CORPORACIÓN UNIVERSITARIA MINUTO DE DIOS-UNIMINUTO

REPORTED SPEECH GUIDE

NAME:mateo perez ID: 602865

Study this example:

Direct speech (actual words):

Mike said, “I can’t help you now, but I’ll help you tomorrow”

Reported speech

Mike told me (that) he couldn’t help me then, but he’d help me the following day.

We use reported speech to say what someone else said. We do not repeat exactly the
same words, and we make some changes in the original message.

REPORTING VERBS.

We use some specific verbs to introduce reported speech. The verbs are different
according to the type of message we are reporting:

Verbs used to report statements:

*Say: Ray said (that) he was tired.

We normally use say when we do not mention an indirect object.

*Tell: Sandra told me that she had worked hard.

When we use tell to report statements, we must mention an indirect object:

Tracy told us that her boyfriend had found a new job.

CHANGES FROM DIRECT INTO REPORTED SPEECH. CHANGES IN VERBS

TENSES.
 DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH
Present simple: Past simple:
“I live in Rome” He said (that) he lived in Rome
Present continuous: Past continuous:
“I am not watching TV” He said (that) he was not watching TV.
Present perfect: Past perfect:
“I haven’t broken that glass” He said (that) he hadn’t broken that glass.
Past simple: Past perfect:
“I woke up at 7.” He said (that) he had woken up at 7.
Imperative: Infinitive:
“Close the door!” He told me to close the door.
“Close the door, please” He asked me to close the door.
Past perfect: It does not change:
“I had told Sue that joke” He said (that) he had told Sue that joke.
Will (future) Would (conditional)
“I will be home at 5.” He said (that) he would be home at 5.

Practice

1. Match the following sentences with their equivalent in reported speech.

I. “We understand that the world isn’t as the old books show it,” said the writers.
(A)
II. “I think I have eaten to many cookies,” he said. ( C )
III. “You could improve your English by reading a well-known novel,” she said.(E)
IV. “Do you agree with advertising in schoolbooks?” he said. ( F )
V. “Try to read the textbook and do the exercises,” she said. ( B)
VI. “You shouldn’t drink so much soda pop,” he said. ( G )
VII. “Don’t use the diameter to do the operation,” she said.( D )
a. The writers said they understood that the world wasn’t as the old books showed
it.
b. She told me to try to read the textbook and to do the exercise.
c. He said he thought he had eaten too many cookies.
d. She told me not to use the diameter to do the operation.
e. She told me that I could improve my English by reading a well-known novel.
f. He asked me if I agreed with advertising in schoolbooks.
g. He said that I shouldn’t drink so much soda pop.
 2. Put these statements into reported speech.
a. “I hate advertising in the middle of films,” he said. He said that he hated
advertising in the middle of films.
b. “He is asking for the rights to sell the magazine,” she said. He said he would
ask for the rights to sell the magazine
c. “I always watch the news,” he said. He said he saw the news always
d. “My parents don’t like brand names in our school,” he said. He said that my
parent do not like brands in our school
e. “You will use Corn Flakes to do an art project,” she said. She said he would use
corn flakes to make the art project
f. “They have bought the best-selling book,” he said. He said they bought the
best-selling book

3. Report the following conversation. Follow the example.

James: We have just finished a campaign for British Airways.

Peter: What is the campaign about?

James: It is about queues (lines).

Peter: Where can I see it?

James: You can see it in London airports.

Peter: Did you spend a lot of time on the campaign?

James: It took us two weeks.

Peter: Do you think it will be a good campaign?

James: I think it will. Look at it carefully when you see it.

a. James: said that they had just finished a campaign for British Airways.
b. Peter: asked that what was the campaign about?
c. James: said that it was about queues (lines).
d. Peter: asked that where could he see it?
e. James: said that you could see it in London airports.
f. Peter: asked that had you spent a lot of time on the campaign?
g. James: said that it had taken us two weeks
 h. Peter: asked that would it be a good campaign?
i. James: thought he would look at it carefully when he sees it

4. Match the following direct speech expressions with the corresponding ones in
reported speech.

DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH

a. Last week (7) 1. there

b. Now (3) 2. That afternoon
c. Next month (8) 3. then
d. Tomorrow (4 ) 4. The day after, the
following
e. Tonight (5) day, the next day.
f. This afternoon (2) 5. That night
g. Here (1) 6. those
h. These (6) 7. the week before, the

Previous week.

8. the month after, the following

month.

5. Rewrite in reported speech

a. “How are you doing?” Tom asked that how were you doing?
b. “Get out of my away!” she shouted that got out her away!
c. “What time is it? asked Jennifer. She asked that what time was it
d. “You shouldn’t discriminate against women,” she told us you should not had
discriminate against women.
e. “Where had Brad gone?” she asked where brad had gone.
f. “Do you often go to the movies?” she asked me did you often go to the movies?
g. “Why are you so upset?” my teacher asked that why were you upset?
h. “Where did you buy that shirt?” asked Sandra that where had you bought that
shirt?
i. “Can you pass the salt, please?” my brother asked I ask the brother if he could
pass the salt
 j. “You must stay away from the electric fence”, he wanted us to be stayed away
from the electric fence

YAMILE MUÑOZ

ENGLISH TEACHER