Rodich Steven Class - 14-Reported - Speech

MINISTERIO DE EDUCACIÓN, CULTURA, CIENCIA Y TECNOLOGÍA
INSTITUTO DE EDUCACIÓN SUPERIOR “Juan Mantovani”

PROVINCIA DEL CHACO
Language and Grammar of the Foreign Language I

CLASS #: 14 Published: 01/03/2021
TEACHER: Roman, Norma
READ THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY:

Read the theory about reported speech.
Do the activities provided.
Reported speech: indirect speech

Indirect speech focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their
exact words. In indirect speech, the structure of the reported clause depends on
whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question or a command.
So, basically reported speech is when you tell somebody else what you or a person
said before.
Distinction must be made between direct speech and reported speech.
Direct speech vs Reported speech:
Direct speech Reported speech

She says: "I like tuna fish." She says that she likes tuna fish.
She said: "I'm visiting Paris next She said that she was visiting Paris the
weekend" following weekend.
Different types of sentences
When you use reported speech, you either report:
 questions
 requests / commands
 other types
PROVINCIA DEL CHACO
Example:
direct indirect reported clause
I told them
statement ‘I’m tired,’ I said. that-clause
(that) Iwas tired.
The nurse asked
‘Are you ready?’ the
Joel if/whether he if-clause/whether-
nurse asked Joel.
question was ready. clause
‘Who are you?’ she
She asked mewho I wh-clause
asked.
was.
‘Leave at once!’ They ordered usto
command to-infinitive clause
they ordered. leave at once.
A. Reporting Statements
When transforming statements, check whether you have to change:
 pronouns
 tense
 place and time expression
1- Pronouns
In reported speech, you often have to change the pronoun depending on who says
what.
Example:
She says, “My dad likes roast chicken.” – She says that her dad likes roast chicken.
2- Tenses
If the sentence starts in the present, there is no backshift of tenses in

reported speech.
If the sentence starts in the past, there is often backshift of tenses in
reported speech.
PROVINCIA DEL CHACO

(no backshift) “I write poems.” He says that he writes poems.

(backshift) “I write poems.” He said that he wrote poems.
No backshift
Do not change the tense if the introductory clause is in a present tense (e. g. He
says).
Note, however, that you might have to change the form of the present tense verb
(3rd person singular).
Example:
He says, “I write poems.” – He says that he writes English.
Backshift
You must change the tense if the introductory clause is in a past tense (e. g. He
said).
Example:
He said, “I am happy.” – He said that he was happy.
Examples of the main changes in tense:
Direct Speech Reported Speech

Simple Present Simple Past
He said: "I am happy" He said that he was happy
Present Progressive Past Progressive
He said: "I'm looking for my keys" He said that he was looking for his
keys
Simple Past Past Perfect Simple
He said: "I visited New York last year" He said that he had visited New York
the previous year.
Present Perfect Past Perfect
He said: " I've lived here for a long He said that he had lived there for a
time " long time
Past Perfect Past Perfect
He said: "They had finished the work He said that they had finished the
when I arrived" work when he had arrived"
Past Progressive Past Perfect Progressive
PROVINCIA DEL CHACO
He said: "I was playing football when He said that he had been
the accident occurred" playing football when the accident had
occurred
Present Perfect Progressive Past Perfect Progressive
He said:"I have been playing football He said that he had been
for two hours." playing football for two hours
Past Perfect Progressive Past Perfect Progressive
He said: "I had been reading a He said that he had been reading a
newspaper when the light went off" newspaper when the light had gone off
Future Simple (will+verb) Conditional (would+verb)
He said: "I will open the door." He said that he would open the door.
Conditional (would+verb) Conditional (would+verb)
He said: "I would buy Mercedes if He said that he would buy Mercedes if
I were rich" he had been rich"
Modal verbs could, should, would, might, needn't, ought to, used to do not
normally change.
Example:
He said, "She might be right." – He said that she might be right.
Other modal verbs may change:
Modal Direct speech Reported speech

can "I can do it." He said he could do it.
may "May I go out?" He wanted to know if he might go out.
must "She must apply for the He said that she must/had to apply for
job." the job.
will "They will call you." He told her that they would call her.
3- Place, demonstratives and time expressions
Place, demonstratives and time expressions change if the context of the

reported statement (i.e. the location and/or the period of time) is different from
that of the direct speech.
In the following table, you will find the different changes of place;
demonstratives and time expressions.
PROVINCIA DEL CHACO
Direct Speech Reported Speech

