AJEEP

 
 

 
 
Quoted  and  Reported  Speech  
 
(Direct  and  Indirect  Speech)  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Kelly  Robart  
 AJEEP  
 
Quoted  and  Reported  Speech  
(Direct  and  Indirect  Speech)  
 
 
Description  
 
Quoted  and  reported  speech,  also  referred  to  as  direct  and  indirect  speech,  are  used  
frequently,  both  in  writing  and  in  everyday  speech.    Journalists  use  quoted  speech  in  
their  articles,  and  everyone  uses  the  odd  quote  when  relating  an  interesting  story.  
Reported  speech  can  be  found  in  business  writing,  journalistic  writing,  and  again,  in  
everyday  speech.  
 
This  module  introduces  reported  speech  in  six  one-­‐hour  lessons.  Each  lesson  has  
similar  components:  a  note  to  the  teacher,  power  point  slides  with  explanations  of  
key  features,  practice  exercises  for  the  student,  homework  exercises  and  an  answer  
key.  
 
Who  should  use  this  module?  
Teachers  can  use  this  module  to  teach  the  fundamentals  of  direct  and  indirect  
speech,  and  learners  of  English  can  use  it  to  self-­‐study.  Successful  use  of  reported  
speech  requires  knowledge  of  several  verb  tenses  in  English;  therefore  students  
should  be  at  the  intermediate  level  before  attempting  the  lessons  in  this  module.  
WORDY  
 
Course  Goals  
Students  will  learn  the  fundamentals  of  quoted  and  reported  speech  in  English.  
 
Course  Content  Learning  Objectives  
After  successful  completion  of  this  module,  students  will  be  able  to    
 
LO1   recognize  and  understand  the  difference  between  quoted  and  reported  
speech.  
LO2   use  correct  punctuation  when  writing  quotes.  
LO3   identify  what  makes  a  good  quote.  
LO4   make  the  necessary  verb  tense  changes  required  for  formal  reported  speech.  
LO5   make  the  necessary  reference  changes  required  for  reported  speech.  
LO6   use  reported  speech  for  both  statements  and  questions  using  correct  
structure  and  grammar.  
LO7   use  embedded  questions  correctly.  
LO8   use  reported  speech  for  instructions,  commands,  requests  and  invitations.  
 
Required  Texts  
No  textbook  is  required  for  this  module.  
 
Lesson  1       Quoted  and  Reported  Speech:  introduction  
 
Lesson  2   Reported  Speech:  changes  in  verb  tense,  pronouns  and  
time  and  place  reference  
 
Lesson  3       Reported  Speech:  questions  
 
Lesson  4       Embedded  Questions  
 
Lesson  5   Reported  Speech:  instructions,  commands,  requests  and  
invitations  
 
Lesson  6   Review  and  Consolidation  
 
Glossary  of  Terms  
 
Quotation  Marks  
Punctuation  marks  used  to  indicate  that  the  text  represents  the  exact  words  (direct  speech)  
someone  has  spoken.  These  punctuation  marks  vary  from  language  to  language.    
 
Direct  Speech  
The  exact  words  someone  says,  set  within  quotation  marks.    
e.g.  “Will  you  run  for  President  in  the  next  election?”  the  reporter  asked  Hillary  Clinton.  
 
Indirect  Speech  
The  reporting  of  what  someone  has  said,  not  using  his  or  her  exact  words.    
e.g.    The  reporter  asked  Hillary  Clinton  if  she  would  run  for  President  in  the  next  election.  
 
Quoted  Speech  
Another  term  for  direct  speech.  
 
Reported  Speech  
Another  term  for  indirect  speech.  
 
Formal  Reported  Speech  
Formal  reported  speech  requires  that  you  make  specific  changes  to  verb  tenses  that  were  
spoken.  In  general,  the  verbs  move  one  step  to  the  past.  Like  becomes  liked;  liked  becomes  
had  liked,  for  example.  Formal  reported  speech  is  used  most  often  in  writing  and  
sometimes  in  speaking.    
 
Reporting  Verbs  
Verbs  used  to  indicate  quoted  or  reported  speech.  There  are  several  reporting  verbs  but  in  
journalism  the  most  common  is  say.    
e.g.  A  White  House  spokesman  said  Clinton  would  appear  on  CNN  tomorrow.  
 
Attribution  
The  identification  of  the  source  of  your  information,  and  the  person  being  quoted.  
 
Time  and  Place  References  
Words  and  phrases  that  refer  to  time  and  place,  e.g.,  yesterday,  two  weeks  ago,  here,  there,  
etc.  These  often  need  to  be  changed  in  reported  speech.  
 
Embedded  Question  
A  question  that  is  inside  another  sentence.    
It  can  be  inside  a  statement,  e.g.,  I  don’t  know  when  the  press  conference  starts.  
It  can  be  inside  a  question,  e.g.,  Do  you  know  when  the  press  conference  starts?  
 
Infinitive  
The  simple  form  of  the  verb  preceded  by  to.  
e.g.,  to  vote,  to  decide,  to  answer  
 
Lesson 1

Objectives
1. Students should be able to recognize and understand the difference between
quoted and reported speech.
2. Students should be able to use correct punctuation when writing quotes.
3. Students should be able to identify what makes a good quote.
4. Students will become familiar with verb tense changes required for formal
reported speech.

Contents
Warm-up activity
Power Point slides 1-7
Student Exercises 1 and 2
Power Point slides 8-11
Handout and exercise on verb changes
Homework Assignment

Warm-up Activity
On the board, write two column headings and label them, Quoted Speech and Reported
Speech. Leave enough room to write sentences under each heading.

Ask the students some simple questions.

• How many brothers and sisters do you have?
• What are you going to do tonight?
• What did you do on the weekend?

Write the responses on the board under the Quoted Speech column.

You should have something like this.

Quoted Speech
• “I have two brothers and one sister,” Mary said.
• Pat said, “I’m going to watch a movie tonight.”
• “I visited my aunt on the weekend,” Tom said.

Indicate that what you have written on the board are the exact words that the students
said. Tell them this is quoted speech. Don’t worry about punctuation yet. For now, focus
on the difference between quoted and reported speech.

Next, you need to change all the quotes to reported speech. You can do this by asking the
class, “What did Mary tell us?” etc. The students might not answer in a grammatically
correct way, but you should write the correct answers on the board. You will end up with
two columns that look something like this.

Quoted Speech Reported Speech

“I visited my aunt on the weekend,” Tom said. Tom said he had visited her aunt on the weekend.
Pat said, “I’m going to watch a movie tonight.” Pat said she was going to watch a movie tonight.
“I have two brothers and one sister,” Mary said. Mary told us that she has two brothers and one sister
1
Point out that in reported speech we “report” what someone has said. We do not use their
exact words, so we do not use quotation marks.

Show the PP1 slide on quoted and reported speech for additional examples.

