REPORTED SPEECH

• Lourdes Alonso

Statements

• The will make a lovely couple• Miss Moore said that they would

make a lovely couple• 2. They are going to live in

Brighton• Mr Smith said that they were

going to live in Brighton• 3. The bride’s father has bought

them a flat• Miss Jones said that the bride’s

father had bought them a flat

•Future ( will) changes to ….

•Would

• (Are going to) changes to …..

•Past continuous (was/Were going )

•Present perfect changes to ….

•Past perfect

• 4. The bride is wearing a beautiful dress

• Mr. Robert said that the bride was wearing a beautiful dress

• 5. The parents look happy• Mr Clarke said that the parents

looked happy• 6. The bride and the groom are

nice young people• Mrs. Jones said that the bride

and the groom were very nice young people

•Present continuous changes to ……

•Past continuous

•Present simple changes to

•Past simple

• 1. “ I don’t like the bands that are playing here.”• John mentioned that he didn’t like the bands

that were playing there • 2. “Techno music has become very popular” • Peter said that techno music had become very

popular• 3. “ Please, help me with this problem”• Mark begged me to help him with that problem • 4. “ I will go to the concert with you next year” • Jackie offered to go to the concert with me the

following year

• 5. “ I’m sorry I missed the party”

• 5. Alex apologised for missing the party

or He said he was sorry because he had missed the party

• 6. “ We were really enjoying ourselves!”

• The boys insisted that they had really been enjoying themselves

Reported questions

1. What’s your name?

2. Did you see the robbers?

3. What were they wearing?

4. How do you think they got

in?

5. What did they take?

6. Has this ever

happened?

• 1. The police office asked him what his(?) name was• 2. The police officer asked him if he had seen the

robbers• 3. The police officer asked him what they were wearing

1. What’s your name?

2. Did you see the robbers?

3. What were they wearing?

4. How do you think they got

in?

5. What did they take?

6. Has this ever

happened?

• 4. The police officer asked him how he thought they had got in

• 5. The police officer asked him what they had taken• 6. The police officer asked him if that had ever

happened before

RULE• WH questions• (change tense and interrogative order)

– “When did you go to see this film?” David asked.– David asked / wondered when they had gone to see that film

• Yes/ no questions• (change tense and interrogative order and start with if or

whether…)– “Are you planning to go to the party this evening?” Rita asked.– Rita asked if / whether I was planning to go to the party that

evening

• Introductory verbs reporting interrogative sentences• ask, inquire, request, want to know, wonder• Rita wanted to know if I was planning to go to the party

A. Read the pairs below. Then answer the question that follow.

• 1. Are you planning to go to the party this evening?” Rita asked.

• 2. “ When did they go to se this film?” David wondered.

• 3. “What time is it? Tomás wanted to know

• 4. “ Do you know what time it is?” Andy asked.

• 1.Rita asked if / whether I was planning to go to the party this evening

• 2. David wondered when they had gone to see that film

• 3. Tomas wanted to know what time it was

• 4. Andy asked what time it was

1. When you report a question , are the rules the same as when we report a statement? Yes they are. The tenses change in the same way2. Which two words can you add to report a yes/no question?

If and whether

3. Is there a question mark at the end of a reported question?No. It is no longer a question

4. Which example shows a question within a question? Example 4

• 1. “ Are you a techno music fan?”• The journalist asked Paul ….if he was a techno

music fan• 2. “Why do you want to leave so soon?• Debbie asked…..why we wanted to leave so

soon• 3. “ How long will the flight take?”• Mrs Muñoz asked ….how long the flight would

take• 4. “ Did you manage to finish your homework?”• My friend asked me …if I had managed to finish

my homework

• 5. “Why did you call me?”• Sandra asked…….why I had called her• 6. “Will you help me with this exercise?”• Jenny asked…..if /whether I would help

her with that exercise.• 7. “Do you know when Jane’s birthday is?”• He wanted to know if I knew when Jane’s

birthday was.• 8. “What time does the concert begin?”• David wanted to know what time the

concert began

• Orders, promises , requests, advice when reported in indirect speech are followed by the …………………………………..

• e.g. “Sit down,” he said to her wife.• He told his wife to sit down.• e.g. “ sit down , please” he said to his son• He begged his son to sit down• e.g. “Will you sit down please!” he said to his son.• He asked his son to sit down• e.g. “ don’t go home,” he said.• He ordered her not to go home.• The reporting verbs are: ORDER, PROMISE,

REQUEST, BEG, ADVICE, REFUSE

To infinitive

• CHANGE THESE SENTENCES

• 1. “ARE YOU GOING TO THE PERFORMANCE TONIGHT?”

• He asked if I / we /was /were going to the performance that night

• 2. The journalist reported that he had seen someone run out of the shop

• “ I saw someone run out of the shop”,the journalist said.

• 3. My daughter promised that she would be home right after the party

• “I will be home right after the party”, my daughter promised

• 4. Berta told me that she had been planning a trip to Paris for some time

• “ I have been planning a trip to Paris for some time”,Berta told me

• 5. “ I have been looking for the new Massive Attack CD everywhere”

• He said that he had been looking for the new Massive Attack CD everywhere

• 5. “the Police will try to complete the investigation quickly”

• He said that the police would try to complete the investigation quickly

b. Rewrite these sentences in reported speech

• 1. “ I haven’t been feeling well for several days”• Isabel complained that she hadn’t been feeling

well for several days• 2. “The authorities have returned my letter

because I forgot to write the postcode”• Aitor mentioned that the authorities had returned

his letter because he had forgotten to write the postcode

• 3. “The rock band will perform at tomorrow’s concert”

• The band manager promised that the band would perform at the following day’s concert

Reporting verbs

advise / offer / refuse / order/ beg suggest / apologise / explain

• “You should go and see the doctor,” he said

• He advised me to see a doctor

• “Shall I carry the boxes for you?” he said

• He offered to carry the boxes for me

• “I will not answer your questions,” the actor said to him

• He refused to answer his questions

advise / offer / refuse / order/ beg suggest / apologise / explain

• “Get out of the house,” he said.• He ordered me to get out of the house.• He ordered ______ to get out of the house• “Please, please call the police,” she said.• She begged me to call the police• She begged ________to call the police• “Let’s go for a walk!” he said• He suggested going for a walk

somebodyus

somebody

advise / offer / refuse / order/ beg suggest / apologise / explain

• “I’m sorry I shouted at you yesterday”• He apologised for shouting at him the

previous day• He apologised for shouting at me

yesterday• “ The sun is bigger than the earth,” Mary

said to the children• Mary explained to the children that the sun

is bigger than the earth

• “The cheetah is the fastest animal in the world,” she said

• She said that the cheetah is the fastest animal in the world

• “The earth is flat,” the old man said• The old man affirmed that the earth was

flat• “ A train goes faster than a plane,” he said• He said that a train went faster than a

plane

RULE• In reported speech introductory VERBS SUCH

AS • are followed by the to infinitive • e.g. He offered to come to my house• In reported speech introductory VERBS SUCH

AS • are followed by (the person) + to infinitive• e.g. He invited Peter to my house• VERBS SUCH AS • are followed by ing• e.g. He apologised for being late

offer, promise, refuse, agree

ask, beg, order, invite

suggest , apologise, deny, admit

• If the statement is a universal truth the tense remains _________

• e.g. • “The cheetah is the fastest animal in the world,”

she said• She said that the cheetah is the fastest animal in

the world• e.g. • “The earth is flat,” the old man said• The old man affirmed that the earth is flat

RULE

unchanged