Time Expressions
today that day
tonight that night
next week/month/year the following week/month/year
yesterday the day before
… days ago … days before
the week/month year before or the
last week/month/year
previous week/month/year
next year the following year
tomorrow the next day / the following day
Place
here there
Demonstratives
this that
these those
B. Reporting Questions
When transforming questions, check whether you have to change:
 Pronouns
 place and time expressions
 tenses (backshift)
Also note that you have to:
 transform the question into an indirect question

 use the question word (where, when, what, how) or if / whether
Types of questions Direct speech Reported speech

With question word "Why" don’t you He asked me why I
(what, why, where, speak English?” didn’t speak English.
how...)
PROVINCIA DEL CHACO
“Do you speak He asked me

Without question word
English?” whether / if I spoke
(yes or no questions)
English.
C. Reporting requests / commands

When transforming requests and commands, check whether you have to change:
 pronouns
 place and time expressions

“Nancy,do the exercise.“ He told Nancy to do the exercise.
"Nancy, give me your pen, please." He asked Nancy to give him her pen.
Tenses are not relevant for requests – simply use to / not to + verb (infinitive
without "to")
Example:
She said, “Sit down." - She asked me to sit down.

She said, "don't be lazy" - She asked me not to be lazy
For affirmative use to + infinitive (without to)
For negative requests, use not to + infinitive (without to).
 Indirect reports of commands consist of a reporting clause, and a reported

clause beginning with a to-infinitive:
Example:
The General ordered the troops to advance. (original command: ‘Advance!’)
The chairperson told him to sit down and to stop interrupting. (original
command: ‘Sit down and stop interrupting!’)
PROVINCIA DEL CHACO
 We also use a to-infinitive clause in indirect reports with

other verbs that mean wanting or getting people to do something, for
example, advise, encourage, warn:
Example:
They advised me to wait till the following day. (original statement: ‘You should
wait till the following day.’)
The guard warned us not to enter the area. (original statement: ‘You must not
enter the area.’)
D. Other transformations
 Expressions of advice with must, should and ought are usually

reported using advise / urge.
Example:
"You must read this book."
He advised / urged me to read that book.
 The expression let’s is usually reported using suggest. In this case,
there are two possibilities for reported speech: gerund or statement
with should.
Example:
"Let’s go to the cinema."
1. He suggested going to the cinema.
2. He suggested that we should go to the cinema.
Main clauses connected with and/but
If two complete main clauses are connected with ‚and or ‚but, put ‚that after
the conjunction.
Example:
He said,“I saw her but she didn't see me.“ – He said that he had seen
her but that she hadn't seen him.“
If the subject is dropped in the second main clause (the conjunction is

followed by a verb), do not use ‚that‘.
PROVINCIA DEL CHACO
Example:
She said,“I am a nurse and work in a hospital.“ – He said that she was a
nurse and worked in a hospital.“
REPORTED SPEECH
COMMON MISTAKES CORRECT VERSION WHY
She told me that she After tell we mention the
wasn't able to do it. listener. After say we
She said me that she don't mention the
wasn't able to do it. listener.
She told me that she is She told me that she was If the reporting verb (in
looking for her handbag. looking for her handbag. this case tell) is in the
He told me he hasn't He told me he hadn't past tense, we usually
seen her before. seen her before. change the tense of the
She told me she will see She told me verb which follows:
him later she would see him later. I am ⇒ I was
I can ⇒ I could
have been ⇒ had been
was ⇒ had been
will ⇒ would
can ⇒ could
I told him don't go there. I told him not to When we report a
go there command or warning, we
use (not) + to +
infinitive.
Forming yes-no questions: With an auxiliary verb
We form yes-no questions with an auxiliary verb (be, do or have) + subject + main
verb or with a modal verb + subject + main verb:
Be: Is she working very

Were they travelling together?
hard?
Do: Does that taste
Did you go to the concert?
okay?
Have: Have they
Had they visited Rome before?
eaten yet?
Modal: Could you
Should I open the window?
help me lift this?
PROVINCIA DEL CHACO
Where there is no auxiliary verb be, have or modal verb already present in the
statement, we use the auxiliary do, does, did:
Statement form (no