PP 1 Quoted and Reported Speech

Quoted Speech (Direct Speech) Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)

“What time is the meeting?” Tom asked. Tom asked what time the meeting was.
Abdul replied, “It’s at 1 o’clock.” Abdul said that the meeting was at 1 o’clock.
Sue asked Pat, “What did you do on Sunday?” Sue asked Pat what she had done on Sunday.
“I visited my brother,” Pat answered. Pat said that she had visited her brother.

Notes: PP1

Quoted speech uses quotation marks and the exact words that a person has said.
Reported speech (also called indirect speech) relates what the person said, but does not
use the exact words. You often need to change verbs and pronouns to keep the original
meaning.

(The students may notice that verb tenses change in reported speech. The general rule is
that reported speech “backs up” one verb tense. This will be explained in further detail
later in the lesson. For now it is good enough to notice that quoted and reported sentences
have different structures.)

Ask the students where they might find quoted speech.

Possible answers: fiction, news articles, and casual conversation when relating a story.
Ask the students where they might find reported speech.
Possible answers: Meeting reports and summaries, daily conversations and news stories.
In other words: Both quoted and reported speech are used frequently!

PP2
Verbs Used to Quote Speech

The most common verb used for quoting speech is say.

A. “I will retire next year,” the manager said.
B. The manager said, “I will retire next year.”

When quoting questions, ask is used.

A. “Is it true you will retire this year sir?” Asif asked.
B. Asif asked, “Is it true you will retire this year, sir?”

Note that sentence types A and B are both grammatically correct.

In journalism, sentence type A, with its attribution at the end, is used almost exclusively.

2
PP3
Quoted Speech – Punctuation

Quotes go inside quotation marks.

“Barack Obama has won the 2012 election,” the reporter announced.

Statements use a comma before the closing quotation mark.

“I am hungry,” she said.

Questions us a question mark before the final quotation mark.

“Who do you think will win the election?” Bill asked.

PP4
Long Quotes

It is possible to break up long quotes and put the attribution in the middle of the quote.
“I won’t stop knocking on doors,” said Mayor Reed, “until I’ve got the vote of everyone
in this community.”

*Note that until is not capitalized because it does not begin a new sentence; it is the
continuation of the sentence that starts before the attribution.

PP5
Long Quotes, (cont’d)

Very long quotes are often written with the attribution at the beginning. In this case, a
colon precedes the quotation.

The Canadian Prime Minister announced today: “We have decided to allow Emirates
Airlines ten more landing slots at Toronto International Airport. This, we hope, will help
settle a three-year dispute over Canadian visas for Dubai.”

So far, we’ve looked at the structure and punctuation of quotations, but what about the
content? What makes a good quote? How do you decide what to use as a quote and what
to write as reported speech?

3
PP6
To Quote or Not to Quote?

Quoted speech can add color and liveliness to your writing if used wisely.
Use quotes when someone says something notable.
A good quote might
reveal something about a person’s character
have emotional impact
say something unusual or in an unusual way
Do not use it to quote facts (as we did in our former examples!)

Show PP7 and discuss with the class. The second and last quotes are the best.

PP7
Choosing Quotes

The city of York has just announced it will open a children’s park in a neighborhood that
has no public parks. Which of the following would make good quotes?

The mayor: “I am proud to announce that a new children’s park will be built in the Sutter
neighborhood.”
The mayor: “I made a promise to improve your lives. Whose lives are better to start with
than those of our children?”
The city planner: “The new park is a result of several months of research and planning.”
Penny White, resident: “I don’t know who is more excited – me or my children!”

Student Practice Exercises 1 and 2

At this point, have the students do exercises 1 and 2 to consolidate what they have
learned so far. Correct together in the class. Answers are on the last page of this lesson.

Practice Exercise 1 Identifying Quoted and Reported Speech

Read the following paragraph and underline all instances of reported speech. Circle any
quoted speech.

Maria recently returned from a conference in Dubai and told her colleagues about her trip there.
She said that the architecture of Dubai was fascinating, with many new buildings of glass and
steel. Of course, she also saw the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. Some of her friends
went up to the top, but Maria said she didn’t because she has a fear of heights. “I don’t even like
being on a second-story balcony, so the Burj Khalifa was definitely out of the question for me!”
Maria said that there were many shopping centers in Dubai, but that they were expensive. The
weather was “unbelievably hot.” On her last night in Dubai, Maria and her friends went on a
dinner cruise on a small boat in the harbor. There was music and great food, and they could see
the lights of the city as the boat cruised through the harbor. “It was the perfect ending to two
weeks in Dubai,” she said.

4
Practice Exercise 2 Punctuation for Quoted Speech

Correct the errors in the following sentences.

1. “Tomorrow’s weather will be mostly sunny with a chance of afternoon showers.”

the weatherman announced.

2. The instructor said: “absolutely no laptop usage during lecture time.”

3. “Can we postpone the test until Monday”? the students asked.

4. “All new students must go to the student center to get their new ID card said the
instructor. You must do this before you can get a library card.”

5. “There will be no tuition increase this year, ” said the president. In fact, there will
be no tuition increase for the next 3 years.”

Reported Speech
Now that we have talked about quoted speech, we’ll talk in more detail about reported
speech, which is considerably more complicated.

PP8
Verbs Used to Report Speech

The most common reporting verbs are say and tell.

In journalism, say is used almost exclusively.

PP9
Using Say and Tell to Report Speech

After say, you need a noun clause, which may be introduced by that.
Quoted: “I will be late for the meeting,” Tom said.
Reported: Tom said (that) he would be late for the meeting.

After tell, you need an object + noun clause.

Reported: Tom told us (that) he would be late for the meeting.

Notes: PP9
Using say: A noun clause follows say. That is optional and is often omitted in
conversational English.
Using tell: An object + noun clause follows tell. In other words, you must answer the
question, “told who?” Again, that is optional.

5
PP10
Reported Speech in Journalism
In print journalism, say is commonly used in the past tense to report speech.
Quoted
“I will run for re-election this year,” said Mayor Reed.
Reported
Mayor Reed said (that) he would run for re-election this year.

In broadcast journalism, say is often used in the present tense to report speech.
Mayor Reed says that he will run for re-election this year.

Note that when the reporting verb is in the present tense, as in the last example, verb
tense changes are not required in reported speech.

PP11
Although say and tell are the most common reporting verbs, several others are possible.

Other Reporting Verbs

For Statements For Questions

Added Asked
Announced Inquired
Commented Wanted to know
Explained Wondered
Remarked
Stated

6
Verb Tense Changes in Reported Speech

When reporting speech, grammatical changes must often be made in order to keep the
original meaning of what was said. The most common changes occur in verb tenses,
pronouns and adjectives of place and time. In this lesson we will introduce verb tense
changes, and in the next lesson we will continue with the other changes. Verb tense
changes are especially important in writing, where formal reported speech is used (See
chart below). In conversational English, speakers do not always make verb changes when
reporting speech.

