- Tenses change from present to past (if we are talking about what somebody said in the past):
- “I am 15.” - He said he was 15.
- “We have a problem.” - They said they had a problem.
- “I can swim.” - She said that she could swim.
- “She comes by bus.” - He said that she came by bus.
- “Your sister doesn’t like pizza.” - She said that my sister didn’t like pizza.
- “You are looking through the window.” - He said that I was looking through the window.
- “They will probably fail.” - She said that they would probably fail.
- “My mother saw a mouse.” - She said that her mother had seen a mouse.
- Personal pronouns change (if somebody is tellingwhat somebody else has said before):
- “I am 15.” - He said he was 15.
- “My mother saw a mouse.” - She said that her mother had seen a mouse.
- “We saw you at the cinema.” - They said that they had seen me at the cinema.
- Place and time complements have to be adapted to the new context:
- He came here.” - They said that he had gone there.
- “It’s raining today” - Jake said that it was raining then / yesterday.
- “I saw you last week.” - She said that she had seen me the week before.
STATEMENTS
- Tell and say are common reporting verbs. (Tell is used before an indirect object.):
- She said that she liked pizza.
- My mother told me to go with her.
- Everyone said that the lesson was very difficult.
- He told his friends about my illness.
- Other verbs can be used: know, promise, insist, warn...
- That can be omitted after say:
- She said that she liked pizza. - She said she liked pizza.
- They knew that he liked her. - They knew she liked her.
QUESTIONS
- Typical reporting verbs are: ask, wonder, want to know.
- He wanted to know the opening times of the museum.
- She wondered how old my mother was.
- If the question is answered with yes or no, if should be introduced before the indirect question:
- My sister asked if you wanted to come with us.
- I wondered if she was watching the programme on TV.
- Subject always comes before the verb:
- She asked me how old I was.
IMPERATIVES
- We use ask / tell + object + (not) + to + infinitive to say what people want(ed) us to do:
- “Please, open the window.” - She asked us to open the window.
- “Tidy your room.” - My father told me to tidy my room.
- “Don’t smoke here.” - My aunt asked me not to smoke in her car.
ONLINE EXERCISES
HAVE OTHER TEACHERS HELP YOU UNDERSTAND REPORTED SPEECH
HAVE OTHER TEACHERS HELP YOU UNDERSTAND REPORTED SPEECH
EXERCISES:
statements
questions
imperatives
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