CLI115 5641a 04

Master: Nuova Didattica Per Le Lingue: Multimodale, Flipped Learning E Clil
Insegnamento: Perfezionamento Della Lingua Inglese

Lezione N°: 4
Titolo: Reported Speech
Attività N°: 1
LESSON 4
REPORTED SPEECH
Lezione N°: 4
Attività N°: 1
PERFEZIONAMENTO DELLA LINGUA

INGLESE
MASTER IN "NUOVA DIDATTICA PER LE LINGUE: MULTIMODALE, FLIPPED LEARNING E
CLIL"
Lezione 4: Repor ted speech
Sessione 1: Indirect Speech and Direct Speech

Lezione N°: 4
Attività N°: 1
REPORTED SPEECH (INDIRECT SPEECH)

There are two ways of relating what a person has said : direct and indirect.
If we report what another person has said, we usually do not use the speaker’s exact
words (direct speech), but reported (indirect) speech. Therefore, you need to learn how
to transform direct speech into reported speech.
The structure is a little different depending on whether you want to transform a
statement, question or request.
Direct speech Reported speech

He speaks English He says that he speaks English
Lezione N°: 4
Attività N°: 1
REPORTED SPEECH – INDIRECT SPEECH

Statements
When transforming statements, check whether you have to change:
- pronouns
- present tense verbs (third person singular)
- place and time expressions
- tenses (backshift)
Indirect speech can be introduced by a verb in a present tense (… he says that..), This is
usual when we are:
-Reporting a conversatin that is still going on
-Reading a letter and reporting what it says
-Reading instruction and reporting them
-Reporting a statement that someone makes very often
Lezione N°: 4
Attività N°: 1

However, indirect speech is usually introduced by a verb in the past tense. Verbs in
the direct speech have to be changed into a corresponding past tense.
He said “ I’m waiting for Mark” He said (that) he was waiting for
Mark
The changes are shown in the following slide

Lezione N°: 4
Attività N°: 1

Simple present Simple past
Present continuous Past continuous
Present perfect Past perfect
Present perfect continuous Past perfect continuous
Simple past Past perfect
Future Conditional
Future continuous Conditional continuous
Conditional Conditional
The verbs could, should, would, might, must, needn’t, ought to, used to, do not normally
change.
E.g.
He said, “She might be right.” – He said that she might be right.
Lezione N°: 4
Attività N°: 1

BUT, you should /you ought to if used to express advice rather than obbligation,
can be reported by advise +object+infinitive.
Also you must can express advice and be reported similarly
E.g.
You must/ought to/should read the instructions, said Mary.

= it becomes = Mary adviced (urged/ warned) me to read the instructions
Lezione N°: 4
Attività N°: 1

Pronouns
Pronouns and possessive adjectives usually change from first or second to third person except
when the speaker is reporting his own words.
E.g.
She says, “My mum doesn’t have time today.” = She says that her mum doesn’t have time
today.
I said ‘ I like my new car’ = I said that liked my new car
Speaker reporting her own words.

Lezione N°: 4
Attività N°: 1
This, used in time expression, usually become that

He said:” she is coming this week” = He said that he she was coming that week.
This, these used as pronoun can become it/they/them

Ann said ”we will talk about it tomorrow” = Ann said that they would talk about it
the next day.
Lezione N°: 4
Attività N°: 1

Place and Time expressions
For place and time expressions you have to check whether place and time are the same in
direct and reported speech or not. Check out the following example:
It is Friday and you meet James at a restaurant. James tells you that he saw Caroline in this
restaurant today. (“I saw Caroline here today.”) A few minutes later, Helen joins you and you
want to report what James has told you. Place (here) and time (today) are the same and you
can say:
→ James said that he had seen Caroline here today.
One day later, you meet Mary at the same restaurant. Again, you want to report to her what
James has told you. The place is the same, but not the time (it happened yesterday). So you
would say:
→ James said that he had seen Caroline here yesterday.
Lezione N°: 4
Attività N°: 1