You should go over this chart with the students. Ask them what they notice about the
changes in verb tenses for reported speech. Point out that in formal reported speech, the
tenses go back in time one tense. For example, “study” becomes “studied” and “studied”
becomes “had studied.” In conversational or immediate reporting, the verb tenses do not
change. Formal reported speech is the most challenging, so we will place our efforts here.

Have the students do the practice exercise below the chart in class and correct it together.
Answers are in parenthesis. You can find the student handout at the end of this lesson.

Verb Tense Changes in Reported Speech

Quoted Speech Reported Speech Reported Speech
(formal or later reporting) (conversational or
immediate reporting)
Sue said, “I study English.” Sue said she studied English. Sue said she studies English.
Sue said, “I am studying Sue said she was studying Sue said she is studying English.
English.” English.
Sue said, “I studied English.” Sue said she had studied English. Sue said she studied English.
Sue said, “I have studied Sue said she had studied English. Sue said she has studied English.
English.”
Sue said, “I am going to study Sue said she was going to study Sue said she is going to study
English.” English. English.
Sue said, I will study English.” Sue said she would study English. Sue said she will study English.
Sue said, “I can study English.” Sue said she could study English. Sue said she can study English.

Exercise 1
Complete the following sentences using the verb tenses for formal reported speech.

1. Maria asked, “Can you meet me at Lee’s Sandwich shop today?”

Maria asked if I ___________meet her at Lee’s Sandwich shop today. (could)

2. Susan said, “The food is very delicious there.”

Susan said the food ___________ very delicious there. (was)

3. Mark said, “I am going to ride my bike to work today.”

Mark said he __________________ to ride his bike to work today. (was going)

4. Janice said, “I have been to Dubai several times.”

Janice said she _____________ to Dubai several times. (had been)
7
5. Hani said, “I forgot to call my mother.”
Hani said he ______________ to call his mother. (had forgotten)

6. Karine said, “I can teach you how to edit video.”

Karine said she _______________ me how to edit video. (could teach)

7. Michael said, “I want to visit Cairo one day.”

Michael said he ___________ to visit Cairo one day. (wanted)

8. Bob’s boss said, “The meeting starts at 2:00.”

Bob’s boss said the meeting _____________ at 2:00. (starte)

9. The mechanic said, “I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to fix your car today.”
The mechanic said he ________ sorry, but he __________ be able to fix my car
today. (was) (wouldn’t)

10. Sue said, “I’ve already seen that movie.”

Sue said she __________ already seen that movie. (had)

Homework
After you have gone over the answers, give the students the homework handout and ask
them to complete it for the next class.

8
Practice Exercise 1 Identifying Quoted and Reported Speech

Read the following paragraph and underline all instances of reported speech. Circle any
quoted speech.

Maria recently returned from a conference in Dubai and told her colleagues about her trip
there. She said that the architecture of Dubai was really fascinating, with many new
buildings of glass and steel. Of course, she also saw the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest
building. Some of her friends went up to the top, but Maria said she didn’t because she
has a fear of heights. “I don’t even like being on a second-story balcony, so the Burj Khalifa
was definitely out of the question for me!” Maria said that there were many shopping centers
in Dubai, but that they were expensive. The weather was “unbelievably hot.” On her last
night in Dubai, Maria and her friends went on a dinner cruise on a small boat in the
harbor. There was music and great food, and they could see the lights of the city as the
boat cruised through the harbor. “It was the perfect ending to two weeks in Dubai,” she
said.

Practice Exercise 2 Punctuation for Quoted Speech

Correct the errors in the following sentences.

1. “Tomorrow’s weather will be mostly sunny with a chance of afternoon showers.”

the weatherman announced.

2. The instructor said: “absolutely no laptop usage during lecture time.”

3. “Can we postpone the test until Monday”? the students asked.

4. “All new students must go to the student center to get their new ID card said the
instructor. You must do this before you can get a library card.”

5. “There will be no tuition increase this year, ” said the president. In fact, there will
be no tuition increase for the next 3 years.”

9
Verb Tense Changes in Reported Speech
Quoted Speech Reported Speech Reported Speech
(formal or later reporting) (conversational or
immediate reporting)
Sue said, “I study English.” Sue said she studied English. Sue said she studies English.
Sue said, “I am studying Sue said she was studying Sue said she is studying English.
English.” English.
Sue said, “I studied English.” Sue said she had studied English. Sue said she studied English.
Sue said, “I have studied Sue said she had studied English. Sue said she has studied English.
English.”
Sue said, “I am going to study Sue said she was going to study Sue said she is going to study
English.” English. English.
Sue said, I will study English.” Sue said she would study English. Sue said she will study English.
Sue said, “I can study English.” Sue said she could study English. Sue said she can study English.

Exercise 1
Complete the following sentences using the verb tenses for formal reported speech.

1. Maria asked, “Can you meet me at Lee’s Sandwich shop today?”

Maria asked if I ______________ meet her at Lee’s Sandwich shop today.

2. Susan said, “The food is very delicious there.”

Susan said the food ___________ very delicious there.

3. Mark said, “I am going to ride my bike to work today.”

Mark said he __________________ to ride his bike to work today.

4. Janice said, “I have been to Dubai several times.”

Janice said she _____________ to Dubai several times.

5. Hani said, “I forgot to call my mother.”

Hani said he ______________ to call his mother.

6. Karine said, “I can teach you how to edit video.”

Karine said she _______________ me how to edit video.

7. Michael said, “I want to visit Cairo one day.”

Michael said he ___________ to visit Cairo one day.

8. Bob’s boss said, “The meeting starts at 2:00.”

Bob’s boss said the meeting _____________ at 2:00.

9. The mechanic said, “I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to fix your car today.”
The mechanic said he ________ sorry, but he __________ be able to fix my car
today.

10. Sue said, “I’ve already seen that movie.”

Sue said she __________ already seen that movie.

10
Homework Exercises

A. Read the following conversation between a teacher, Ms. Blixen, and her
student, Talal. Add punctuation to their quoted speech.

(Teacher) Talal, I wonder if you could help me out with something Ms. Blixen said.
(Talal) I’ll try said Talal. What do you need?
(Teacher) I’m looking for someone to help a friend. She needs something translated from
Arabic. It’s not very long Ms. Blixen said. Do you think you could help her she
asked.
(Talal) Sure, no problem. Just ask her to send the document to my email address said
Talal.
(Teacher) Thanks so much, Talal said Ms. Blixen. My friend will be very happy.

B. Effective Quotes

Imagine you are writing a story about job layoffs at a local factory. Which of the
following statements do you think would make good quotes? Why? Which ones
are weak and would be best left to reported speech? Why?

