Direct speech

Alice in Wonderland
Chapter 3
The Caterpillar and Alice looked at
each other.
‘Who are you?’ said the Caterpillar.
Alice replied, ‘Tell me who you are,
first.’
‘Why?’ asked the Caterpillar.
‘I don’t have a good reason,’ Alice
thought and began to walk away.
‘Come back!’ shouted the
Caterpillar. ‘I’ve something
important to say!’

Presentation
You use direct speech to report someone’s ... Punctuation rules
• words: Quotation marks
‘Who are you?’ said the Caterpillar. Write quotation marks around the words spoken (or
Alice replied, ‘Tell me who you are, first.’ thought):

• thoughts: ‘Who are you?’

Alice thought, 7 don’t have a good reason.’ ‘Tell me who you are, first.’

Common reporting verbs are: said, asked, replied, Commas

told (someone), shouted, thought Write a comma between the reporting verb and the
direct speech:
When the direct speech is at the beginning of the sentence,
you can put the reporting verb before the subject. Alice replied, ‘Tell me who you are, first.’
verb subject If the direct speech comes before the reporting verb, you
write a comma instead of a full stop:
‘Tell me who you are, first,’ replied Alice ‘Tell me who you are, first,’ Alice replied.
Full stops
subject verb
Use a full stop (not a comma) when the direct speech
Alice replied , ‘Tell me who you are, first.’ ends the sentence:
Alice replied, ‘Tell me who you are, first.’
If the subject is a pronoun (e.g. she), you always use subject
Other punctuation marks
+ verb.
We often write question marks (?) or exclamation
subject verb
_ l__ marks (!) in direct speech.
‘Tell me who you are, first,’ she replied ‘Why?’ asked the Caterpillar.
‘Come back!’ shouted the Caterpillar.
QQ You often see direct speech in stories and fiction. Don’t write a comma after these punctuation marks.

182
Exercises
1 Write direct speech for each picture using the reporting verbs in the box.

asked (x2) replied satd shouted thought

1 He s a ii ‘HeIlo» wy wage's RfcUard.1 4 The girl

2 She 5 The passport officer

3 The police officer The tourist

2 Rewrite sentences 1 -6 in exercise 1. Put the direct speech first and then the subject and the verb.
1 ‘ Hello, w y vvavyye’s RicUavd/ tye
2
3 ........ ..... ............ ...................................................................
4 ............................... ..................................................
5 ..............................................................
6
3 Add punctuation to the sentences.
1 Hello Michael said the woman’s voiceon the phone.
2 Who is this I asked.
3 The voice on the phone laughed and replied Don’t you recognise my voice Michael
4 I said No
5 Are you sure the voice asked.
6 I thought It can’t be her. Not after all these years.
7 Michael shouted the voice. You know who I am. And you remember what you did.
8 I thought I don’t want to remember
0 7 Reported speech
” ■ (also called ‘indirect speech’)

lv\ 1^63, MavfiiA LutUev kiv\g said tUat

Ue Uadi a dveavA . . .

Presentation
You use reported speech (or indirect speech) to report someone’s words from the past:
7 /wve a dream .’ * In 1963, he said that he had a dream.

You often use the conjunction f/mf after the reporting verb. There is no difference.
In 1963, he said that he had a dream. / He thought that he could change people. /
In 1963, he said he had a dream. / He thought he could change people. /

Change in tense
When you report what someone said, you often move the tense ‘backwards’,

present simple -►past simple (I have a dream. -► He said he had a dream.)

present continuous -+ past continuous (You’re meeting me at six. -* You said you were meeting me at six.)
present perfect -> past perfect (We’ve finished the book. ->• They said they had finished the book.)
will -►would (I’ll call you back. -► Gill said she’d call me back.)
can -> could (We can help you. •> They said they could help us.)

past simple -► past perfect (We wanted more time. -►They said they had wanted more time.)

Change in pronoun
Sometimes, you also need to change the pronoun. In this speech /becomes he because another
person is talking about Martin Luther King:
Martin Luther King: 7 have a dream .’
Other person: In 1963, he said that he had a dream.