Still a few days later, Tom rings you at home. Again, you want to report to him what James
has told you. However, now you are not at the restaurant (but at home) and a few days
have passed since then. So you would say:
→ James said that he had seen Caroline at the restaurant on Friday.
or
→ I met James in a restaurant on Friday and he said that he had seen Caroline there that
day.
Therefore you always have to think which place and time expressions are logical in a
certain situation.
Lezione N°: 4
Attività N°: 1

In the following table, you will find ways of transforming place and time expressions into
reported speech.
S p e e ch S p e e ch
today that day
now then
yesterday the day before
… days ago … days before
last week the week before
next year the following year
tomorrow the next day / the
here there
this that
these those
Lezione N°: 4
Attività N°: 1

Additional Information and Exceptions
Apart from the above mentioned basic rules, there are further aspects that you should keep in mind,
for example:
• main clauses connected with and / but
• tense of the introductory clause
• reported speech for difficult tenses
• exeptions for backshift
• requests with must, should, ought to and let’s
→ 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.“
Lezione N°: 4
Attività N°: 1

If the subject is left out in the second main clause (the conjunction is followed by a verb), do not
use ‚that‘.
Example:
She said,“I am a nurse and work in a hospital.“ – He said that she was a nurse and worked in a
hospital.“
Tense of the Introductory Clause
The introductory clause usually is in Past Tense.
Example:
He said that …
Present Tense is often used to report a conversation that is still going on, e. g. during a phone call
or while reading a letter.
Example:
“I am fine.“ – Tom says / writes that he is fine.
Lezione N°: 4
Attività N°: 1

The introductory clause can also be in another tense. In the following table you can see, for which tense of
the introductory clause you have to use backshift in reported speech.
No Backshift Backshift
if int roduct ory clause is if int roduct ory clause is
in … in …
Simple Present (He says …) Simple Past (He said …)
Present Perfect (He has said …) Past Perfect (He had said …)
Future I will (He will say …) Future II ( He will have said …)

Future I going to (He is going to
Conditional I (He would say …)
say …)
Conditional II (He would have
said …)
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Attività N°: 1
Backshift
You must change the tense if the introductory clause is in Simple Past (e. g. He said). This
is called backshift.
E.g.
He said, “I am happy.” – He said that he was happy.
The basic rules for backshift when transforming direct speech into reported speech are as
follows:
Lezione N°: 4
Attività N°: 1

Direct Speech Reported speech
Simple Present Simple Past
Present Progressive Past Progressive
Simple Past Past Perfect Simple
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Past Progressive
Present Perfect Progressive Past Perfect Progressive
Past Perfect Progressive
Future I (going to) was / were going to
Future I (will) Conditional I
Conditional I
Future II
Conditional II Conditional II
Lezione N°: 4
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Exceptions
Backshift of Simple Present is optional if the situation is still unchanged or if you agree with
the original speaker.
E.g.:
“Canberra is the capital of Australia.“
She said that Canberra is / was the capital of Australia.
Backshift of Simple Past and Past Progressive is optional if they cannot be mistakenly
taken for backshift of Present Tense. So backshift is not necessary if there is a time
expression indicating past.
E.g.:
“She left Boston on Monday.“
He said that she left / had left Boston on Monday.
Lezione N°: 4
Attività N°: 1
Simple Past and Past Progressive do not normally change in sentences with when /
if.
E.g.:
“When I was having breakfast, the telephone suddenly rang.“
She said that when she was having breakfast, the telephone suddenly rang.
E.g.:
“If I had more time, I would learn French.“
He said that if he had more time, he would learn French.
Lezione N°: 4/S1
Attività N°: 1
LESSON 4
REPORTED SPEECH
Lezione N°: 4/S1
Attività N°: 1

INGLESE
CLIL"
Lezione 4: Reported speech (Indirect Speech)
Sessione 2: Exercises on Reported Speech

