2. To give information about what people say or think we can use:
* DIRECT / QUOTED SPEECH: saying exactly what someone has said.
That information appears within quotation marks ("...") and should be
word for word.
"I'm going to the cinema", he said.
3. * INDIRECT / REPORTED SPEECH:
• doesn't use quotation marks to enclose what the person said
• it doesn't have to be word for word.
He said he was going to the cinema.
4. -The tense usually changes because we are usually talking about a time
in the past. This happens with statements and questions.
He said he was going to the cinema.
-Words (pronouns and possessive adjectives) which refer to who the
speaker is talking about change.
“I teach online”, she said. - She said (that) she taught online.
- Words or expressions related to where (place) and when (time) the
speaker is change.
“I’m studying now”, he said. - He said (that) he was studying then.
5. * TENSE CHANGES IN REPORTED SPEECH
PRESENT SIMPLE
"All the spiders are tarantulas", she said.
PAST SIMPLE
She said (that) all the spiders were tarantulas.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
"I'm going", he said.
PAST CONTINUOUS
He said (that) he was going.
PAST SIMPLE
"She passed her exam", he said.
PAST PERFECT SIMPLE
He said (that) she had passed her exam.
He said (that) she passed her exam. (also possible with PAST S.)
PAST CONTINUOUS
"I was reading all morning", she said.
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
She said (that) she had been reading all morning.
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE
"I've bought a new car", he said.
PAST PERFECT SIMPLE
He said he had bought a new car.
PAST PERFECT SIMPLE
“They had eaten everything”, she said.
PAST PERFECT SIMPLE
She said they had eaten everything.
WILL
"I'll be here tomorrow", she said.
WOULD
She said she would be there the next day.
CAN
"Can you type?” he asked me.
COULD
He asked me if I could type.
MUST
"I must go”, she said.
HAD TO
She said she had to go.
SHOULD, COULD, WOULD and MIGHT do not change tense in Reported Speech.
6. *CHANGES WITH PRONOUNS & POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES.
“We arrived early”, he said. - He said (that) they had arrived early.
“My mum is a nurse”, she said. – She said (that) her mum was a nurse.
REMEMBER!
SUBJECT
PRONOUNS
OBJECT
PRONOUNS
POSSESIVE
ADJECTIVES
POSSESSIVE
PRONOUNS
REFLEXIVE
PRONOUNS
I ME MY MINE MYSELF
YOU YOU YOUR YOURS YOURSELF
HE HIM HIS HIS HIMSELF
SHE HER HER HERS HERSELF
IT IT ITS ITS ITSELF
WE US OUR OURS OURSELVES
YOU YOU YOUR YOURS YOURSELVES
THEY THEM THEIR THEIRS THEMSELVES
7. *CHANGES WITH TIME & PLACE EXPRESSIONS
TIME EXPRESSIONS
NOW THEN / AT THE MOMENT
TODAY THAT DAY
TONIGHT THAT NIGHT
THIS (MORNING, WEEK…) THAT (MORNING, WEEK…)
YESTERDAY THE DAY BEFORE / THE PREVIOUS DAY
LAST (WEEK, MONTH…) THE (WEEK, MONTH…) BEFORE
THE PREVIOUS (WEEK,MONTH…)WEEK,MONTH…)
(TWO DAYS, A YEAR...) AGO (TWO DAYS, A YEAR...) BEFORE
TOMORROW THE NEXT / FOLLOWING DAY
NEXT (WEEK / MONDAY...) THE NEXT / THE FOLLOWING (WEEK / MONDAY...)
PLACE EXPRESSIONS
THIS THAT
THESE THOSE
HERE THERE
8. REPORTED STATEMENTS
-Change in verbs
-Use of that , but it’s optional: He told me (that) he lived in Greenwich.
-Main reporting verbs:
- SAY + (TO + Indirect Object) + (that) + …. :
He said (that) he was going to the cinema.
He said to us (that) he was going to the cinema.
- TELL + Indirect Object + (that) + …:
He told us (that) he was going to the cinema.
9. REPORTED QUESTIONS
-Change in verbs
- Use of usual word order (not subject – verb inversion)
- If it’s a WH-question, the WH-word is kept.
“How old are they?”, he asked. – He asked me how old they were.
- If it’s a YES / NO-question, “if / whether” is used.
“Are you hungry?”, mum asked us. – Mum asked us if / whether we were hungry.
-Main reporting verb:
- ASK + (Indirect Object) + ….
He asked what her name was.
10. REPORTED IMPERATIVES
- Verbs in the TO- infinitive form.
“Sit down!”, he said. – He asked to sit down.
“Don’t sit down!”, he said to them. – He told them not to sit down.
-Main reporting verbs:
- ASK (+ Indirect Object) / TELL + Indirect Object
11. OTHER REPORTING VERBS
+
(that)
structure
+
infinitive
structure
+
gerund
structure
+
IF / WH-word
structure
ADMIT admitir ORDER ordenar SUGGEST sugerir WONDER preguntarse
ANNOUNCE anunciar OFFER ofrecer RECOMMEND recomendar WANT TO
KNOW
querer saber
ANSWER responder DEMAND exigir ENQUIRE preguntarse
COMPLAIN quejarse BEG rogar
EXPLAIN explicar REMIND recordar
PROMISE prometer INSTRUCT pedir
MENTION mencionar
THINK pensar
KNOW saber
REALISE darse cuenta
WARN avisar
He mentioned (that) he would be
late home.
He offered to take the
rubbish out tomorrow.
He suggested going to the
cinema.
He wondered what her name
was.