1. “There will be a 20% reduction in staff over the next 6 months,” said Bill Nye,
Human Resources Director and XCorp.
2. “We will offer job search assistance for all employees who are laid off,” said Mr.
Nye.
3. “I will do everything in my power; I will turn over every rock, until I have found
work for all my employees,” said Emily Nortes.
4. “And how will I feed my four children?” Maria Sanchez asked.
5. “I am not happy about the announcement,” Bob Tilman said.
6. “They’ll find jobs for all of us? I’ll believe it when I see it,” said Sue Bains,
longtime worker at XCorp.

C In the next class, you will interview a classmate on a topic of your choosing.
Write five questions. Please do not use yes / no questions.

11
D Verb Tense Changes in Reported Speech

Change the quoted speech to reported speech. Refer to your handout on verb tense
changes in reported speech.

e.g. Jim said, “I am tired.”

Jim said he was tired.

1. Kate said, “I don’t like seafood.”

______________________________________________________
2. Tom said, “I have already seen that movie.”
______________________________________________________
3. Mary said, “I am planning to go to Turkey.”
______________________________________________________
4. Deb said, “I called my doctor.”
______________________________________________________
5. Richard said, “I’m going to New York.”
______________________________________________________
6. Tom said, “I have to finish my report.”
______________________________________________________
7. Ann said, “I can’t read Farsi.”
______________________________________________________
8. Ahmad said, “I will come to the presentation.”
______________________________________________________
9. Safia said, “I can meet you at noon.”
______________________________________________________
10. Peter said, “I’ve been to Afghanistan twice.”
______________________________________________________

12
Answer Key

Practice Activity 1 Identifying Quoted and Reported Speech

Reported speech is underlined; quoted is highlighted.

Maria recently returned from a conference in Dubai and told her colleagues about her trip there.
She said that the architecture of Dubai was really fascinating, with many new buildings of glass
and steel. Of course, she also saw the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. Some of her
friends went up to the top, but Maria said she didn’t because she has a fear of heights. “I don’t
even like being on a second-story balcony, so the Burj Khalifa was definitely out of the question
for me!” Maria said that there were many shopping centers in Dubai, but that they were
expensive. The weather was “unbelievably hot.” On her last night in Dubai, Maria and her friends
went on a dinner cruise on a small boat in the harbor. There was music and great food, and they
could see the lights of the city as the boat cruised through the harbor. “It was the perfect ending to
two weeks in Dubai,” she said.

Practice Activity 2 Punctuation for Quoted Speech

Corrected errors are underlined.
1. “Tomorrow’s weather will be mostly sunny with a chance of afternoon showers,” the
weatherman announced.
2. The instructor said, “Absolutely no laptop usage during lecture time.”
3. “Can we postpone the test until Monday?” the students asked.
4. “All new students must go to the student center to get their new ID card,” said the
instructor. “You must do this before you can get a library card.”
5. “There will be no tuition increase this year, ” said the president. “In fact, there will be no
tuition increase for the next 3 years.”

Homework Assignment
A.
(Teacher) “Talal, I wonder if you could help me out with something,” Ms. Blixen said.
(Talal) “I’ll try,” said Talal. “What do you need?”
(Teacher) “I’m looking for someone to help a friend. She needs something translated from
Arabic. It’s not very long,” Ms. Blixen said. “Do you think you could help her,”
she asked.
(Talal) “Sure, no problem. Just ask her to send the document to my email address,” said
Talal.
(Teacher) “Thanks so much, Talal,” said Ms. Blixen. “My friend will be very happy.”

B. Sentences 3, 4 and 6 would make the best quotes.

D Verb Tense Changes in Reported Speech

1. Kate said she didn’t like seafood.
2. Tom said he had already seen that movie.
3. Mary said she was planning to go to Turkey.
4. Deb said she had called her doctor.
5. Richard said he was going to New York.
6. Tom said he had to finish his report.
7. Ann said she couldn’t read Farsi.
8. Ahmad said he would come to the presentation.
9. Safia said she could meet me (us) at noon.
10. Peter said he had been to Afghanistan twice.
13
Quoted and Reported
Speech
 Quoted Speech Reported Speech
— “What time is the — Tom asked what time the
meeting?” Tom asked. meeting was.
— Abdul replied, “It’s at 1 — Abdul said that the
o’clock.” meeting was at 1 o’clock.
— Sue asked Pat, “What did — Sue asked Pat what she
you do on Sunday?” had done on Sunday.
— “I visited my brother,” Pat — Pat said that she had
answered. visited her brother.
Verbs used to Quote Speech
— The most common verb used for quoting statements is say.
A. “I will retire next year,” the manager said.

B. The manager said, “I will retire next year.”

— When quoting questions, ask is used.

A. “Is it true you will retire this year sir?” Asif asked.

B. Asif asked, “Is it true you will retire this year, sir?”

— Sentence types A and B are both grammatically correct.

— In journalism, sentence type A, with its attribution at the end,
is used almost exclusively.
 Punctuation
— Quotes go inside quotation marks.
“Barack Obama has won the 2012 election,” the reporter
announced.
— Statements use a comma before the closing quotation
mark.
“I am hungry,” she said.

— Questions use a question mark before the final

quotation mark.

“Who do you think will win the election?” Bill asked.

 Long Quotes
It is possible to break up long quotes and put the
attribution in the middle of the quote.

— “I won’t stop knocking on doors,” said Mayor Reed,

“until I’ve got the vote of everyone in this community.”

— *Note that until is not capitalized because it does

not begin a new sentence; it is the continuation of
the sentence that starts before the attribution.
 Long Quotes (cont’d)
— Very long quotes are often written with the
attribution at the beginning.

— In this case, a colon precedes the quotation.

— The Canadian Prime Minister announced today: “We
have decided to allow Emirates Airlines ten more
landing slots at Toronto International Airport. This, we
hope, will help settle a three-year dispute over
Canadian visas for Dubai.”
 To Quote or Not to Quote?
— Quoted speech can add color to your writing if used
wisely

— Use quotes when someone says something notable.

— A good quote might
reveal something about a person’s character
have emotional impact

say something unusual or in an unusual way

Do not use it to quote facts (as we did in our former

examples!)
 Choosing Quotes
The city of York has just announced it will open a
children’s park in a neighborhood that has no public parks.
Which of the following would make good quotes?
— The mayor: “I am proud to announce that a new
children’s park will be built in the Sutter neighborhood.”
— The mayor: “I made a promise to improve your lives.
Whose lives are more important to us than our
children’s.”
— The city planner: “The new park is a result of several
months of research and planning.”
— Penny White, resident: “I don’t know who is more excited
– me or my children!”
 Verbs Used to Report
Speech
— The most common reporting verbs are say and tell.

— In journalism, say is the most common.