Lezione N°: 4/S1
Attività N°: 1
REPORTED SPEECH (INDIRECT SPEECH)
Exercises on Reported Speech
Reported Speech without backshift – Change of Pronouns
Helen is in front of the class holding a presentation on London. As Helen is rather shy, she
speaks with a very low voice. Your classmate Gareth does not understand her, so you have
to repeat every sentence to him.
Complete the sentences in reported speech (no backshift).
Note the change of pronouns and verbs.
Lezione N°: 4/S1
Attività N°: 1
REPORTED SPEECH EXERCISES

• Helen: I want to tell you something about my holiday in London.
• Gareth: What does she say?
• You: She says that ____________________________________
• Helen: I went to London in July.
• You: She says that ____________________________________
• Helen: My parents went with me.
• You: She says that ____________________________________
• Helen: We spent three days in London.
• You: She says that ____________________________________
• Helen: London is a multicultural place.
Lezione N°: 4/S1
Attività N°: 1
REPORTED SPEECH (EXERCISES)
Reported Speech without backshift – Change of Pronouns and Places
Your friend is an exchange student in the USA at the moment. You are speaking with him on the phone
and your friend Sue is standing next to you. She is very excited - you have to repeat every sentence to
her.
Complete the sentences in reported speech (no backshift).

Note the change of pronouns, places and verbs.
Lezione N°: 4/S1
Attività N°: 1

Tom: I'm fine.
Sue: What does he say?
You: He says that ___________________________________
Tom: The weather here is great.
You: He says that ___________________________________
Tom: My host family is very nice.
You: He says that ___________________________________
Tom: I have my own room.
You: He says that ___________________________________
Tom: We have a national park here.
You: He says that ___________________________________

Lezione N°: 4/S1
Attività N°: 1

Tom: We went there yesterday.
You: He says that ___________________________________
Tom: It was great.
You: He says that ___________________________________
Tom: I'd love to go there again.
You: He says that ___________________________________
Tom: The teachers at my school are very nice.
You: He says that ___________________________________
Tom: My English has improved.
You: He says that ___________________________________
Lezione N°: 4/S1
Attività N°: 1

Backshift
Rewrite the sentences in reported speech. Change pronouns and time expressions where
necessary.
1. She said, "I am reading."
→ She said that ____________________________________
2. They said, "We are busy."
→ They said that ___________________________________
3. He said, "I know a better restaurant."
→ He said that _____________________________________
4. She said, "I woke up early."
→ She said that ____________________________________
5. He said, "I will ring her."
→ He said that _____________________________________
6. They said, "We have just arrived."
→ They said that ___________________________________
Lezione N°: 4/S1
Attività N°: 1
7. He said, "I will clean the car."

→ He said that _____________________________________
8. She said, "I did not say that."
→ She said that ____________________________________
9. She said, "I don't know where my shoes are."
→ She said that ____________________________________
10. He said: "I won't tell anyone."
→ He said that ____________________________________
Lezione N°: 4/S1
Attività N°: 1

Backshift and Place expressions
Imagine you want to repeat sentences that you heard two weeks ago in another place. Rewrite the
sentences in reported speech. Change pronouns and expressions of time and place where necessary.
1. They said, "This is our book."

→ They said ______________________________________
2. She said, "I went to the cinema yesterday."
→ She said _______________________________________
3. He said, "I am writing a test tomorrow."
→ He said _______________________________________
4. You said, "I will do this for him."
→ You said ______________________________________
5. She said, "I am not hungry now."
→ She said ______________________________________
Lezione N°: 4/S1
Attività N°: 1
6. They said, "We have never been here before."