Question form
auxiliary)
Do you usually walk to work?
You usually walk to work.
Not: Walk you…?
You liked disco music in the Did you like disco music in the 70s?
70s. Not: Liked you…?
We don’t use an auxiliary verb when we use be as a main verb:
Example:
Is she your sister?
Not: Does she be your sister?
Reporting Verbs
A reporting verb is a word which is used to talk about or report on other
people's work. Reporting verbs can be used to great effect, but the difficulty
with using them is that there are many, and each of them has a slightly
different and often subtle meaning.
Here we will see the most common ones and their use. The basic verb
pattern:
1: SAY
say + (that) + clause
E.g. She said (that) she had already eaten.
(The direct speech for this is "I've already eaten".)
2: TELL
PROVINCIA DEL CHACO
On the other hand, with 'tell' we need to use an object, a person who we tell the
information to.
tell + someone + (that) + clause

E.g. I told John (that) I had seen the new film.
(The direct speech for this is "I've seen the new film".)
When we are reporting orders, we can also use another pattern with 'tell':
tell + someone + to + infinitive
E.g. She told the children to go to bed.
3: ASK
We use 'ask' to report questions or requests. For questions we use the pattern:
ask + someone + if / question word + clause
E.g. I asked my boss if I could leave early.
She asked them where the station was.
For requests we use the pattern:
ask + someone + to + infinitive
E.g. I asked Lucy to pass me the salt.
(Remember, my first two examples with 'ask' are no longer real questions, so we
use the normal sentence word order. We don't use inversion.
We say 'she asked them where the station was',
NOT 'she asked them where was the station'.
Other reporting verbs follow a variety of patterns. I'm afraid there aren't any rules
about which verbs follow which patterns. You need to learn each one.
4: ADVISE*
(= Give someone advice. Notice the different spelling for the verb and the noun.)
Advise + someone + to + infinitive
E.g. She advised him to see a doctor.

PROVINCIA DEL CHACO
Advise + (that) + clause
E.g. The staff advise that you carry water at all times.
Advise + against + verb-ing

E.g. I'd advise against leaving early.
5: AGREE
Agree + to + infinitive
E.g. We agreed to meet the following day.
Agree + (that) + clause

E.g. I agreed that the children could do their homework later.
6: APOLOGISE
Apologise + (to + someone) + for + verb-ing
E.g. They apologised to us for being late.
E.g. She apologised for forgetting the book.
Apologise (+ to + someone) + for + noun
E.g. She apologised for the delay.
7: DECIDE
Decide + to + infinitive
E.g. They decided to go to the cinema.
Decide + (that) + clause
E.g. They decided that they would go to the cinema.
8: ENCOURAGE
Encourage + someone + to + infinitive
E.g. She encouraged him to take the exam again.
The teacher encouraged the students to ask questions.

PROVINCIA DEL CHACO
9: EXPLAIN
Explain + (that) + clause
E.g. The teacher explained that the course was finished.
Explain + noun + to + someone
E.g. She explained the grammar to the students.
NOT: She explained me the grammar.
Explain + question word + to + infinitive
E.g. They explained how to buy a train ticket on the internet.
John explained where to find the restaurant.
Explain + question word + clause
E.g. We explained what the exams would cover.
10: INSIST*
Insist + on + verb-ing
E.g. He insisted on paying.
Insist + (that) + clause
E.g. He insisted that we sit down.
11: PROMISE
Promise + to + infinitive
E.g. He promised to arrive early.
Promise + (someone) + (that) + clause
E.g. I promised him that I wouldn't do it again.

PROVINCIA DEL CHACO
12: RECOMMEND*
Recommend + verb-ing
E.g. I recommend visiting the British Museum while you're in London.
Recommend + (that) + clause
E.g. I recommend that you visit the British Museum
13: REMIND
Remind + someone + to + infinitive
 She reminded him to take his keys.
Remind + someone + (that) + clause
E.g. They reminded me that there is a party tonight.
14: SUGGEST*
Suggest + verb-ing
E.g. I suggest leaving soon
Suggest + (that) + clause
E.g. I suggest that you come as soon as you can.
NOT: I suggest him to come.
15: WARN
Warn + someone + (not) + to + infinitive
E.g. I warned them not to go in the water.
Warn + someone + about + something
E.g. She warned us about the dangerous roads.
Negatives
PROVINCIA DEL CHACO
To make the verbs that we have reported negative, we

need to look at the verb pattern:
 When there's a clause, we make the negative in the usual way: She said that
she didn't like ice cream.
 When there's 'to + infinitive', we generally put 'not' before 'to': He
promised not to do it again.
 When there's 'verb-ing', we generally put 'not' in front of it: I advise not
taking the bus.
Activities:
a) Make a new sentence with the same meaning using the reporting verb in brackets.
1) "I'll study really hard for the exam" said Mark. (promise + to + infinitive)
Mark promised to study really hard for the exam.
2) "You shouldn't go into the water" said the coast guard. (advise against)
The coast guard advised against going into the water.
3) "I think you should go to the dentist" Julie said to Tom. (advise, using infinitive)
Julie advised Tom to go to the dentist.
4) "Watch out for the weak bridge" he said. (warn, using 'about')
He warned us about the weak bridge.
5) "You should apply for the job" said Jack to Stella. (encourage)
Jack encouraged Stella to apply for the job.
6) "Okay, Clarisse can go to the party" said Clarisse's mum. (agree, using clause)
Clarisse’s mum agreed that Clarisse can go to the party.
7) "The class will start later on Tuesdays" said the teacher to us. (explain + clause)
The teacher explained that the class will start later on Tuesdays
PROVINCIA DEL CHACO
8) "It's a great idea to go to the beach" said Maria. (recommend +

verb-ing)
Maria recommended going to the beach.
9) "Don't cross the road there" she said to the children. (warn, using infinitive)
She warned the children not to cross the road there.
10) "I'll make the coffee!" said David. (insist + on)
David insisted on making the coffee.
11) "This is where the station is" said Alice. (explain, using question word + clause)
Alice explained where the station was.
12) "How about having Indian food?" I said. (suggest, using verb-ing)
I suggested having Indian food.
13) "I'm sorry I forgot your birthday" said Amanda to me. (apologise)
Amanda apologized for forgetting my birthday,

b) Change the direct speech into reported speech. Use 'she said' at the beginning of each
answer. You don't need to change the time expressions.
1) "He works in a bank."
She said that he works in a bank.
2) "We went out last night."
She said that they had gone out last night.
3) "I'm coming!"
She said that she was coming.
4) "I was waiting for the bus when he arrived."
She said that she had been waiting for the bus when he arrived.
5) "I'd never been there before."
She said that she had never been there before.

PROVINCIA DEL CHACO
C) Make reported questions. Start your answer with 'she asked me'. It's the same day,
so you don't need to change the time expressions.
1) "Why is Julie sad?"
She asked me why Julie was sad.
2) "What's for dinner?"
She asked me what was for dinner.
3) "Who is the woman in the red dress?"
She asked me who the woman in the red dress was.
4) "How is your grandmother?"
She asked me how my grandmother was.
5) "When is the party?"
She asked me when the party was.
6) "How much is the rent on your flat?"
She asked me how much the rent on my flat was.
7) "Where are the glasses?"
She asked me where the glasses were.
d) Make reported requests or orders. Start each sentence with 'she asked me' or 'she
told me'. It's the same day, so you don't need to change the time expressions.
1) "Please help me carry this."
She asked me to help her carry this.
4) "Could you please open the window?"
She asked me to open the window.
6) "Can you help me with my homework, please?"
PROVINCIA DEL CHACO
She asked me to help her with her homework.

7) "Would you bring me a cup of coffee, please?"
She asked me to bring her a cup of coffee.
10) "I was wondering if you could possibly tell me the time?"
She asked me to tell her the time.
11) "Do your homework!"
She told me to do my homework.
12) "Don't smoke!"
She told me not to smoke.
13) "Don't be late!"
She told me not to be late.
14) "Go to bed!"
She told me to go to bed.
e) Report the following sentences. Take into account if the sentence is a statement, a
question or a command and the changes you need to make in each case.
1. My friend said, "I love this town."

He said that he loved that town.
2. Clara: "Are you sure?"
She asked me if I was sure.
3. Michael: "I can't drive a lorry,"
He said that he couldn’t drive a lorry.
4. Her mom: "Be nice to your brother,".
She asked her to be nice to her brother.
5. Liam: “Don’t be nasty!"
He told me not to be nasty.
6. Alice: "Don't waste your money boys!"
Alice advised us not to waste our money.
7. Marie: "What have you decided to do?"
She asked me what I had decided to do.
PROVINCIA DEL CHACO
8. Charles: "I always wake up early,"

He said that he always woke up early.
9. The teacher: "You should revise your lessons,"
She/he advised me to revise my lessons.
10. My father: "Where have you been?"
He asked me where I had been.
f) Report the following sentences. Take into account all the changes you need to make
(tense, pronoun, subject, time expressions)
1. Emily: "Our teacher will go to England tomorrow."
She told me that their teacher would go to England the following day.
2. Helen: "I was writing a letter yesterday."

She told me that she had been writing a letter the day before.
3. Robert: "My father flew to Dallas last year."

He told me that his father had flown to Dallas the year before.
4. Lisa: "Tim went to the stadium an hour ago."
She told me that Tim had gone to the stadium an hour before.
5. Patricia: "My mother will celebrate her birthday next weekend."
She told me that her mother would celebrate her birthday the following weekend.
6. Michael: "I am going to read a book this week."
He told me that he was going to read a book that week.
7. Jason and Victoria: "We will do our best in the exams tomorrow."
They told me that they would do their best in the exams the next day.
8. Andrew: "We didn't eat fish two days ago."
He told me that they hadn’t eaten fish two days before.
9. Alice: "I spent all my pocket money on Monday."
She told me that she had spent all her pocket money on Monday.
PROVINCIA DEL CHACO
10. David: "John had already gone at six."

He said that John had already gone at six.

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MINISTERIO DE EDUCACIÓN, CULTURA, CIENCIA Y TECNOLOGÍA

INSTITUTO DE EDUCACIÓN SUPERIOR “Juan Mantovani”

Language and Grammar of the Foreign Language I

READ THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY:

Reported speech: indirect speech

Distinction must be made between direct speech and reported speech.

Direct speech vs Reported speech:

Direct speech Reported speech

Different types of sentences

When you use reported speech, you either report:

direct indirect reported clause

If the sentence starts in the present, there is no backshift of tenses in

(no backshift) “I write poems.” He says that he writes poems.

Examples of the main changes in tense:

Direct Speech Reported Speech

Other modal verbs may change:

Modal Direct speech Reported speech

3- Place, demonstratives and time expressions

Place, demonstratives and time expressions change if the context of the

Direct Speech Reported Speech

Also note that you have to:

 transform the question into an indirect question

Types of questions Direct speech Reported speech

“Do you speak He asked me

C. Reporting requests / commands

Direct speech Reported speech

She said, “Sit down." - She asked me to sit down.

For affirmative use to + infinitive (without to)

For negative requests, use not to + infinitive (without to).

 Indirect reports of commands consist of a reporting clause, and a reported

The General ordered the troops to advance. (original command: ‘Advance!’)

 We also use a to-infinitive clause in indirect reports with

 Expressions of advice with must, should and ought are usually

Main clauses connected with and/but

If the subject is dropped in the second main clause (the conjunction is

Forming yes-no questions: With an auxiliary verb

Be: Is she working very

Statement form (no

We don’t use an auxiliary verb when we use be as a main verb:

Is she your sister?

Not: Does she be your sister?

say + (that) + clause

E.g. She said (that) she had already eaten.

(The direct speech for this is "I've already eaten".)

tell + someone + (that) + clause

tell + someone + to + infinitive

E.g. She told the children to go to bed.

ask + someone + if / question word + clause

E.g. I asked my boss if I could leave early.

She asked them where the station was.

For requests we use the pattern:

ask + someone + to + infinitive

E.g. I asked Lucy to pass me the salt.

Advise + someone + to + infinitive

E.g. She advised him to see a doctor.

Advise + (that) + clause

Advise + against + verb-ing

Agree + (that) + clause

Apologise + (to + someone) + for + verb-ing

E.g. They apologised to us for being late.

E.g. She apologised for forgetting the book.

Apologise (+ to + someone) + for + noun

E.g. She apologised for the delay.