous week.

c. ___ Could.

d. ___ Had to.

e. ___ Go.

f. ___ The following.

g. ___ The next day.

h. ___ Then.

i. ___ There.

j. ___ Take.

k. ___ The following month.

l. ___ Would.

m. ___ That.

n. ___ Those.

o. ___ Before.

p. ___ Might.

q. ___ That day.

B. Read the following interview. Then, complete the interview report using the
correct form of the verb in brackets.

Interview

Journalist: Judge Johnson, last week you said in court that the murderer is
going to be sentenced to 10 years in jail. Is that a fair punishment?

Judge Johnson: I consider it is a fair sentence because the defense presented

a solid case, with an excellent argument. The attorney in charge called three
witnesses that were around the crime scene.

Journalist: Did the defense find out if the suspect was armed that day?

Judge Johnson: Yes. The defense again could demonstrate that on Christmas
day the suspect bought a gun from an establishment around the Ohio area. It
has been proved that two days later that same weapon was found abandoned
near the crime scene. Police found the weapon and then the forensic team
traced it to the suspect. Although it had been cleaned, the weapon still had the
suspect’s fingerprints on it.

Interview report

In a recent interview with Judge Oliver Johnson, he gave his insights about the
murder of John Lampard, a student from the Ohio district. The murder occurred
last year during the Christmas holiday. Judge Johnson confirmed that the
murderer _______________ (sentence) to 10 years in jail. The judge
considered the sentence ________ (be) fair since the defense ____________
(present) a solid case, and also added that the attorney in charge
_____________ (call) three witnesses that ___________ (be) around the crime
scene. The judge also reported how it ________________ (prove) that the
suspect _______________ (buy) a weapon at one of the local gun shops. The
police ______________ (find) and the forensic team ________________
(trace) it to the subject. What appears is that although the weapon
_____________________ (clean) it still __________ the suspect’s fingerprints
on it.

Production

A. Look at the photos. Write the type of crime. Use the vocabulary about crimes
and punishments to describe what you see in the photos.

Fuente: SENA

Type of crime:

Description:
 Fuente: SENA

Type of crime:

Description:
 Fuente: SENA

Type of crime:

Description:

B. Change the direct speech into reported speech sentences and questions.

b. “I don’t like eating

at home on
a. “I haven’t done weekends.” c. “How much did
anything new for you pay for your
ages.” d. “We’ll buy our dress?”
clothes on the
internet.”

e. “Do you have the f. “Where are the g. “You have to

traffic ticket?” elevators?” finish the report.”

Example:
She said (that) she hadn’t done anything new for ages.

1. I told him ____________________________________________________.

2. She asked me ________________________________________________.

3. They said ____________________________________________________.

4. The policeman asked me _______________________________________.

5. The man asked her ____________________________________________.

6. His boos told him ______________________________________________.

C. Select the correct answer.

1. Sarah said that she will / would come with us.

2. He said me / told me that he saw the suspect.

3. My mom asked me if I can cook / could cook the dinner.

4. They asked her where she works / does she work.

5. He asked the police man how much the fine was / was the fine.

6. She told us she haven’t bought / hadn’t bought anything.

Document control
 Name Position Dependence Date
Theme experts
Dirección de
Kelly Johanna Asesoras English
formación November
Author Vera Diettes & Dot Works -
profesional. 2014
Nicole Bruskewitz Programa de
Dirección General
bilingüismo

Centro
Rachman Copy editor – Línea October
Adaptation Agroindustrial.
Bustillo Martínez de producción 2015
Regional Quindío