REPORTED SPEECH

REPORTED SPEECH

REPORTED SPEECH – Questions

Look at the following examples:

‘What are you doing tomorrow?’, asked Mary.

Mary asked me what I was doing the next day.

‘Did you enjoy the film?’, asked David.

David wanted to know if I had enjoyed the film.
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REPORTED SPEECH – Questions

Direct Speech Reported Speech

He wanted to know
Questions with a Where are you where I was going.
wh-word going?
Do you like He asked me if I liked
Questions with a going to the going to the beach.
beach?
verb
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REPORTED SPEECH – Questions, wanting to

know & wondering

With the reporting verbs ask, want to know and wonder:

Wh-word / if + subject + verb

Examples:
They wanted to know where the party was.
She asked me if I was happy.
She wondered whether she should go or stay.
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REPORTED SPEECH – Commands and Requests

Look at the following examples:

‘Sit down, John!’

The teacher ordered John to sit down.

‘Don’t forget to buy me a present!’

Sarah told me not to forget to buy her a present.

With reporting verbs ask, order and tell we use the

infinitive form of the verb.
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REPORTED SPEECH – Offers and Suggestions

Look at the following examples:

‘Would you like me to go for a walk?’ - OFFER

He invited me to go for a walk.

‘Why don’t we go to the cinema tonight?’ -

SUGGESTION
She suggested that we went to the cinema that night.
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REPORTED SPEECH – Offers, suggestions, etc.

With reporting verbs

1. agree, offer, promise, refuse and threaten we use to-

infinitive;
They promised to leave the house ready as soon as
possible.

2. advise, agree, insist, promise, remind, suggest and

warn we use that-clause;

They reminded us that the house was

not finished yet.
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REPORTED SPEECH
PRACTICE
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PRACTICE

Report what these people say using one of the given reporting verbs:

1. ‘Have you got all your luggage?’

Promise
2. ‘If you don’t shut up, I’ll tell the teacher!’ Ask
Told
Threaten
3. ‘Why are you so late?’
Want to know

4. ‘I’ll pick you up at six.’

5. ‘John, don’t go to the park today!’

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PRACTICE

Answers:

1. He/She asked me if I had all my luggage.

2. He/She threatened (me) that if I didn’t shut up, he/she would
tell the teacher.
3. He/She wanted to know why I was so late.
4. He/She promised to pick me up at six.
5. He/She told John not to go to the park that day.
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