Step 1 - THE GRAMMAR part 1

You have to use indirect speech / reported speech if you want to encase the quoted
sentence into a sentence. In this case there are going to be several changes in the
quoted sentence.

Changes:
B) Change the pronouns: X says to Y
First, we are going to learn how to In reported speech you have to change
quote a sentence in the present. In I, me, my, mine, myself, / we, us, our,
these cases you don’t have to go ours, ourselves if X isn’t I or we. YOU
back a tense, but there are other HAVE TO CONFORM I OR WE TO X.
necessary changes you have to do. Let’s see two examples:
Let’s look at these first.
We are
friends.
I am a
A) Look at the table below which contains the
studen
adverbs of time and place that you have to change in
reported speech. At the end of the list there are two t.
verbs that can be changed.
Direct speech Reported speech
this / these  that / those Mary says to Peter she is a student.
here  there Mary says to Peter they are friends.
now  then, at that time
today  that day In reported speech you have to change
tonight  that night you, your, yours, yourself and
yesterday  the day before, the yourselves if Y isn’t you. YOU HAVE
previous day
TO CONFORM YOU TO Y.
tomorrow  the next day, the
Let’s see an example:
following day
the day after tomorrow  in two days’ time
the day before yesterday  two days before
You are a
this (week)  that (week)
teacher.
last (month)  the (month) before,
the previous (month)
next (year)  the next (year), the
following (year)
two days ago  two days before
ago  before Mary says to Peter he is a teacher.
come  go
bring  take
C) The order of the reported
statements.
When you encase the quoted sentence, you
have to use the following order:
Subject + Predicate (modal verb if necessary
+ verb) + Object + Adverbs (place, time …)
Let’s see two examples:
 Yesterday I went to the shop.
Mary says to Peter she went to the
shop the day before.
 Now I am drawing a flower into my
notebook.
Mary says to Peter she is drawing a
flower into her notebook then.
E) The order of the reported
commands / suggestions / requests
You have to change the verb into
TO+INFINITIVE. If it is a negative
command you have to change it into NOT+
TO+INFINITIVE.
Let’s see two examples:
 Go to your room.
Mary tells the children to go to their
room.
 Don’t watch late night films.
Mary tells the children not to watch late
night films.
The most common used verb to introduce a
reported command is ‘tell’. If there is
‘please’ in the direct command, you have If the person is mentioned in
to use ‘ask’ and leave out ‘please.
e.g.: Please, don’t give up.
He asks me not to give up.
D) The order of the reported
question.
Yes-no question:
whether /if + Subject + Predicate (modal
verb if necessary + verb) + Object +
Adverbs (place, time)
Let’s see two examples:
 Do you like chocolate?
Mary asks Peter whether/if he likes
chocolate.
 Have you ever been to Scotland?
Mary asks Peter whether/if he has
ever been to Scotland.
Wh-question:
Wh-question pronoun + Subject +
Predicate (modal verb if necessary +
verb) + Object + Adverbs (place, time)
Let’s see two examples:
 Where do you usually buy food?
Mary asks Peter where he usually
buys food.
 Why have you bought this
camera?
Mary asks Peter why he has bought
that camera.
BE CAREFUL! You have to leave out
“do”, “does” and “did” if there isn’t
negation in the sentence.
the direct command, you have
to write it into the introduction.
e.g.: Children, drink your juice.
Mother tells the children to drink
their juice.