REPORTED SPEECH: Report: tell or repeat the information. Speech: something another person said.

When you need

to talk about something that another person said, we use reported speech. Here, we must change the pronouns
(subject, object and possessive) and verb tenses. We can report two different things, REQUESTS, and STATEMENTS.

REQUESTS: When you have to report an order or favor, you’ve got to identify the main verb and make it infinitive.
Original speech (request) Hellen: Please, take me to the movies after work.
Reported speech (infinitive) Jorge: Hellen told me to take her to the movies after work.
_Hellen_ _told_ _me_ _to_ _take_ _her to the movies after work_ .
SUBJECT PAST SIMPLE OBJECT TO + VERB COMPLEMENT
REPORTING VERB PRONOUN INFINITIVE FORM
_ _ _ _

REPORTING CLAUSE REPORTED CLAUSE (INFINITIVE CLAUSE)

Reporting verbs: said / told /asked

STATEMENTS: When reporting statements, we have to backshift or change the verb tense. This means that the
tense goes back one step into the past. Complete this back shifting list:
1. PRESENT SIMPLE: Past Simple 5. PAST PROGRESSIVE: Past Perfect Progressive
2. PRESENT PROGRESSIVE: Past Progressive 6. WILL: Would
3. PRESENT PERFECT: Past Perfect 7. CAN: Could
4. PAST SIMPLE: Past Perfect 8. MAY: Might

We don’t change the tense of modals that are already in the past (would, might, would, should), and we don’t
change the form of the Past Perfect.
Original speech (statement) Hellen: I love you so much.
Reported speech (back shifted) Jorge: Hellen told me that she loved me so much.
_Hellen_ _told_ _me_ _that_ _she_ _loved_ _me so much_ .
SUBJECT PAST SIMPLE OBJECT (THAT) SUBJECT VERB COMPLEMENT
REPORTING VERB PRONOUN OPTIONAL BACKSHIFTED
_ _ _ _

REPORTING CLAUSE REPORTED CLAUSE (THAT CLAUSE)

Reporting verbs: said / told

Decide whether the sentences below are Statements (STM) Sub.+ V + C. or Requests (REQ). A request could be an
Imperative (Verb in base form without a subject or a question) Then, write the reported speech on the lines on the
right using any reporting verb you like:
1. My mom: Don’t do it! ( REQ ) __My mom told me not to do it__ .
2. Lucy: I’m leaving tomorrow ( STM ) _Lucy said that she was leaving the next day_ .
3. Mark: Please, get me a cup of tea. (REQ) ___Mark said to get him a cup of tea.
4. My friend: She got married last year. (_STM) ___She told me she had gotten married last year.
5. My coach: Be quick! (_REQ) ___ My coach told me to be quick.
6. My son: Could you explain it, please? (__REQ) _____My son asked me to explain it.
7. Celine: We went to a Chinese restaurant. (_STM) ____Celine told me she had gone to a Chinese Restaurant
8. Angie: I’ll come and help you at twelve. (STM_) _____Angie said she would come and help me at twelve.
9. My boyfriend: Don’t go! (_REQ) __My boyfriend told me not to go.
10. Alice: Could you take me to the bank? (REQ) __Alice asked me to take her to the bank.
11. Richard: Come here! (REQ_) _Richard told me to come.
12. George: I’ve never been to Wales. (STM_) ___George told me he had never been to Wales.
13. The kid: I don't like mushrooms! (_STM) ____He said he didn’t like mushroom.
14. My girlfriend: Don't be silly! (REQ) ___My girlfriend said not to be silly.
15. Phillip: Would you mind waiting, please? (REQ_) ___Phillip told me to wait.
Read the following conversation:
1. ERNESTO: Hello, mom. Could you tell me about your day?
2. SELENA: Hi, my love. Sure! I had a very busy day. First, I met my boss for an important
meeting. Then…
3. ERNESTO: Oh, wait! I’ll be back in a minute… I’m sorry mom. I have to write this for a
school project. Could you please continue?
4. SELENA: Oh, OK. No problem. So, as I was saying, after this meeting, I was trying to call
your dad, but he never answered the phone. That happened at noon.
5. ERNESTO: Really? That’s rude. I’ll talk to dad about that.
6. ESTEBAN: Hi, there, you two. You seem to be having fun. What are you doing?
7. ERNESTO: Hey dad, you didn’t answer mom’s phone call at noon. That’s rude!
8. ESTEBAN: Oh, I’m sorry. I was on a very important interview. I was helping you with your
homework.
9. ERNESTO: Oh. Ups! ;-P
Complete the paragraph about the conversation with the correct verb tenses (V), the
correct object pronoun (OBJ), and the correct possessive adjective pronoun (P.A.P).
1. Ernesto asked (P.A.P) his _ mom (V) _to tell (OBJ) him about (P.A.P) her day.
2. Selena said that she (V) had had a very busy day. She (V) had met her boss
for an important meeting.
3. Ernesto asked (OBJ) her (V) to wait. He told (OBJ) her that he (V) would be
back in a minute. Then he apologized and said that he (V) had to write that
for a school project. After that, he asked (OBJ) _her (V) to continue.
4. Selena told (OBJ) him that she (V) had been trying __ to call his dad, Esteban,
but he (V) __had never answered the phone. That (V) had happened at
about noon.
5. Ernesto said it (V) was rude, and that he (V) would talk to (OBJ) him about
that.
6. Esteban said hi and told (OBJ) them that they (V) seemed to be having fun.
7. Ernesto told (OBJ) him that he (V) hadn´t answered the phone, and that it (V)
was rude.
8. Esteban apologized and told (OBJ) him that he (V) had been on a very
important interview. He (V) had been helping (OBJ) him with (P.A.P) his
homework.
9. Ernesto was very ashamed.
Most common changes:
Was or were = had been
I was sick. He said he had been sick.
They were working = She said they had been working.
Went = had gone
I went out on Friday. She said she had gone out on Friday.
I spoke to him last night.
He said he had spoken.
I promised to help. He had promised to help.

WRITING: Write a paragraph about ONE of the following topics. Remember to write 80-100
words. Be creative.
1. Where would you go if you had the chance to travel back in time?
What would you do?
2. What would you do if you had the technology to clone an extinct animal? What
animal would you choose?
3. What would you choose if you were given any superpower you like? What would you
do with it?

If I had to choose a superpower, I would choose to be very smart,

to solve any problem. I would travel around the world and talk
with presidents about their problems and solutions. I think
everybody wants to solve everything, but we need more
information, new technologies or vaccination. I like Batman
because he isn´t strong or fast but he´s very smart for that reason
he's the leader of the superheroes.