GRAMMAR II

REPORTED SPEECH.
A) When we report something that somebody said, we usually change the tense of t
he verb like this:
a) Present simple. -> Past simple.
1. 'I live in a small flat', she said. -> She said she lived in a small flat.
2. 'I want to get away from here' -> He wanted to get away from there.
b) Present continuous. -> Past continuous.
1. 'I'm leaving on Tuesday', I said. -> I said I was leaving on Tuesday.
2. I'm leaving tomorrow. -> He said he was leaving the next day.
c) Past simple or Present perfect. -> Past perfect.
1. 'I learnt a lot', he said. -> He said he had learnt a lot.
2. 'Mr Jackson has left', she said. -> She said Mr Jackson had left.
3. I had an awful time last year. -> He said he had had an awful time the previo
us year.
4. I've found a new job in Canada. -> He said he had found a new job in Canada.
d) will -> would.
1. 'I'll help you', she said. -> She said she would help me.
2. I'll write to you when I get there -> He said he would write to me when he go
t there.
e) is going to -> was going to.
1. 'We're going to be late', I said. -> I said that we were going to be late.
2. I'm going to start a new life. -> He said he was going to start a new life.
f) can -> could.
1. 'I can't find my money', he said. -> He said he couldn't find his money.
2. You can come and see me. -> He said that I could come and see him.
B) We can use say and tell.
1. She said she lived in a small flat.
- I said that I desagreed with him.
2. She told me she lived in a small flat.
- She told Fred she was going to meet someone.
C) ask/advised/remind/warn/persuade/order,etc in these following ways:
a) Requests -> ask. ( We can report all of these requests in the same way, using
asked)
Example:
1.Sarah: Please wait a minute, Tom./ Will you wait a minute, please?/ Tom, could
you wait a minute, please? -> Sarah asked Tom to wait a minute.
b) Orders -> told. (There are different ways to give an order)
1. Stand up, John.-> He told John to stand up.
2. You must work harder. -> He told me to work harder.
3. Sara told Tom not to laugh.
c) Advice -> advised. (We can give advice like this)
1. You should get married, Peter. -> He advised Peter to get married.
2. You should stop smoking, Jane. -> He advised Jane to stop smoking.
d) Others:
1. I'll remind them to come early.
2. I advised them to go to the police.
3. She said he should wait.
4. They warned Ian not to borrow the money.
5. I reminded John not to be late.
REPORTED QUESTIONS
a) We use ask + if or whether.
1. Are they English? -> She asked if they were English. / She asked whether they
were English.

2. Can John type? -> She asked if John could type. / She asked whether John coul
d type.
3. Can John swim? -> He asked if John could swim.
4. Have you finished, Mike? -> She asked Mike if he had finished.
3. The manager asked me if I could type.
b)
1.
2.
3.

We use ask + (who, where, what, etc)

Where does Ann live? -> They asked where Ann lived.
Why has Jane gone? -> She asked why Jane had gone.
They asked him where Sarah lived.

d) We can use wanted to know / wondered instead of asked. (to wonder: preguntars
e)
1. She wanted to know whether they were English.
2. She wondered why Jane had gone.