184
Exercises
1 Rewrite these sentences using reported speech.
1 He said, ‘I’m happy to help.’ Yesterday, he said that he was Uappy to help.
2 They said, ‘Were going out at seven.’ They said that they
3 She said, ‘I’ve done all my homework.’ She said that she
4 He thought, ‘They have forgotten my birthday.’ He thought that they
5 The politician said, ‘I want to improve people’s lives.’ The politician said she
6 The team said, ‘We aren’t going to win.’ The team said they
7 She said, ‘I’m busy so I won’t come.’ She said that she
8 He said, ‘I don’t know if I can come.’ He said that he

2 <2323 Complete the conversation. Use the words in bold and reported speech. Then listen and check.
A: Are we going out with Peter and Nigella tonight?
B: No, they said that they 1weve going out somewhere else tonight, so they can’t meet.
A: Why didn’t they tell us last week that they2 ?
B: I don’t know. Anyway, we’re having dinner together next Friday instead.
A: But you said that we 3 dinner with your parents next Friday.
B: Yes, but they’ll be on holiday.
A: Really? You didn’t tell me they4 on holiday.
B: Yes, I did. They’ve booked a holiday in France.
A: I thought they said they5 their holiday in Italy.
B: No, they said France.
A: So they aren’t going to visit us before they go.
B: No. They said they6 have time to visit us.

3 Look at the before and after pictures. Then write sentences using direct speech.

he was going to be an
astronaut when he grew up.
'I know Uow to dvive it'.

V )) I
ro i
TCP

U' r
) \

/
3 You said you’d be home early. [ 4 I thought he said he could play the guitar.
______________________________________ ,

185
88 Reported questions
What I wanted to know
are you what he was doing and
doing? then I asked him if he
f Err, I'm needed any help...
Tl cleaning the
X windows.

Oh. Do
you need
any help?

Presentation
You use reported questions to report questions in the past.
What are you doing? > I wanted to know what he was doing.
Do you need any help? -►I asked him if he needed any help.
Common reporting verbs for questions: wanted to know, asked.
Do not use question marks in reported questions:
I wanted to know what he was doing, (not I wanted to know what he was doing*)

wh- questions
When you report questions with what, who, where, why, when, how, the word order is the same as for
an affirmative statement. The subject is before the verb:
W hat are you doing? -> I wanted to know what he was doing, (don’t say I wanted to know what was he doing.)

yes / no questions
When you report questions which need an answer Yes or No, use if or whether and do not use the auxiliary
verb do ... ?
Do you need any help? -►I asked him i f he needed any help. /1 asked him whether he needed any help.
(don’t say I asked him did he need any help.)

186
Exercises
1 Put the words in order.
1 they wanted to were saying I know what 5 we know when arrive he would wanted to

2 me why she asked was I leaving 6 the neighbours whether were we asked free next
week

3 they know if any you needed wanted to help

7 wanted my mother to you had eaten know whether

4 you grew he where up asked

8 asked from driven where you’d she

2 Write the journalists’ questions as reported questions.

1 What is the name of your new film?

2 Are you happy with the film?
3 How long has it taken to make?
4 Who is the director?
5 Did you like the other actors?
6 Why are you visiting Europe?
7 Do you want to work with Tom
Cruise again?
8 Are you going to make another film
soon?
9 What will the next film be?
10 Will you film it in this country?

1 One journalist asked wUat tt\e nawe of hev v\ew filw wa$.
2 Another journalist wanted to know
3 They asked her
4 They also wanted to know
5 Someone asked
6 Another journalist asked
7 He also asked
8 Everyone wanted to know
9 Someone asked
10 Another journalist asked

Complete the sentences so they are true for you.

1 When I was younger, I wanted to know
2 In my last English lesson, I asked my teacher

187
 say, tell, ask
89 Instructions, orders and requests

A: How was your journey?

B: Terrible. I got lost so I asked somebody to
give me directions to King Street. She told
me to turn left but it was a one-way street.
A: Oh no! What happened?
B: A police officer stopped me. He said it
was a one-way street and he told me to
turn the car around.

