UNIT 9 – LEVEL 400

Reported speech

● To repeat what other person has said.

● Pronouns need to be changed.
● The verb tense often “shifts back”.
● Information that is a fact, doesn’t have to be changed.
● Time and place may need to change according to each situation.

○ Example:
Maria: “I’m from Ecuador. Quito is the capital of Ecuador.” (Fact)
● Reported Speech:
Maria said that she is from Ecuador and that Quito is the capital.

VERB TENSE “SHIFT BACK”

Simple present Simple past:

Mike: I like to talk to Mike said (that) he liked to
my brother. talk with his brother.

Simple past Past perfect

Mike: My father gave Mike told me that his father
me a nice gift. had given him a nice gift.
 Present continuous Past continuous
Mike: We are going to Mike said (that) they were
Esmeraldas. going to Esmeraldas.

Present perfect Past perfect

Mike: I haven’t found the book. Mike said (that) he hadn’t
found the book.

Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous

Mike: I have been making plans Mike said (that) he had been
for my trip. making plans for his trip.

The Past Perfect doesn’t have a change in reported speech.

MODALS

will would
can could
may might

Some shifts in time and places

Expression Shifts to
here there
tomorrow the next day / the following day
yesterday the day before
two days before the day before yesterday
the day after tomorrow in two days / two days later
this (for time) that
this/that (adjective) the
 Reported Questions

● Can be introduced by verbs such as “ask” and “want to know”

● Reported or indirect questions have statement word order.

● yes/no questions:
○ begins with “if” or “whether”
■ Person who asks: Are you a spender or a saver?
■ Person who reports: She asked me if/whether I was a spender or a saver.

● information questions:
○ begins with a question word
■ Person who asks: How do you usually pay for things?
■ Person who reports: She asked me how I usually paid for things.

Reporting verbs for direct and reported speech

These common verbs can be used to report speech, especially in writing.

The verbs can all be used without an object, with the exception of “tell”

● Saying and explaining:

○ Say
○ Tell (me)
○ Explaining
● Remembering:
○ Remember
○ Recall
● Adding and finishing:
○ Add
○ Conclude
Conversation strategy:
In conversations, the past continuous is used to report things people have said. Its use puts the focus either on a
new topic or emphasizes important news or information that the speaker has heard.

Vocabulary:
Be sure to review all the words and expression of the unit.

● Vocabulary notebook (get rich! p. 94)

● Check the file with the Language Summary of UNIT 9

Help Note:
Reporting verbs for direct and reported speech

● Saying and explaining:

“It’s valuable,” she said / told me / explained.
She said / told me / explained that it was valuable.

● Remembering:
“I lost it once,” she remembered / recalled.
She remembered / recalled that she had lost it once.

● Adding and finishing:

“I love my violin,” she added / concluded.
She added / concluded that she loved her violin.

Links for information for reported speech:

http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/reported-speech-time-place.htm
http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar/past_perfect_tense03.html
http://www.curso-ingles.com/gramatica-inglesa/reported.php

Links to practice for reported speech:

http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-exercise-reported-speech.php#.U6li7Y15P8k
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/reported-speech-exercises.html
Unit 9 Language Summary