Lecture 4. Reported Speech

Transilvania University of Brașov
Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration

Spring 2021, 2nd year
Lecture 4: Reported speech
A. Reported statements
Direct speech Reported speech

Verb tense changes
Present Past
I live in Manchester. She said (that) she lived in Manchester.
Present continuous Past continuous
I’m interviewing candidates. He said he was interviewing candidates.
Present perfect Past perfect
I haven’t found anyone. He said he hadn’t found anyone.
Present perfect continuous Past perfect continuous
I’ve been reading all day. She said she had been reading all day.
Past Past perfect

I chose a girl from Ohio. He said he had chosen a girl from Ohio.
Past continuous Past perfect continuous
I was doing the shopping. She said she had been doing the shopping.
Future Future-in-the-past
I will do it. He said he would do it.
Future continuous Future-in-the-past continuous
I’ll be cleaning the house. She said she would be cleaning the house.
Future perfect Future-perfect-in-the-past
I’ll have finished work by then. He said he would have finished work by then.
Future perfect continuous Future-perfect-in-the-past continuous
By July, I’ll have been teaching She said that by July she would have been
for eight months. teaching for eight months.
Modal changes
will would
It won’t work out. He said it wouldn’t work out.
can could
I can’t marry her. He said he couldn’t marry her.
may might
I may be right. She said she might be right.
must/have to had to
I must make a decision. He said he had to make a decision.
Time changes
today/tonight that day/night
I’ll do it sometime today. He said he’d do it sometime that day.
this (morning) that (morning)
The letter arrived this morning. She said the letter had arrived that morning.
tomorrow the next day
I may be late tomorrow. She said she might be late the next day.
yesterday the day before
I wasn’t at work yesterday. He said he hadn’t been at work the day before.
last (week) the (week) before
They went away last week. He said they had gone away the week before.
next (week) the following (week)
She’s leaving next week. He said she was leaving the following week.
now then
I’m leaving now. She said she was leaving then.
ago before
I met her two days ago. He said he’d met her two days before.
Place changes
here there
I put it here on the shelf. He said he had put it there on the shelf.
this/these that/those
I know this place well. He said he knew that place well.
Question type Direct speech Reported speech

Wh-questions Where’s my bike? He asked us where his bike was.
wanted to know
wondered
didn’t know
Yes/No questions Are you hungry? He wanted to know if/whether I was hungry.
B.REPORTED QUESTIONS
C.REPORTED COMMANDS
D. REPORTED EXCLMATIONS

How nice to meet you again! He exclaimed he was delighted to meet me again.
He welcomed me.
What a terrible noise! She remarked that the noise was terrible.
She complained of the noise.
Good morning! They wished me a good morning.
They greeted me.
VERBS OF REPORTING: STRUCTURES

Verb (+ that) + clause
I’m afraid I have to leave. She explained (that) she had to leave.
Verb + DO + to-Inf
Could you open the door? He asked me to open the door.
Verb + V-ing
I’m sorry I didn’t phone. She apologised for not phoning.
Verb + to-Inf
I’ll buy it for you. He offered to buy it for me.
Grammar practice
I. Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note whether the sentence is a request, a
statement or a question.
1.
Command type Direct speech Reported speech
"Next
+ Join me on the trip! She ordered me to join her on the trip. week
- Don’t speak so loud! He asked me not to speak so loud. he will
visit his
aunt in Oslo."
Mary knew that he..............aunt in Oslo the following week.
2. "We should tell her the truth."
He was sure that we … ……the truth.
3. "Who broke the windows?"

The principle wanted to know … ……the windows.
4. "Jill wants to sing at the concert next week."

He realized that Jill .............at the concert the following week.
5. "Please, explain that to me again."

Helen begged the teacher politely … ……that …… ………again. (infinitive construction)
6. "I lived in St. Paul some years ago."

Suzanne told us that … ….in St. Paul… …..
7. "This dress suits you very well."

Everybody maintained (that) that dress … ………very well.
8. "Did you copy your homework?"

Mr. Clever asked the lazy boy if … …….homework.
9. "Don't copy your homework."

Mother told us … …..homework. (infinitive construction)
10. "I didn't tell anybody about that."