Presentation

say and tell tell and ask

say SOMETHING tell / ask somebody TO DO SOMETHING
You often use the verb say to report someone’s words: When you report instructions, orders or requests,
‘This is a one-way street.’ -> The police officer said (that) you often use the reporting verbs tell and ask with the
it was a one-way street. fo-infinitive:

tell SOMEBODY something instructions

You can use tell to say who someone is talking to: ‘Turn left.’ -> He told me to turn left.

‘This is a one-way street.’ -> The police officer told me

orders
(that) it was a one-way street.
‘Turn the car a r o u n d * The police officer told me to
(don’t say The police officer said me it was a one-way
turn the car around.
street.)

requests
say something TO somebody
‘Can you give me directions to King StreetV -> I asked
You can use say to report who you said something to:
somebody to give me directions to King Street.
‘This is a one-way street.’ * The police officer said to the
driver (that) it was a one-way street.
(don’t say The police officer t M it was a one-way street.)

188
Exercises
1 Complete the sentences using the correct form of say, tell or ask. Sometimes two answers are possible.

1 My dentist me to come back in six months’ time.

2 What a surprise! Everyone you weren’t coming to my party so it’s nice to see you.
3 What did you to me about the lesson next week? Is it cancelled?
4 The train driver the passengers that the train wasn’t stopping in Oxford,
5 We someone where the theatre was but no one knew,
6 Arnold he’d passed his exam! I’m amazed.
7 The boss has a few people to work this weekend.
8 Why did you Madeleine that I like her?
9 Your teacher looks angry. What did you to him?
10 Why did you Joanna to come with us? She’s so irritating!

Report the words of the receptionist. Complete sentences 1-6 using the fo-infinitive.

1 Can you sign this form, please?

2 Take a seat.
3 Please hold.
4 Turn left at the end of the corridor.
5 Take the lift to the second floor.
6 Can I take my lunch break?

1 The receptionist asked me

2 She told me
3 She asked the person on the phone
4 She told me
5 She told another visitor
6 She asked her boss

3 Write the direct speech as reported speech using the words in brackets.
1 ‘This is my house.’ (he / say)
He said! (that) this was Ui£ Uouse.
2 ‘I’m going to apply for the job.’ (she / tell / me)

3 ‘It’s true!’ (I /say)

4 ‘Lunch is going to be at two.’ (Gabi / tell /us)

5 ‘Press 100 on the machine for a coffee.’ (he /tell /us)

6 ‘Slow down!’ (my father /tell / me)

7 ‘Can you call me back later?’ (Rita / ask /me)

8 ‘Do you mind turning your music down?’ (they / ask / the people next door)

189
90 Review of units 86 to 89
Grammar 5 1told to the taxi driver that I needed to get out
at the station.
1 Match 1-6 to a-f.
6 My sister said us to stay out of her room.

7 They said us to wait for the next flight and we

said we could.

3 Complete the report with the words in

the box.

asked if said that to (x2) was why

Report on management meeting

The meeting began at three. The company director
thanked everyone for coming and said 1................
1 The President told a why the President
the reporters to hadn’t met other everyone he understood how busy they had been in
world leaders. recent weeks. He explained 2................the company
2 The reporters asked Q] b said that change 3................currently having problems and that the
him if would take time.
aim of the meeting was to find solutions ...
3 Another journalist [ c come back at three,
wanted to know
4 The President said to d a reporter to repeat The company director asked his staff 4................they
the question. thought the company needed a new product.
5 The President asked j e the reporters he The Marketing Manager 5................ that he thought
would talk to them
they did and she also asked 6................the company
again next month.
hadn’t introduced a whole new range of products
6 The President f he would spend
more money on for this year.
hospitals.
2 Correct the mistakes. The company director ended the meeting by asking
1 ‘No, I don’t want to,’ replied she. everyone 7................think about the discussion and
8 them all to come back next week at the
2 The teacher asked why were you late today.
same time with their ideas and solutions.
3 He wanted to know if you were doing tonight.

4 My manager asked I if you’d join us for lunch.

190