Unit02: Our findings show Sequence02: Reading and writing Lesson: Reported speech (indirect speech)

Presentation
Table of tenses’ shift.
The tense in quoted (direct) speech The tense in reported (indirect) speech Remarks
- Simple past - Past perfect [had+v(past participle)]
- Past continuous [was/were+v(ing)] - Past perfect continuous [had+been+v(ing)]
- Past perfect - Past perfect No change
- Past perfect continuous - Past perfect continuous No change

- Simple present - Simple past [(regular v+ed)(irregular v changes)]

- Present continuous[is/are+v(ing)]
- Present perfect [has/have+v(past participle)]
- Present perfect continuous [has/have+been+v(ing)]
- Simple future [will+v(bare infinitive)]
- Future continuous [will+be+v(ing)]
- Future perfect [will+have+v(past participle)]
- Past continuous
- Past perfect
- Past perfect continuous [had+been+v(ing)]
- Conditional [would+v(bare infinitive)]
- Conditional continuous [would+be+v(ing)]
- Conditional perfect [would+have+v(past participle)] Rarely used

- Conditional - Conditional No change

Table of some changes of pronouns, demonstratives, time expressions and modals

Features Direct speech .Indirect (reported) speech
I I / She / He
We We / They
My My / His / Her
Our Our / Their
Me Me / Him / Her
Pronouns

Us Us / Them
Here There
Demonstratives This That
These Those
Now Then/ at that time
Today That day
Tonight That night
Yesterday The day before/ the previous day
Tomorrow The following day/ the day after
Hour-day-month-week-year ago Hour-day-month-week-year before
.…… Ago before .…
.…… Next The following …/The …. after
Time expressions

.…… Last The previous…. / …. before

Shall Should
will would
Modals

Can Could
May, might Might
Must, has/have to Had to
should should
 Notes
 The direct speech is always put between inverted commas “....”. S + reporting verb, “..speech..”
 When we report the speech, we omit the inverted commas. S + reporting verb + that +..speech..
 Reported speech is generally introduced with a verb called
introductory verb or reporting verb e.g. (to tell, to say, to remark, to notice, to ask, to answer, to declare, to reveal, to
show...)
 If the introductory verb is in the present or future tense, we don't make any changes concerning the tense of the speech
when we report it.
 If the introductory verb is in the past tense, we need to make some necessary changes concerning the tense of the speech
when we report it.
 Reporting statements with the introductory verb in the present or future tenses.
 Reporting statements with the introductory verb in the past tenses.
Direct speech Indirect (reported) speech
The speech is in He says/is saying/is going to say/has said, “I write he says/is saying/is going to say/has said that he writes
simple present this report here”. that report there.
The speech is in He says/is saying/is going to say/has said, “I’m He says/is saying/is going to say/has said that he is
present continuous writing a report now”. writing a report then.
The speech is in He says/is saying/is going to say/has said, “I have He says/is saying/is going to say/has said that he has
present perfect written a report today”. written a report that day.
The speech is in He says/is saying/is going to say/has said, “I’m He says/is saying/is going to say/has said that he is
future going to/will write a report tomorrow”. going to/will write a report the following day.
 Reporting imperatives, commands and requests. S + reporting verb + (not)to + stem
(it doesn’t matter in which tense the introductory verb is)
Past tense Direct speech Indirect (reported) speech
The speech is in .”He said, “I wrote a report yesterday he said that he had written a report the day before.
simple past
The speech is in .”He said, “I was writing a report an hour ago He said that he had been writing a report an hour
past continuous before.
The speech is in He said, “I had written a report last Summer”. He said that he had written a report the previous
past perfect Summer.
Present tense Direct speech Indirect (reported) speech
The speech is in He said, “I write a report tonight”. he said that he wrote a report that night.
simple present
The speech is in He said, “I’m writing a report now”. He said that he was writing a report an hour before.
present continuous
The speech is in He said, “I have written a report today”. He said that he had written a report the that day.
past perfect
future tense Direct speech Indirect (reported) speech
The speech is in He said, “I will write a report next session”. he said that he would write a report the following
simple future session.
The speech is in He said, “I will be writing these reports”. He said that he would be writing those reports.
future continuous
The speech is in He said, “I will have written my report”. He said that he would have written his report.
future perfect

Direct speech Indirect (reported) speech

The speech is in He says/is saying/is going to say/has said, “write he orders/is ordering/is going to order/has ordered me
+ Imperative form this report here!”. to write that report there.
The speech is in He says/is saying/is going to say/has said, “don’t he orders/is ordering/is going to order/has ordered me
Imperative form - write the report now!”. not to write the report then.
The speech is in He said, “write your report today!”. He ordered me to write my report that day.
Imperative form
The speech is He says/said, “would you please help me to write a He asks/asked me to help him write a report.
a request report?”.

Practice: report the following statements

1) Tom says, “I am fine”.
2) “The sun is shining”, Jerry is saying.
3) “I am busy now”, I said.
4) “Ann is doing her homework”, Mother said.
5) “We have seen your car in the garage yesterday.” The policemen told me.
6) Condolesa said, “I wrote a letter to the president after my visit”.
7) “You were driving too fast”, they said.
8) I told them, “my son had left since the year 2000”.
9) “I shall fly to Paris next July”, Ahmed promised.
10) The boss announced, “John will be working here this summer holidays”.