ngeles Rodrguez IES Maestro Diego Llorente

When we tell a person what somebody else said,

we can do it in two ways:

DIRECT SPEECH
ngeles said, I am giving you a test now.

REPORTED / INDIRECT SPEECH

ngeles said (that) she was giving us a test then.
 Changes from direct to
reported speech
No quotation marks.
We move the verb back in time when
the reporting verb is in the past.
Personal pronouns, possessive
adjectives and demonstratives change.
Time and place adverbials usually
change as well.
 Reported Statements
If the reporting verb is in the present, we
keep the same verb tense.

Keith says I dont live near a gym.

Keith says (that) he doesnt live near a

gym.
 Reported Statements
The most popular reporting verbs in
statements are SAY and TELL.

My brother said (that) I wasnt going to

the match.
It CANT take an object.

My brother told me (that) I wasnt going to

the match.
It MUST take an object.
 Reported Statements
We can use other reporting verbs in
statements. Be careful, because they
are followed by different structures.
Add
Admit
*Agree
Announce
Claim
Complain + THAT + CLAUSE
Confess
*Decide
Declare
Explain
*Promise
State
etc
 Reported Statements
George: Well, I had difficulty in answering
some of the questions.

George admitted that he had had difficulty in

answering some of the questions.

Katie: Yes, its true, I ate the cookies.

Katie confessed that she had eaten the cookies.

Reported Statements
He complained that there was a fly in his soup.
Reported Statements
He complained that there was a fly in his soup.
 Reported Statements
*Agree
*Decide
Demand
Offer
+ INFINITIVE
*Promise
Refuse
Threaten
etc
Reported Statements
George to Steve: Ok, lets meet on Friday
then.

George and Steve agreed to meet on Friday.

Katie: I wont do that again.

Katie promised not to do that again.

Reported Statements
Their mum demanded to know who had started
the mess.
 Reported Statements
Advise
Beg
Encourage
Invite
+ OBJECT + INFINITIVE
Order
Persuade
Remind
Warn
etc
 Reported Statements
George to Steve: Dont forget to bring your
tennis rackect to the match

George reminded Steve to bring his tennis racket

to the match.

Paul to Susan: Would you like to come to the

cinema with me?

Paul invited Susan to go to the cinema with him.

Reported Statements
He begged her not to break up with him.
 Reported Questions
In reported questions, the word order is the
same as in affirmatives. That means we neither
use auxiliary verbs nor subject-verb inversion.
As in statements, we change verb tenses,
pronouns, etc.
The most common reporting verbs in questions
are: ASK, REQUEST, WONDER, WANT TO
KNOW, ENQUIRE.
 Reported Questions:
Yes/No Questions

Subject + Reporting Verb + IF + Subject + Verb

Ken: Have you seen Sam at the match?

Ken wanted to know IF we had seen Sam at the match.
 Reported Questions:
Wh- questions

Subject + Reporting Verb + Wh- + Subject + Verb

word

Sansa: Where am I?
Samsa wondered where she was.
 Reported Commands
and Requests
We usually use the imperative to make direct
commands in English:

Stop smoking! the doctor told me.

Dont move the policeman told the thief.
Do your homework now my mum said.
Dont make so much noise, the teacher said.
 Reported Commands
and Requests
This is how we report them:

Subject + TOLD + object + INFINITIVE

ORDERED
COMMANDED
WARNED
 Reported Commands
and Requests
The doctor commanded me to stop smoking

The policeman warned the thief not to move.

My mum ordered me to do my homework.

The teacher told us not to make so much noise.

 Reported Commands
and Requests
However, there are more varied ways of making
polite requests:

Can I have a glass of water, please?

Could I have a glass of water, please?
May I have a glass of water, please?
Do you mind if I have a glass of water, please?
Would you mind giving me a glass of water,
please?
and some more.
 Reported Commands
and Requests
We report these requests like this:

Subject + ASKED + object + INFINITIVE

BEGGED

He asked me to have a glass of water.

He begged me to have a glass of water.
 Reported Suggestions
Remember in English we use different expressions
to make suggestions in direct speech:
What about eating out tonight?
How about eating out tonight?
Why dont we eat out tonight?
Lets eat out tonight.
Do you fancy eating out tonight?
We could eat out tonight.
Shall we eat out tonight? and many more.
 Reported Suggestions
We report all of them like this:

Subject + SUGGESTED + Gerund

Kate suggested eating out that night.

 Reported Apologies
We may apologise in direct speech using one of
these expressions:

Sorry, Im late.
Im so sorry I didnt come to your party.
I must apologise for being late.
I broke the glass, how careless of me!
Id like to apologise for not replying your mail
before.
 Reported Suggestions
We report all of them like this:

Subject + APOLOGISED FOR + Gerund

Kate apologised for being late.

Al apologised for not coming to my party.

He apologised for breaking the glass.

They apologised for not replying my mail

before.