Reported speech, reporting statements, reporting orders, reporting questions

1. Independent userREPORTED SPEECH
Independent
user R.E.F.
BACHILLERATO

2. WHEN DO WE USE IT?
● REPORTED SPEECH is used to tell what
someone said. Yet, we do not repeat all the
words exactly IF THE REPORTING VERB IS IN
THE PAST TENSE.
● REAL WORDS (direct speech):
Tom said: “We are going to the cinema this afternoon.”
● REPORTED SPEECH:
Tom said that they were going to the cinema that afternoon.

3. ● Types of changes:
1. Verb Tenses
2. Time and place adverbial expressions
3. Logical change of pronouns (subject and objects)
EXAMPLE
● DIRECT:
● Mary said: “They are seeing me tomorrow”
● REPORTED:
● Mary said that they were seeing her the following day.
CHANGES

4. CHANGES IN VERB TENSES
DIRECT SPEECH →
● PRESENT →
We study
We are studying
● PAST →
We studied
We were studying
● FUTURE →
We will study
REPORTED SPEECH
• PAST
She said that they studied
She said that they were studying
• PAST PERFECT
She said that they had studied
She said that they had been studying
• CONDITIONAL
She said that they would study
Verb changes ONE STEP BACK into the PAST.

5. DS.TENSE DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH RS. TENSE
PRESENT SIMPLE I play tennis with my friends
She said that she played tennis with her
friends
PAST SIMPLE
PRESENT
CONTINUOUS I am playing tennis with my friends
She said that she was playing tennis with
her friends
PAST CONTINUOUS
PRESENT
PERFECT SIMPLE
I have played tennis with my
friends
She said that she had played tennis with
her friends
PAST PERFECT
SIMPLE
PRESENT
PERFECT
CONTINUOUS
I have been playing tennis with my
friends
She said that she had been playing
tennis with her friends
PAST PERFECT
CONTINUOUS
PAST SIMPLE I played tennis with my friends
She said that she had played tennis with
her friends
PAST PERFECT
PAST
CONTINUOUS
I were playing tennis with my
friends
She said that she had been playing
tennis with her friends
PAST PERFECT
CONTINUOUS
PAST PERFECT
SIMPLE I had played tennis with my friends
She said that she had played tennis with
her friends
PAST PERFECT
SIMPLE
PAST PERFECT
CONTINUOUS
I had been playing tennis with my
friends
She said that she had been playing
tennis with her friends
PAST PERFECT
CONTINUOUS
FUTURE SIMPLE I will play tennis with my friends
She said that they would play tennis with
her friends
CONDITIONAL
SIMPLE

6. DIRECT
SPEECH
REPORTED
SPEECH
CAN COULD
MAY MIGHT
MUST / HAVE TO HAD TO
SHALL SHOULD
WILL WOULD
CHANGES IN MODAL VERBS

7. DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH
Now Then
Today That day
Tonight That night
Yesterday The previous day / the day before
The day before yesterday two days before
Last week The previous week / the week before
A __________ ago The previous ______ / the _____ before
Tomorrow The following day / the day after / the next day
The day after tomorrow in two days’ time
Next ___________ The following ________ / the _______ after
Here* There (ONLY when it is clear what place is meant)
This*
These*
That / the
Those / the
CHANGES IN TIME EXPRESSIONS

8. REPORTING STATEMENTS
STEPS:
1.ADD A REPORTING VERB: said that
2.CHANGE THE PRONOUNS: both subject and object pronouns
3.CHANGE THE VERBS: the verb changes a step back into the past (see table above)
4.CHANGE TIME AND PLACE EXPRESSION. (see list above)
❑ REPORTING VERBS: say (to) / promise / tell / remind + IO
✓ 'That‘ can be omitted with “TELL & SAY”:
She told him that he was a fool. → She told him he was a fool.
She said that I was right → She said I was right
✓ When you use TELL, you must mention ALWAYS “the person
you’re speaking to” (IO)
John said: “Ann, I’m very happy.” → John told Ann that he was very happy.
❑ Remember not to use inverted commas.
Jim said: “ I read Tony’s book” → Jim said (that) he had read Tony’s book

9. REPORTING STATEMENTS: verbs
There are other reporting verbs, they have different patterns. They can be
followed by a gerund, an infinitive or a preposition.
These are some of the commonest ones:
ADD
ADMIT + ing
ANSWER
ARGUE
ASSURE
BOAST about
COMPLAIN to .. about
DENY + ing
EXPLAIN
GRUMBLE about
OBJECT to + ing
OBSERVE
POINT OUT
PROMISE
PROTEST against /about
REMARK
REMIND someone of…
REPLY

