UNIT 48.

Reported Speech 2
A.
It is not always necessary to change the verb in reported speech. If yo report so!ething
and the sitation hasn"t changed# yo do not need to change the verb to the past$
%irect
reported
&al said# '(y new )ob is very interesting*
+The sitation hasn"t changed. ,is )ob is still interesting-
direct
reported
,elen said# 'I want to go to New .or/ ne0t year*
+,elen still wants to go to New .or/ ne0t year -
.o can also change the verb to the past$
&al said that his )ob was very interesting
,elen told !e that she wanted to go to New .or/ ne0t year
1t if yo are reporting a finished sitation# yo !st se a past verb$
&al left the roo! sddenly. ,e said he had to go. +not has to go-
1.
.o need to se a past for! when there is a difference between what was said and what
is really tre. 2or e0a!ple$
.o !et Sonia a few days ago
She said$ '3oe is in hospital* +direct speech-
4ater that day yo !eet 3oe in the street. .o say$
I didn"t e0pect to see yo# 3oe. Sonia said yo were in hospital
+not 'Sonia said yo are in hospital# becase clearly he is not*-

5.
Say and Tell
If yo say who so!ebody is tal/ing to# se tell$
Sonia told !e that yo were in hospital. +Not Sonia said !e-
6hat did yo tell the police7 +not say the police-
8therwise se say$
Sonia said that yo were in hospital. +not Sonia told that 9-
6hat did yo say7
1t yo can 'say so!ething to so!ebody*
Ann said goodbye to !e and left. +not Ann said !e goodbye-
6hat did yo say to the police7
%. Tell:as/ so!ebody to do so!ething
6e also se the infinitive +to do:to stay etc.- in reported speech# especially with tell and
as/ +for orders and re;est-$
%irect 'Stay in bed for a few days*# the doctor said to !e
reported The doctor told !e to stay in bed for a few days ago
%irect '%on"t shot* I said to 3i!
Reported I told 3i! not to shot
%irect '&lease don"t tell anybody what happened*# 3ac/ie said to !e
Reported 3ac/ie as/ed !e not to thell anybody what +had- happened
.o can also say 'So!ebody said +not- to do so!ething*$
3ac/ie said not to tell !e anyone
48.< ,ere are so!e things that Sarah said to yo$
I"ve never been to the United States
I don"t have any brothers or sisters
I can"t drive
I don"t li/e fish
3ane has a very well=paid )ob
I"! wor/ing to!orrow evening
3ane is a friend of !ine
%ave is la>y
1t 4ater Sarah says so!ething different to yo. 6hat do yo say7
Sarah yo
<. %ave wor/s very hard by yo said he was la>y
2. 4et"s have fish for dinner bt yo said yo didn"t li/e fish
?. I"! going to by a car bt yo said yo coldn"t drive
4. 3ane is always short of !oney bt yo said she had a very well=paid )ob
@. (y sister lives in &aris bt yo said yo didn"t have any brothers or
sister.
A. I thin/ New .or/ is a great place. 1t yo said yo had never been to the
United Sates.
B. 4et"s go ot to!orrow evening. 1t yo said yo were wor/ing to!orrow
evening.
8. I"ve never spo/en to 3ane. 1t yo said 3ane was a friend of yors.
48.2 5o!plete the sentences with say or tell +in the correct for!-. Use only one
word each ti!e.
<. Ann said goodbye to !e and left
2. Tell s abot yor holiday. %id yo have a nice ti!e7
?. %on"t )st stand hereC Say so!ething
4. I wonder where Se is. She said she wold be here at 8 o"cloc/
@. %an told !e that he was bored with his )ob
A. The doctor said that I shold rest for at least a wee/
B. %on"t tell anybody what I said. It"s a secret )st between s
8. %id she tell yo what happened7 No# she didn"t said to !e
D. Eary coldn"t help !e. ,e told !e to as/ 5aroline
<F. Eary coldn"t help !e. ,e said to as/ 5aroline
48.? The following sentences are direct speech
%on"t wait for !e if I"! late
(ind yo own bsiness
%on"t worry# Se
&lease slow down
5an yo open yor bag# please7
5old yo get a newspaper7
,rry p
6ill yo !arry !e7
%o yo thin/ yo cold give !e a hand# To!7
Now choose one of these to co!plete each of the sentences below. Use reported
speech.
<. 1ill was tal/ing a long ti!e to get ready# so I told hi! to hrry p
2. Sarah was driving too fast# so I as/ed her to slow down
?. Se was nervos abot the sitation. I told her not worry
4. I coldn"t !ove the piano alone# so I as/ed To! to give !e a hand
@. The csto!s officer loo/ed at !e sspiciosly and as/ed !e to open !y bag
A. To! was going to the shop# so I as/ed hi! to get a newspaper
B. The !an started as/ing !e personal ;estion# so I told hi! to !ind his own
bsiness.
8. 3ohn was very !ch in love with (ary# so he as/ed her to !arry hi!
D. I didn"t want to delay ,elen# so I told her not to wait for !e if I was late