Using Say and Tell to Report
Speech
— After say, you need a noun clause, which may be
introduced by that.
Quoted: “I will be late for the meeting,” Tom said.
Reported: Tom said (that) he would be late for the
meeting.
— After tell, you need an object + noun clause.
Reported: Tom told us (that) he would be late for the
meeting.
*In both reported sentences, the use of that is optional.
 Reported Speech in
Journalism
— In print journalism, say is commonly used in the past tense to
report speech.
Quoted: “I will run for re-election this year,” said Mayor Reed.
Reported: Mayor Reed said (that) he would run for re-
election this year.
— In broadcast journalism, say is often used in the present tense
to report speech.
Reported: Mayor Reed says that he will run for re-election
this year.
— Note that when the reporting verb is in the present tense, as
in the last example, verb tense changes are not required in
reported speech.
 Other Reporting Verbs
For Statements For Questions

— added — asked
— announced — wanted to know
— commented — wondered
— explained — inquired
— remarked
— stated
Lesson 2 Reported Speech

Objectives
1. Students will review and consolidate verb tense changes in formal reported
speech.
2. Students will understand other reference changes necessary for reported speech.

Contents
Warm-up – review of quoted speech and reported speech
Practice Exercise 1
PP Slides 1-8
Handout and practice exercise 2 – Time and Place References
Homework Assignment

Warm-up
• Begin class by checking the homework from the previous day. For part C,
students were asked to write 5 questions for a partner.
• Ask them to get out those questions and interview a partner. They should write
down exactly what their partner says. Encourage them to keep their answers brief
for this exercise!
• Have five students come to the board and write down one quote each.
• Go over the quotes with the class, checking for correct punctuation.
• Now you can ask the class how they would put those quotes in reported speech.
• Remind them of what they learned about verb tense changes – to back up one
tense. It might be helpful for students to pull out the chart from the previous
lesson.
• As a class, you should put the quotes into reported speech.

Practice Exercise 1 -- Pair Work

In this version of an oral drill practice, the students practice changing quotes to reported
speech. See the handouts on the following two pages. Have the students work in pairs,
and distribute handouts A and B to each pair. Student A reads the quoted speech from
sentence 1. Student B responds in reported speech. Then Student B reads a quote from his
page and Student A reports back. Both handouts have the correct answers in reported
speech. The students should correct each other if they make mistakes.

1
Practice Exercise 1 Pair Practice -- Reported Speech

Work with a partner. You should each have a different handout – Partner A or Partner B.
Partner A reads the first sentence on his paper. Partner B changes the sentence to
reported speech. Please correct your partner if he or she makes a mistake. Look at the
following example.

You read: Susan said, “I went to Dubai last summer.”

Your partner reports back: Susan said (that) she had gone to Dubai last summer.

Partner A

1. Maria said, “I have a doctor’s appointment at 3:00.”

Maria said that she had a doctor’s appointment at 3:00.

2. The weatherman said, “We can expect rain all weekend.”

The weatherman said that we could expect rain all weekend.

3. Asif said, “I will visit my brother on Sunday.”

Asif said he would visit his brother on Sunday.

4. Safia said, “I went to Italy last year.”

Safia said that she had gone to Italy last year.

5. Alex said, “I’m going to Spain next year.”

Alex said he was going to Spain next year.

6. Kate said, “I don’t like pizza.”

Kate told her brother that she didn’t like pizza.

7. The boss said, “I’m sorry, but you’ll all have to work overtime this week.”
The boss said that he was sorry, but that we’d all have to work overtime this
week.

8. The scientist said, “Global warming is causing many anomalies in weather

patterns. ”
The scientist said that global warming was causing many anomalies in weather
patterns.

9. “I’ve been to Italy only once,” said Bill.

Bill said he had only been to Italy once.

10. “I’ve already eaten lunch,” said Merzhad.

Merzhad said she had already eaten lunch.

2
Exercise 2 Pair Practice -- Reported Speech

Work with a partner. You should each have a different handout – Partner A or Partner B.
Partner A reads the first sentence on his paper. Partner B changes the sentence to
reported speech. Take turns reading sentences from your paper. Please correct your
partner if he or she makes a mistake. Look at the following example.

You read: Susan said, “I went to Dubai last summer.”

Your partner reports back: Susan said (that) she had gone to Dubai last summer.

Partner B

1. Miriam said, “I can come to the party.”

Miriam said she could come to the party.

2. “The store closes at 7:00,” the sales clerk said.

The sales clerk said the store closed at 7:00.

3. The professor said, “The next quiz will be this Friday.”

The professor said the next quiz would be this Friday.

4. I’ve always wanted to see the Great Wall of China, Remi said.
Remi said he had always wanted to see the Great Wall of China.

5. Paul said, “I’m reading a great book about Afghanistan.”

Paul said he was reading a great book about Afghanistan.

6. Marta said, “I’m learning how to cook Indian food.”

Marta said she was learning how to cook Indian food.

7. Diane said, “I love Indian food.”

Diane said that she loved Indian food.

8. “It’s too spicy for me,” said Karim.

Karim said it was too spicy for him.

9. “I worked as a reporter for 10 years,” said Maggy.

Maggy said she had worked as a reporter for 10 years.

10. “I need a new camera,” said Ahmed.

Ahmed said he needed a new camera.

3
Reported Speech -- No verb tense changes

So far, we have looked at verb tense changes that occur with reported speech.
For writing, these changes are important; they help the reader have an accurate idea of
what was said. However, there are some cases where you do not have to change verb
tenses.

PP1
Reported Speech – No Verb Tense Changes

In these situations it is not necessary to change the verb tenses:

When we use say in the present tense to report.

When we report soon after someone has spoken.
When we speak or write about a general truth or if the situation is still true.

Look at the following examples.

PP2 Verb Tense Changes Not Necessary

Using say in the present tense to report.

Quoted: “I really like my new boss,” Robert said.

Reported: Robert says he really likes his new boss.

The verb like stays in the present tense.

PP3 Verb Tense Changes Not Necessary

When we report soon after someone has spoken.

Imagine Sue says to you right now, “I am sleepy.”

The person next to you asks, “What did Sue say?”
The correct reported speech response would be, Sue said she is sleepy.
The verb is still in the present tense.
When you report speech immediately after someone has spoken, you do not change the
verb tenses.

4
PP4 Verb Tense Changes Not Necessary
When someone speaks about a general truth or if the situation is still true.

In this case, you have the option of keeping what was said in the same tense or using
formal reported tenses.

Quoted: “Summers are very hot in Dubai,” he said.

Reported: He said summers are very hot in Dubai.
Reported: He said summers were very hot in Dubai.
Both sentences are grammatically correct.

Quoted: “I live on Oak Street,” she said.

Reported: She said she lives on Oak Street.
Reported: She said she lived on Oak Street.
Both are correct if she still lives on Oak Street.