10. • agree, refuse, offer, promise, threaten + infinitive
He refused to study longer.
He promised not to break the law.
He offered to build a new house.
• admit, deny, + gerund
She denied having taken the money.
They admitted breaking the cups.
➢ apologize for, accuse of, insist on + gerund
He accused him of stealing.
You apologized for not cleaning the house.
REPORTING STATEMENTS: VERBS

11. REPORTING QUESTIONS
● Same changes as for statements. BUT they do not have a
question structure but a “statement”
Suject + verb + complements
Paul asked: “Are you coming to the party tonight, Jane?”
→ Paul asked Jane if she was coming to the party that night
● TYPES OF QUESTIONS
1. YES/NO QUESTIONS
Subject + ASKED + IF/ WHETHER + subject + verb
She asked if she could read …
Paul asked : "Do you play volleyball?" → Paul asked me if I played volleyball.
2. WH- QUESTION
Subject + ASKED + WH-form + Subject + verb
She asked when I could come.
John asked: "When do you play badminton?" → John asked me when I played badminton.

12. • When, Who or What are subjects of the sentence we don’t
change the word order
“Who told you this story?” He asked me who had told that story
“What happens?” He wanted to know what happened.
•Some verbs use as reporting verbs in questions:
ask, enquire, wonder, would like to know, want to know
REPORTING QUESTIONS

13. REPORTING COMMANDS
● Same changes as for statements.
● The IMPERATIVE verbal form turns into
➢ TO + “INFINITIVE” (Affirmative)
➢ NOT + TO + “INFINITIVE” (Negative)
● Introductory verb: TELL, ask, order, beg, invite,
warn, command, instruct,...
Examples
He said: “Go away!” → He told me to go away
“Don’t go away” → He told me not to go away
“Come here” he told me → He told me to go there
Father: "Do your homework!“ → Father told me to do my
homework.
Teacher. "Don't talk to your classmate!“
→ The teacher told me not to talk to my classmate.

14. Other verbs used for the IMPERATIVE:
● ORDER (ordenar)
● "Get out of the car!" said the policeman.
● The policeman ordered him to get out of the car.
● ASK (Pedir)
● "Could you please be quiet," she said.
● She asked me to be quiet.
● WARN (advertir)
● The man with the gun said to us, "Don't move!“
● The man with the gun warned us not to move.
● We can also use:
● INVITE (Invitar),
● BEG (Suplicar),
● FORBID (Prohibir)

15. Same changes as for statements
 Reporting verb: suggest. SUGGEST can be followed by
- (+possessive adjective / object pronoun) + a gerund →
She suggested going to the theatre.
Tom suggests/suggested (our) having a meeting.
- a “that-clause” with a subject + verb (should / present or past form) →
Ann suggested that he {sold/should sell / sell} his house.
'That' y 'should' are optional in some cases
Let’s, why don’t we, shall we, why not… are omitted
“Let’s go to the theatre” she said.
“Why don’t we go to the theatre?” → She suggested that we could go to the theatre
“Shall we go to the theatre?”
“Let’s not argue again,” he said. → He suggested not arguing again
He suggested that they should not argue again.
REPORTING SUGGESTIONS

16. ✓Other verbs we can use:
● Insist
● "It would be a good idea to see the dentist", said my
mother.
● My mother insisted that I see the dentist
● Recommend
● The dentist said, "I think you should use a
different toothbrush".
● The dentist recommended that I should use a
different toothbrush.

17. ❖In these cases we would use a “reporting verb” related
to the meaning, followed by that-clause o to-infinitive:
❖"I'll pay you the money tomorrow.“
❖ He promised to pay me the money the next day.
❖ He promised that he would pay me the money the next day.
❖Other verbs that follow this structure:
❖ Hope (Tener esperanza)
❖ "We should arrive in London before nightfall.“
❖ They hoped to arrive in London before nightfall.
❖ They hoped they would arrive in London before nightfall.
❖ Threaten (Amenazar)
❖ "Give me the keys to the safe or I'll shoot you!”
❖ He threatened to shoot me if I didn't give him the keys to the safe.
❖ He threatened that he would shoot me if I didn't give him the keys to the safe.
❖ Swear (Jurar)
❖ "I swear it! I'll be back by lunchtime.”
❖ He sweared to be back by lunchtime.
❖ He sweared that he would be back by lunchtime.

18. Some reporting verbs.