The little boy maintained that ….............anybody about that
II. The following ideas are direct speech. Change these commands into reported speech.
1. Don't tell anyone what happened yesterday!
2. Stay in bed till you feel a bit better!
3. Don't wait for me if I'm late!
4. Don't forget me even if you marry Joe!
5. Don't make me any personal question!
6. Speak a bit louder or I won't understand you!
III. Here are some things that Joe said to you. Match them to your related answers.
1. Jane has a very well- paid job

2. You shouldn't complain about your job to your boss
3. Have you told your wife that you have problems?
4. Why don't you tell Ann that you love her?
5. Don't ask me any other favour
6. What do you think about my job?
7. Could you lend me some money I need?
a. But you told me not to ask me any other favour!
b. But you asked me to tell Ann that I love her!
c. But you said Jane had a very-well paid job!
d. Again? Yesterday you also asked me what I thought about your job!
e. However you told me not to complain about my job to my boss!
f. Again? Yesterday you also asked if I told my wife that I had problems!
g. But yesterday you asked me to lend you some money you needed!
IV. Fill in the blanks:
It was a normal day at school, but Daniel was feeling nervous. He knew that he was in trouble
and he knew why, too. During the morning break, his English teacher, Mrs Drury, asked him to
go (go) into her office for a chat. Daniel said (1)__________________ (have to) go to his maths
lesson, but he realized that he had no choice. In the office, Mrs Drury had some of Daniel’s
essays on her desk. She wasn’t happy with them. She held the work in her hands and asked
Daniel (2)__________________ (tell) where (3)__________________ (get) the information for
his essays. Daniel said (4)__________________ (read) a lot of different books. Mrs Drury said
(5)__________________ (know) that (6)__________________ (be) lying. She told
(7)__________________ (be) honest. Daniel admitted that (8)__________________ (copy) the
information from the internet. He said (9)__________________ (be) very sorry to Mrs Drury.
He promised that (10)__________________ (never do) it again.
V. Transform the following sentences from direct speech into reported speech. Instead of say or
tell use suitable reporting verbs from the box.
deny suggest promise doubt invite
warn advise threaten refuse persuade
admit complain offer remind announce
e.g. ‘You really should give up smoking, Roger,’ said Chris.

Chris advised Roger to give up smoking.
‘How about going to the Lake District for the weekend?’ said Marta
‘I’m not sure if I can come to the party,’ said Raymond.
‘We’re getting married next year,’ said Marilyn.
‘Oh come on, Bill! Come for a swim with us!’ said Charlie (and Bill went)
‘I didn’t kill Terry Morton!’ said Sid.
‘Don’t forget to pay the phone bill, Norman,’ said Grace.
‘I really will clean the car tomorrow,’ said David.
‘The food is disgusting!’ said Walter.
‘Yes, it’s true: I have been rather careless,’ said Perry.
‘If you touch my bike again, I’ll punch you on the nose!’ said Roy.
‘Don’t touch these wires!’ said Antony.
‘I won’t lend you any money!’ said Maggie.
‘Shall I bring you a cup of tea?’ said Gordon.
‘Would you like to come round for lunch on Sunday?’ said Geraldine.

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Transilvania University of Brașov

Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration

Lecture 4: Reported speech

Direct speech Reported speech

Past Past perfect

Question type Direct speech Reported speech

Direct speech Reported speech

VERBS OF REPORTING: STRUCTURES

Direct speech Reported speech

3. "Who broke the windows?"

4. "Jill wants to sing at the concert next week."

5. "Please, explain that to me again."

6. "I lived in St. Paul some years ago."

7. "This dress suits you very well."

8. "Did you copy your homework?"

9. "Don't copy your homework."

10. "I didn't tell anybody about that."

1. Don't tell anyone what happened yesterday!

2. Stay in bed till you feel a bit better!

3. Don't wait for me if I'm late!

4. Don't forget me even if you marry Joe!

5. Don't make me any personal question!

6. Speak a bit louder or I won't understand you!

1. Jane has a very well- paid job

3. Have you told your wife that you have problems?

4. Why don't you tell Ann that you love her?

5. Don't ask me any other favour

6. What do you think about my job?

7. Could you lend me some money I need?

a. But you told me not to ask me any other favour!

b. But you asked me to tell Ann that I love her!

c. But you said Jane had a very-well paid job!

e. However you told me not to complain about my job to my boss!

IV. Fill in the blanks:

e.g. ‘You really should give up smoking, Roger,’ said Chris.

‘I’m not sure if I can come to the party,’ said Raymond.

‘We’re getting married next year,’ said Marilyn.

‘I didn’t kill Terry Morton!’ said Sid.

‘Don’t forget to pay the phone bill, Norman,’ said Grace.

‘I really will clean the car tomorrow,’ said David.

‘The food is disgusting!’ said Walter.

‘Yes, it’s true: I have been rather careless,’ said Perry.

‘Don’t touch these wires!’ said Antony.

‘I won’t lend you any money!’ said Maggie.

‘Shall I bring you a cup of tea?’ said Gordon.

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