Reference Changes in Reported Speech

So far, we’ve focused on verb tense changes in reported speech. Ask the students if
they’ve noticed other changes that occur. Show them PP5 and ask them what other
changes they see. They should notice that pronouns change. In order to keep the original
meaning, we often need to change pronouns when reporting what someone has said.

PP5

Quoted: “I feel hungry,” Mary said

Reported: Mary said she felt hungry.

Quoted: Professor: “I’ve looked at the results of your work this year and you’ll be
pleased to know that I’m recommending you for a scholarship next year.”

Reported: The professor told me that she had looked at the results of my work this
year and that I’d be pleased to know that she was recommending me for a
scholarship next year.

5
Look at the following examples to see what happens when you forget to change the
pronouns.

PP6
Examples Implied Meaning

“You won the scholarship!” Mr. Chin told Anna won a scholarship.
Anna.
Mr. Chin told Anna that you had won the You won a scholarship.
scholarship.
Mr. Chin told Anna that she had won the Anna won a scholarship.
scholarship.

Words of Time and Place

In reported speech, changes are also necessary for certain words that refer to time and
place. Look at the following example.

PP7 Time and Place References

Imagine you went to a restaurant on Monday with your friend, Peter.
While at the restaurant, he said to you, “This is a great restaurant. I’m going to eat here
again tomorrow.”
Later on that same Monday, you tell a friend:
Peter said that was a great restaurant and that he was going to eat there tomorrow.
What changes have been made to the original quote?

Notes:
Ask the students to tell you what changes have been made to the original quote. They
should notice three:
1. This becomes that. You are no longer in the restaurant, so you cannot use this
to refer to the restaurant.
2. Verb tense change – is becomes was.
3. Here becomes there. Again, you are no longer at the restaurant, so you need to
change here.

Continuing with our example…

6
PP8
Using the same example:
“This is a great restaurant. I’m going to eat here again tomorrow.”

Two weeks later, you tell a friend:

Peter said that was a great restaurant and that he was going to eat there the following day.

What changes have been made to the original quote?

Note: The students should notice that in addition to the previous changes, tomorrow has
been changed to the following day.

Time and Place References

The following handout has some common “here and now” words (time and place words)
that often change in reported speech.

In conversational English these words are used frequently. In business writing and in
journalism, use specific days, dates and times to avoid any confusion.

Look at the chart (following page) with the students, have them do the exercise in class,
and correct together.

Homework Exercise
Distribute the homework and go over the instructions.

7
Reported Speech – Common Words of Time and Place

The following words of time and place frequently change in reported speech. In
journalism and in business documents, you should use specific days and dates to avoid
confusion.

Quoted Reported

this / these that / those

here there
today / tonight that day / that night
yesterday the previous day / the day before
tomorrow the next day / the following day
next (Tuesday /week / year, etc.) the next (Tuesday / week / year)
the following (Tuesday / week/ month / year)

last (Tuesday / last week/ last year, etc.) the (week / Tuesday / month/ year) before
the previous (/ week / Tuesday / month / year)

(two days / one week / three years, etc.) (two days / one week/ three years, etc.) earlier
ago

Practice Exercise 2 – Changing References in Reported Speech

Change the following quotes to reported speech. You will need to make changes to verb
tenses, pronouns and time and place words. Assume that you are reporting after some
time has passed.

1. Karen: “I’ll meet you tomorrow at noon.”

_________________________________________________________________
2. Karim: “My brother went to India last week.”
_________________________________________________________________
3. Halima: “I translated that document two weeks ago.”
_________________________________________________________________
4. Ferozpur: “There will be a press conference next Tuesday, at Balkh University.”
_________________________________________________________________
5. Hamid: “This is the best book on reporting that I’ve ever read.”
_________________________________________________________________
6. Yahya: “We’ll meet you here in front of the recording studio.”
_________________________________________________________________

8
Homework Exercise

Change the following quotes speech to reported speech. Use the verbs for formal
reported speech.

1. Jim said, “I love Spanish food.”

______________________________________________________________

2. Emily said, “I’m going to Singapore next month.”

______________________________________________________________

3. Kevin said, “I had a great weekend.”

______________________________________________________________

4. Mehrzad said, “I’m going to start my own photography business next month.”
______________________________________________________________

5. Alex said, “I finished university in June.”

______________________________________________________________

6. Safia said, “I have studied photography.”

______________________________________________________________

7. Maria said, “I will bring you a scarf from India.”

______________________________________________________________

8. Ahmed said, “I’m sorry but I can’t meet at 10.”

______________________________________________________________

9. Bill said, “I can meet you for lunch on Friday.”

______________________________________________________________

10. Mary said, “I want to learn how to swim.”

______________________________________________________________

9
Answer Key

1. Karen said that she would meet me (or us) the following day at noon.
2. Karim said that his brother had gone to India the previous week / the week earlier.
3. Halima said that she had translated the document two weeks earlier.
4. Ferozpur said that there would be a press conference the following Tuesday at
Balkh University.
5. Hamid said that was the best book on reporting that he had ever read.
6. Yahya said that they would meet us (me) there in front of the recording studio.

Homework Exercise

1. Jim said he loved Spanish food.

2. Emily said she was going to Singapore next month.
3. Kevin said he had had a great weekend.
4. Mehrzad said she was going to start her own photography business next month.
5. Alex said he had finished university in June.
6. Safia said she had studied photography.
7. Maria said she would bring me a scarf from India.
8. Ahmed said he was sorry but he couldn’t meet at 10.
9. Bill said he could meet me for lunch on Friday.
10. Mary said she wanted to learn how to swim.

10
Reported Speech
Lesson 2
 Reported Speech
No Verb Tense Changes
In these situations it is not necessary to change verb
tenses:

— When we use say in the present tense to report.

— When we report soon after someone has spoken.
— When we speak or write about a general truth or if
the situation is still true.
 Verb Tense Changes
not Necessary
Using say in the present tense to report.
— Quoted: “I really like my new boss,” Robert said.
— Reported: Robert says he really likes his new boss.
— Quoted: “We will hire two teachers in June,” the
principal said.

— Reported: The principal says they will hire two teachers

in June.

No changes are required to the main verbs.

 Verb Tense Changes not
Necessary
When we report soon after someone has spoken.
— Imagine Sue says to you right now, “I am sleepy.”
— The person next to you asks, “What did Sue say?”
— The correct reported speech response would be,
Sue said she is sleepy.

— When you report speech immediately after

someone has spoken, you do not change the verb
tenses.
 Verb Tense Changes not
Necessary
When someone speaks about a general truth or if the situation is
still true.
— In this case, you have the option of keeping what was said in
the same tense or using formal reported tenses.
Example:
Quoted: “Summers are very hot in Dubai,” he said.

Reported: He said summers are very hot in Dubai.

