REPORTED SPEECH
2nd Batxillerat
Reported speech is used to express what somebody else has said. The reported speech clause begins with ‘THAT’, which can be omitted in informal speech. ‘I am 35 years old’, said the woman. The woman said (that) she was 35 years old.
When we change a sentence from direct speech into reported speech, we have to make several changes:
TENSE CHANGES We change the tense of the main verb because in reported speech we move one step further into the past. Direct speech Reported speech Present simple Past simple I live I lived Present continuous Past continuous I am eating I was eating Present perfect simple Past perfect simple I have read I had read Past simple Past perfect I worked I had worked Past perfect simple Past perfect simple I had ridden I had ridden Am / is / are going to Was / were going to I am going to travel I was going to travel EX: ‘They visited the musem’. – She said that they had visited the museum. Modal verbs Most modal and semi-modal verbs don’t change in reported speech, BUT: Direct speech
Reported speech
will Would I will run I would run can could I can walk I could walk must had to I must listen I had to listen EX: ‘I’ll call John’ – He said that he would call John. PRONOUNS AND POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES ‘We have read the article’ – She said that they had read the article. ‘My dog is called Rock’ – She said that her dog was called Rock.
TIME AND PLACE EXPRESSIONS Direct speech
Reported speech Time expressions now then, at that time today that day tonight that night this morning, week… that morning, week… yesterday The day before last week, month… the week, month… before Two days ago two days earlier tomorrow the following day next week, month… the following week, month… Place expressions this that these those here there REPORTED REQUESTS AND COMMANDS Positive form ‘Stop smoking!’, the doctor said to me > The doctor told me to stop smoking. Negative form ‘Don’t talk!’ , the teacher said to us. The teacher told us not to talk.
REPORTING VERBS AND STRUCTURES TELL (+object), PROMISE (+object), SAY, ANNOUNCE, DENY, ADMIT + THAT I’ll take you to the mountains > She promised me that she would take me to the mountains. I didn’t call John. > He denied that he had called John
OFFER, PROMISE, AGREE, TELL (+object), ASK (+object), ADVISE (+object), ORDER (+object), WARN (+object), REMIND (+object) Positive VERB + TO + INFINITIVE Negative VERB + NOT + TO + INFINITIVE ‘Shut up’. > She told me to shut up / She ordered me to shut up ‘Don’t move’ > She advised me not to move. ‘Don’t forget to buy the newspaper. > He reminded me to buy the newspaper. ‘Don’t cross the road now’ > He warned me not to cross the road then.
APOLOGIZE FOR , ACCUSE (+object) OF SUGGEST, ADMIT, CONGRATULATE (+object) ON
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VERB
‘I’m sorry I broke the mirror. > He apologized for breaking the mirror. ‘You lied to me’. > He accused me of lying. ‘You got great marks!’ > She congratulated me on getting great marks. REPORTED QUESTIONS DIRECT QUESTION Questions with WH-words What time is it? Where do you work? Questions without a WH-word Are you in my class? Do you live in London?
REPORTED QUESTION He asked me what time it was. He asked me where I worked. She asked me if I was in his class. He asked me if I lived in London.
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