→ They said _____________________________________
7. They said, "We were in London last week."
→ They said _____________________________________
8. He said, "I will have finished this paper by tomorrow."
→ He said _______________________________________
9. He said, "They won't sleep."
→ He said _______________________________________
10. She said, "It is very quiet here."
→ She said ______________________________________
Lezione N°: 4/S2
Attività N°: 1
LESSON 4
REPORTED SPEECH
Lezione N°: 4/S2
Attività N°: 1

INGLESE
CLIL"
Sessione 3: Comprehension
Lezione N°: 4/S2
Attività N°: 1
REPORTED SPEECH (COMPREHENSION)

The Canterville Ghost
Chapter VI
About ten minutes later, the bell rang for dinner, and, as Virginia did not
come down, Mrs Otis sent up one of the servants. After a little time he
returned and said that he could not find Miss Virginia anywhere. So, the
whole family started looking for her.
The hours passed, but they could find no trace of Virginia. So, after dinner,
Mr Otis ordered them all to bed, saying that nothing more could be done that
night, and that he would contact Scotland Yard in the morning. Just when
everybody was about to leave the dining-room, the clock struck midnight,
and when the last stroke sounded, a secret door opened in the wall and in
that door stood Virginia with a little box in her hand. Everybody ran up to her.
Lezione N°: 4/S2
Attività N°: 1

“Good heavens! child, where have you been?” said Mr Otis, rather angrily, as he thought
she had been playing a trick on them.
“Papa,” said Virginia quietly, “I have been with the ghost. He is dead, and you must come
and see him. He had been very nasty, but he was really sorry for all that he had
done, and he gave me this box of beautiful jewels before he died.”
Then she led the others down a narrow secret corridor to a little low room. There the
family found the skeleton of Sir Simon, who had been starved to death by his wife's
brothers. Virginia knelt down beside the skeleton, and, folding her little hands
together, began to pray silently.
Meanwhile, one of the twins was looking out of the window in the little room and
suddenly said, “Look! The old almond-tree has blossoms.”
“Then God has forgiven him,” said Virginia and stood up.
Lezione N°: 4/S2
Attività N°: 1

Questions on the text
1. When does Virginia come back home?
A)Ten minutes later.
B) At midnight.
C) The next morning.
2. Where does Virginia lead her family?
A) To an old almond-tree.
B) To a skeleton.
C) To Scotland Yard.
3. How does Virginia know, that God has forgiven the ghost?
A) An old tree has blossoms.
B) She receives a box with jewels.
C) She finds the room with the skeleton.
Lezione N°: 4/S2
Attività N°: 1

Find a word in the text for each definition given below.
 a meal eaten in the evening → ___________________________________
 a household with parents and children → __________________________
Rewrite the sentences. Use reported speech.

The servant said, “I cannot find her” ________________________________________
The boy said, “The tree has blossoms.” ______________________________________
Virginia said, “I have been with the ghost.” ___________________________________
Lezione N°: 4/S3
Attività N°: 1
LESSON 4
REPORTED SPEECH
Lezione N°: 4/S3
Attività N°: 1

INGLESE
CLIL"
Sessione 4: Keys
Lezione N°: 4/S3
Attività N°: 1
REPORTED SPEECH (CHECK YOUR ANSWERS)

Check Your Answers
Exercises on Reported Speech
Exercise 1
· You: She says that she wants to tell us something about her holiday in London.
· You: She says that she went to London in July.
· You: She says that her parents went with her.
· You: She says that they spent three days in London.
· You: She says that London is a multicultural place.
· You: She says that she saw people of all colours.
· You: She says that she and her parents visited the Tower.
· You: She says that one evening they went to see a musical.
· You: She says that she loves London.
· You: She says that the people are so nice there.
Lezione N°: 4/S3
Attività N°: 1

Exercise 2
You: He says that he's fine.
You: He says that the weather there is great.
You: He says that his host family is very nice.
You: He says that he has his own room.
You: He says that they have a national park there.
You: He says that they went there yesterday.
You: He says that it was great.
You: He says that he'd love to go there again.
You: He says that the teachers at his school are very nice.
You: He says that his English has improved.

Lezione N°: 4/S3
Attività N°: 1
Exercise 3
1. She said that she was reading.
2. They said that they were busy.
3. He said that he knew a better restaurant.
4. She said that she had woken up early.
5. He said that he would ring her.
6. They said that they had just arrived.
7. He said that he would clean the car.
8. She said that she had not said that.
9. She said that she did not know where her shoes were.
10. He said that he would not tell anyone.
Lezione N°: 4/S3
Attività N°: 1
Exercise 4
1. They said that was their book.
2. She said that she had gone to the cinema the day before.
3. He said that he was writing a test the next day.
4. You said that you would do that for him.
5. She said that she was not hungry then.
6. They said that they had never been there before.
7. They said that they had been in London the week before.
8. He said that he would have finished that paper by the next day.
9. He said that they wouldn't sleep.
10. She said that it was very quiet there
Lezione N°: 4/S3
Attività N°: 1
The Canterville Ghost

Exercise 1
B ; B; A.
Exercise 2
Dinner, family
Exercise 3
1. The servant said that he could not find her.
2. The boy said that the tree had blossoms.
3. Virginia said that she had been with the ghost.

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Master: Nuova Didattica Per Le Lingue: Multimodale, Flipped Learning E Clil

Insegnamento: Perfezionamento Della Lingua Inglese

PERFEZIONAMENTO DELLA LINGUA

Lezione 4: Repor ted speech

Sessione 1: Indirect Speech and Direct Speech

REPORTED SPEECH (INDIRECT SPEECH)

Direct speech Reported speech

REPORTED SPEECH – INDIRECT SPEECH

REPORTED SPEECH – INDIRECT SPEECH

The changes are shown in the following slide

REPORTED SPEECH – INDIRECT SPEECH

REPORTED SPEECH – INDIRECT SPEECH

You must/ought to/should read the instructions, said Mary.

REPORTED SPEECH – INDIRECT SPEECH

Speaker reporting her own words.

REPORTED SPEECH – INDIRECT SPEECH

This, used in time expression, usually become that

This, these used as pronoun can become it/they/them

REPORTED SPEECH – INDIRECT SPEECH

REPORTED SPEECH – INDIRECT SPEECH

REPORTED SPEECH – INDIRECT SPEECH

REPORTED SPEECH – INDIRECT SPEECH

REPORTED SPEECH – INDIRECT SPEECH

REPORTED SPEECH – INDIRECT SPEECH

Future I will (He will say …) Future II ( He will have said …)

REPORTED SPEECH – INDIRECT SPEECH

REPORTED SPEECH – INDIRECT SPEECH

REPORTED SPEECH – INDIRECT SPEECH

REPORTED SPEECH – INDIRECT SPEECH

PERFEZIONAMENTO DELLA LINGUA

Lezione 4: Reported speech (Indirect Speech)

Sessione 2: Exercises on Reported Speech

REPORTED SPEECH (INDIRECT SPEECH)

Exercises on Reported Speech

Reported Speech without backshift – Change of Pronouns

REPORTED SPEECH EXERCISES

REPORTED SPEECH (EXERCISES)

Reported Speech without backshift – Change of Pronouns and Places

Complete the sentences in reported speech (no backshift).

REPORTED SPEECH (EXERCISES)

Sue: What does he say?

You: He says that ___________________________________

Tom: The weather here is great.

Sue: What does he say?

You: He says that ___________________________________

Tom: My host family is very nice.

Sue: What does he say?

You: He says that ___________________________________

Tom: I have my own room.

Sue: What does he say?

You: He says that ___________________________________

Tom: We have a national park here.

Sue: What does he say?

You: He says that ___________________________________

REPORTED SPEECH (EXERCISES)

REPORTED SPEECH (EXERCISES)

REPORTED SPEECH (EXERCISES)

7. He said, "I will clean the car."

REPORTED SPEECH (EXERCISES)

1. They said, "This is our book."

REPORTED SPEECH (EXERCISES)

6. They said, "We have never been here before."