Reported: He said summers were very hot in Dubai.
Both sentences are grammatically correct. Summers in Dubai
are usually hot – this is a general truth.
 Reference Changes
Pronouns
— Quoted: “I feel hungry,” Mary said
— Reported: Mary said she felt hungry.

— Quoted: Professor: “I’ve looked at the results of your

work this year and you’ll be pleased to know that I’m
recommending you for a scholarship next year.”

— Reported: The professor told me that she had looked at

the results of my work this year and that I’d be pleased
to know that she was recommending me for a
scholarship next year.
 Pronoun Problems
— Examples Implied Meaning
— “You won the scholarship!” — Anna won a scholarship.
Mr. Chin told Anna.
— Mr. Chin told Anna that you
had won the scholarship. — You won a scholarship.
— Mr. Chin told Anna that she — Anna won a scholarship.
had won the scholarship.
 Time and Place References
Imagine you went to a restaurant on Monday with
your friend, Peter.
— While at the restaurant, he said to you, “This is a
great restaurant. I’m going to eat here again
tomorrow.”
— Later on that same Monday, you tell a friend:
— Peter said that was a great restaurant and that he
was going to eat there tomorrow.
What words have changed from the original quote?
 Time and Place References
— Using the same example:
— “This is a great restaurant. I’m going to eat here
again tomorrow.”

— You tell your friend about it two weeks later:

— Peter said that was a great restaurant and that he
was going to eat there the following day.

What additional changes have been made to the

original quote?
Lesson 3 Reported Questions

Objective: Students will be able to report questions, using correct structure and grammar.

Contents
Note to the Teacher
Power Point Slides 1-4
Practice Exercises 1-3
Homework Assignment
Answer Key

Note to the Teacher

The rules for reporting questions are the same as those for statements, with one
exception. After the reporting verb, if, whether or whether or not are used for yes / no
questions. For information questions, question words (who, what, where, etc.) are used.
That is not used. Look at the following power point slides with the students.

PP1 Indirect or Reported Yes / No Questions

“Are you hungry?” Paul asked. Paul asked us if we were hungry.

“Do you like pizza?” Teresa asked. Teresa asked whether we liked pizza.
“Would you like dessert?” Bill asked. Bill wanted to know whether or not we
wanted dessert.

Note that the verb tenses and pronouns change just as they do in reported statements.
For yes / no questions, you have a choice of using if, whether, or whether or not.
If is the most common.
Also, a reported question does not have a question mark since it is no longer a question.

PP2 Reported Information or Wh-Questions

“How many students are in the class?” Amy Amy asked how many students were in the
asked. class.
“What time does class the start?” Susan asked. Susan asked what time the class started.
“Where is the class?” Bob asked. Bob asked where the class was.

PP3
Reported Questions Sentence Structure

Use statement word order (subject + verb), for all reported questions.
Do not use the auxiliaries, do, does, did.
Do not end with a question mark. Indirect questions end with a period.
Example:
Susan: “Did Mark attend the presentation?”
Susan asked if Mark attended the presentation.

Point out to the students that the first two rules are the same as they are for reported
statements (what they learned in the last lesson).Verb tense change rules are also the
same.
1
PP4
Reporting verbs for questions:
Ask (most common)
Inquire
Question
Want to know
Wonder

Practice Exercises 1 and 2

Have the students do the exercises and check the answers together in class.

Practice Exercise 3
This is a speaking exercise. Students do part A with a partner and then part B with
another pair, so that there are four people working together. When they have finished,
you could ask some students to report to the class on their questions and answers.

2
Practice Exercise 1

A. Read the following paragraph and underline the indirect questions.

Two visiting journalists from Afghanistan attended a public relations conference recently
held in San Francisco. People had many questions for them. They wanted to know what
daily life was like in Afghanistan. Was there enough food in all parts of the country? Did
they have adequate electricity? There were also several questions about security. Was it
safe to go out in the city streets where they lived? What about travelling? People at the
conference also asked if the journalists felt their lives were in danger and wanted to know
what their thoughts were on the upcoming election.

B. Change the underlined indirect questions in the paragraph above to direct questions.

Practice Exercise 2
Ann Roberts is the manager of a TV news station. She is interviewing Bob Miller for a
new position at the station. Change the direct questions to indirect questions.

1. “Why do you want to work here?”

________________________________________________________________
2. “What kind of experience do you have managing a team?”
________________________________________________________________
3. “How many years did you work as a freelance reporter?”
________________________________________________________________
4. “What was the most challenging thing about your last position?”
________________________________________________________________
5. “What kinds of editing software have you used?”
________________________________________________________________
6. “How much experience do you have as a beat reporter?”
________________________________________________________________
7. “Why do you want to leave your current position?”
________________________________________________________________
8. “What were your responsibilities at CKRD News?”
________________________________________________________________
9. “Are you willing to travel?”
________________________________________________________________
10. “Do you have any questions for me?”
________________________________________________________________

3
Practice Exercise 3 Speaking

A. Work with a partner and ask him or her four of the following questions. Then, your
partner should ask you four questions.
B. Get together with another pair and report on your conversations.
Example: I asked Sohaila if she would work if she didn’t have to and she said…
I asked Ahmad how many hours a week he worked and he said..

1. Would you work if you didn’t have to? Why or why not?
2. What is the best thing about your job?
3. What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
4. What would you like to be doing 10 years from now?
5. If you could schedule your working week any way you wanted, how would you do so?
6. How many hours a week do you work?
7. How many hours a week would you like to work?
8. When do you prefer to work -- morning, afternoon, or evening?

Homework Exercise
A newspaper reporter interviewed a poet for his local newspaper. Here are some of the questions
he asked her. Change the direct questions to indirect questions.

1. “Where did you grow up?”

__________________________________________________________________
2. “When did you start writing poetry?”
__________________________________________________________________
3. “Who were some of your early influences?”
__________________________________________________________________
4. “How many poems have you written?”
__________________________________________________________________
5. “Have you ever written in any other form besides poetry?”
__________________________________________________________________
6. “Who are some of your favorite poets today?”
________________________________________________________________
7. “What do you like to read besides poetry?”
________________________________________________________________

8. “Are you working on a poem now?”

________________________________________________________________
9. “Do you plan to publish your poems?”
________________________________________________________________
10. “When is your next performance?”
________________________________________________________________

4
Answer Key

Practice Exercise 1
Two visiting journalists from Afghanistan attended a public relations conference recently held in
San Francisco. People had many questions for them. They wanted to know what daily life was
like in Afghanistan. Was there enough food in all parts of the country? Did they have adequate
electricity? There were also several questions about security. Was it safe to go out in the city
streets where they lived? What about travelling? People at the conference also asked if the
journalists felt their lives were in danger and wanted to know what their thoughts were on the
upcoming election.

B. Change the underlined indirect questions in the paragraph above to direct questions.
1. What is daily life like in Afghanistan?
2. Do you feel your lives are in danger?
3. What are your thoughts on the upcoming election?

Practice Exercise 2
Ann Roberts is the manager of a TV news station. She is interviewing Bob Miller for a
new position at the station. Change the direct questions to indirect questions.

1. She asked him why he wanted to work there.

2. She asked him what kind of experience he had managing a team.
3. She wanted to know how many years he had worked as a freelance reporter.
4. She asked him what the most challenging thing about his last position had been.
5. She wanted to know what kinds of editing software he had used.
6. She asked how much experience he had as a beat reporter.
7. She asked why he wanted to leave his current position.
8. She asked him what his current responsibilities were at CKRD News.
9. She wanted to know if he was willing to travel.
10. She asked him if he had any questions for her.

Homework Exercise
A newspaper reporter interviewed a poet for his local newspaper. Here are some of the questions
he asked her. Change the direct questions to indirect questions.

1. He asked her where she grew up.

2. He asked her when she started writing poetry.
3. He asked her who some of her early influences were.
4. He asked her how many poems she had written.
5. He asked her if she had ever written in any other form besides poetry.
6. He asked her who some of her favorite poets were today.
7. He asked her what she liked to read besides poetry.
8. He asked her if she was working on a poem at that time.
9. He asked her if she planned to publish her poems.
10. He asked her when her next performance was.

5
Reported Questions
Indirect Questions
 Indirect or Reported
Yes / No Questions
Quoted Reported
— “Are you hungry?” Paul — Paul asked us if we were
asked. hungry.

— “Do you like pizza?” — Teresa asked whether we

Teresa asked. liked pizza.

— “Would you like — Bill wanted to know

dessert?” Bill asked. whether or not we wanted
dessert.
 Reported Questions
Sentence Structure
— Use statement word order (subject + verb), for all
reported questions.

— Do not use the auxiliaries, do, does, did.

— Do not end with a question mark. Indirect
questions end with a period.

— Example:
Susan: “Did Mark attend the presentation?”

Susan asked if Mark attended the presentation.

 Reported Wh-questions
Quoted Reported
— “How many students are — Amy asked how many
in the class?” Amy students were in the
asked. class.
— “What time does class — Susan asked what time
the start?” Susan asked. the class started.
— “Where is the class?” — Bob asked where the
Bob asked. class was.
 Reporting verbs for
questions

— Ask (most common)

— Inquire
— Question
— Want to know
— Wonder
Lesson 4 Embedded Questions

Objective: Students will understand and use embedded questions.

Lesson Contents
Note to the Teacher
Power Point Slides
Practice Exercises
Homework Exercise
Answer Key

Note to the Teacher

Embedded questions are not really reported questions, but their structure is similar, so they
are often taught along with the topic of reported questions.
An embedded question is a question that is inside a sentence. For example, “Do you know
what time the bus comes?” is an embedded question. If asked directly, the question would
be, “What time does the bus come?” You can see the two structures are different. The
embedded question now has the same structure as a statement in English. Talk about
confusing for students! And indeed many students will say, “Do you know what time does
the bus come?” The main thing to stress to students is that embedded questions use English
statement word order – subject + verb and there are no auxiliaries. In addition, they should
pay attention to subject-verb agreement, which normally isn’t a problem with direct
questions. The direct question, “What does Bill teach?” becomes, “Do you know what Bill
teaches?” To make the switch accurately, you must drop the auxiliary, “do,” use S+V
word order, and make “teach” agree with the singular Bill.

PP1 What is an embedded question?

An embedded question is a question that is inside another sentence. It can be inside a

statement or a question.

Inside a statement
I don’t know what time the meeting starts.
I can’t remember what time the meeting starts.

Inside a question
Can you tell me what time the meeting starts?
Do you know what time the meeting starts?

Punctuation
If the embedded question is inside a statement, use a period.
If it is inside a question, use a question mark.

*Ask the students about the structure of the embedded questions.

How are they similar to regular questions? (they use question words)
How are they different? (they use statement word order – S + V; no auxiliary verbs)

1
PP2
Embedded Questions – Structure

Use statement word order – subject + verb

Make sure the verb agrees with its subject – just like in regular statements.
Do not use the auxiliaries, do, does or did in embedded questions.

Direct Question: Where did he go for vacation?

Embedded: Do you know where he went for vacation?
I don’t know where he went for vacation.
Direct: What time does the party start?
Embedded: Do you know what time the party starts?
I’m not sure what time the party starts.

PP3
Embedded Wh-Questions

Embedded wh-questions use a question word (when, where, why, how, who, what, which
and whose).

Direct: What time does the lecture start?

Embedded: Do you know what time the lecture starts?
Direct: Where is the media center?
Embedded: Let’s ask where the media center is.
Direct: How long is the presentation?
Embedded: Can you tell me how long the presentation is?

PP4
Embedded Yes / No Questions

Embedded yes / no questions use if, whether or whether or not.

If is the most common.

Direct Question Embedded Question

(All of these questions are possible.)

Did their flight arrive? Do you know if their flight arrived?

Do you know whether their flight arrived?
Do you know whether or not their flight arrived?
Do you know whether their flight arrived or not?

2
PP5
Phrases commonly used to introduce embedded questions.

Statements Questions
I don’t know… Do you know…?
I’m not sure… Can you remember…?
I don’t understand Could you tell me…?
I’d like to know… Could you explain…?
I wonder…
Let’s ask…

Practice Exercises 1 and 2

Have the students do practice exercises 1 and 2 and correct together in class.

Practice Exercise 3

Have the students do this paired practice. When they are finished, call on students to
answer the questions for you.

Practice Exercise 4
Have the students do this role-play in pairs. After they have practiced, ask a few pairs to do
their role-play for the class.

Homework
Distribute the homework, go over the instructions and ask if there are any questions.

3
Practice Exercise 1

Answer the following questions. Remember to use statement order – S + V and no

auxiliaries.

e.g. Where is the nearest coffee shop?

Do you know where the nearest coffee shop is?

1. Who is that man?

I don’t know ________________________________________________________

2. Where did Susan go to university?

I don’t know ________________________________________________________

3. What is the weather like in New York?

I’m not sure ________________________________________________________

4. What time does the movie start?

I’m not sure ________________________________________________________

5. Whose briefcase is this?

I don’t know ________________________________________________________

6. Why is Safia laughing?

I don’t know ________________________________________________________

7. When will the next conference be?

I don’t know ________________________________________________________

8. Where will she study next year?

I don’t know ________________________________________________________

Practice Exercise 2
Change the yes/no questions to embedded questions.

e.g. Is he on campus today?

Do you know if he is on campus today?

1. Is Maria coming to class today?

Can you tell me _____________________________________________________

2. Did the meeting start already?

Do you know _______________________________________________________

3. Is it supposed to rain tonight?

Do you know ______________________________________________________

4. