Unit 5. School and university subjects.

Learning
• Vocabulary:
• School and university subjects
• Idioms about education
• Vocabulary: noun suffixes
• Adjective suffixes
• Grammar:
• Reported speech (statements, questions, commands)
• Zero, First and Second conditionals
Reported speech: statements
• When we tell someone what another person said, we can use direct speech or
reported speech:
• Direct speech: “My parents are very well,” Julie said.
• Reported / Indirect speech: Julie said (that) her parents were very well.
• When we use reported speech, the main verb of the sentence is usually past:
Tom said that …
l told her that ...
• The rest of the sentence is usually past too (backshift):
Tom said that he was feeling ill.
I told her that I didn't have any money.
Table taken from: https://www.grammarbank.com/reported‐speech‐tense‐change.html
Reported speech: statements
• If you report something and it is still true, you do not need to change the verb:
Direct: Tom said “New York is more lively than London.”

Reported: Tom said that New York is more lively than London. (New York is still more
lively. The situation hasn't changed.)

• Pronouns also usually change in indirect speech:

“I enjoy working in my garden,” said Bob.

Bob said that he enjoyed working in his garden.

Reported speech: statements
Direct Speech Reported Speech
• If there is an expression of time/place in this evening that evening
the sentence, it may be changed, today/this day that day
depending on the situation
these days those days
• You can leave out ‘that’ if you want: now then
a week ago a week before
 Tom said (that) New York is more lively than
the weekend before /
London. last weekend
the previous weekend
next week the following week
• Use a variety of reporting verbs:
tomorrow the next/following day
mention, explain, agree, warn, promise, here there

etc. Table taken from: https://www.englisch‐hilfen.de/en/grammar/reported.htm

Reported speech (statements): practice
Reported speech (statements): practice
Reported speech: questions
• The question becomes a statement:
Susan: “Does Mary live in London?”→ Susan asked if/whether Mary lives in London.
IMPORTANT: Mind the word order! subject + verb
• If there is a question without a question word in direct speech, use ‘whether’ or
‘if’. The auxiliary ‘do’ is dropped:
Susan: “Do you play the piano?” → Susan asked me whether / if I played the piano.
• If there is a question with a question word in direct speech, use this question
word in reported speech:
Susan: “When do you play tennis?” → Susan asked me when I played tennis.
Reported speech (questions): practice
Choose the correct answer:
Q1. "Where do you live?"
a) Miho asked me where do I live.
b) Miho asked me where I lived.
c) Miho asked me where did I live.
Q2. "What is the time?"
a) Can you tell me what is the time?
b) Can you tell me what the time is?
Q3. Why did he say that?"
a) I would like to know why he said that.
b) I would like to know why did he say that.
Q4. "Do we have a test tomorrow?"
a) I’ve forgotten do we have a test tomorrow?
b) I’ve forgotten if we have a test tomorrow.
c) I’ve forgotten have we a test tomorrow?
Q5. "Have you finished with the computer?"
a) She asked if had I finished with the computer.
b) She asked if I had finished with the computer.
Q6. "Can I use your phone?"
a) I asked her could I use her phone.
b) I asked her if I could use her phone.
Q7. "Can you help me, please?"
a) John wanted me to help him.
b) John wanted that I helped him.
c) John wanted that I help him.
Q8. "What’s she doing?"
a) I wondered what was she doing.
b) I wondered what she was doing.
Reported speech (questions): practice
Rewrite these sentences using reported speech:
1. Christopher: "Do you want to dance?"
Christopher asked me if I wanted to dance.
2. Betty: "When did you come?"
3. Mark: "Has John arrived?"
4. Ronald: "Where does Maria park her car?"
5. Elisabeth: "Did you watch the latest film?“
6. Mandy: "Can I help you?"
7. Andrew: "Will Mandy have lunch with Sue?"
8. Justin: "What are you doing?"
9. Frank: "How much pocket money does Lisa get?"
10. Anne: "Must I do the shopping?"
Reported speech: commands
• No backshift of tenses, no matter what tense appears in the direct speech
sentence
• You only have to change the person and the expressions of time/place
• Form:
• affirmative commands: to + infinitive
Teacher: “Shut up and pay a en on.” → The teacher told us to shut up and pay
attention
• negative commands: not + to + infinitive
Teacher: “Don’t do exercise #3.” → The teacher told us not to do exercise #3.