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    Reported Speech Rules

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    VSNG English
    The document discusses how to change direct speech into reported or indirect speech. It explains that when reporting a past tense verb, the tense usually changes within the reported clause. For example, "I like ice cream" becomes "She said she liked ice cream". Exceptions include that present tenses may remain the same if the information is still true, and past tenses viewed from the same perspective do not need to change. Time and place words like here, now, today are also adjusted to fit the new context.

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    Reported Speech Rules

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    VSNG English
    211 views2 pages
    The document discusses how to change direct speech into reported or indirect speech. It explains that when reporting a past tense verb, the tense usually changes within the reported clause. For example, "I like ice cream" becomes "She said she liked ice cream". Exceptions include that present tenses may remain the same if the information is still true, and past tenses viewed from the same perspective do not need to change. Time and place words like here, now, today are also adjusted to fit the new context.

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    The document discusses how to change direct speech into reported or indirect speech. It explains that when reporting a past tense verb, the tense usually changes within the reported clause. For example, "I like ice cream" becomes "She said she liked ice cream". Exceptions include that present tenses may remain the same if the information is still true, and past tenses viewed from the same perspective do not need to change. Time and place words like here, now, today are also adjusted to fit the new context.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    211 views2 pages

    Reported Speech Rules

    Uploaded by

    VSNG English
    The document discusses how to change direct speech into reported or indirect speech. It explains that when reporting a past tense verb, the tense usually changes within the reported clause. For example, "I like ice cream" becomes "She said she liked ice cream". Exceptions include that present tenses may remain the same if the information is still true, and past tenses viewed from the same perspective do not need to change. Time and place words like here, now, today are also adjusted to fit the new context.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
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    Reported Speech (Indirect Speech) In reported speech, we use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'.

    If this verb is in the present tense, we just put '[she] says' and then the sentence:

    I like ice cream ---> She says she likes ice cream

    But, if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported speech: Direct Speech Present Simple -> Past Simple I like ice cream Present Continuous -> Past Continuous I am living in London Present Perfect -> Past Perfect I havent seen Julie Present Perfect Continuous -> Past We have been playing tennis. Perfect Continuous Past Simple -> Past Perfect Past Continuous -> Past Perfect Continuous will -> would can -> could may -> might must -> must / had to I bought a car Reported Speech She said (that) she liked ice cream. She said she was living in London. She said she hadnt seen Julie. They said they had been playing tennis.

    She said she had bought a car OR She said she bought a car. She said she had been walking along the I was walking along the street street. Ill see you later She said she would see me later. I can speak perfect English She said she could speak perfect English. It may become colder over She said it might become colder over night night. She said she must study at the weekend "I must study at the weekend" OR She said she had to study at the weekend

    Past Perfect, Past Perfect Continuous, would, could, should, might do not change.Occasionally, we dont need to change the present tense into the past if the information in direct speech is still true. Also, when we are reporting past tenses, and we see the events from the same viewpoint as the original speaker, it is not necessary to change the tense.

    The sky is blue ---> She said that the sky is/was blue. The earthquake happened at half past seven ---> The radio said that the earthquake happened at half past seven. If the reported sentence contains an expression of time, you must change it to fit in with the time of reporting. For example we need to change words like here and yesterday if they have different meanings at the time and place of reporting. This (evening) --> that (evening) today --> that day (days) (A week) ago --> (a week) before now --> then Yesterday --> the day before/the previous day next (week) --> the following (week) / the (week) after day/the day after last (weekend) --> the (weekend) before / the previous (weekend)

    these (days) --> those here --> there this --> that tomorrow --> the next/following

    I have worked here for two years. --> She said she had worked there for two years. Ill meet you at school tomorrow. --> She said she would meet me at school the next day.

    Imagine you want to repeat sentences that you heard two weeks ago in another place. Rewrite the sentences in reported speech.

    1. They said, "This is our book." They said 2. She said, "I went to the cinema yesterday." 3. He said, "I am writing a test tomorrow." 4. You said, "I will do this for him." 5. She said, "I am not hungry now." 6. They said, "We have never been here before." 7. They said, "We were in London last week." 8. He said, "I will have finished this paper by tomorrow." 9. He said, "They won't sleep." 10. She said, "It is very quiet here."

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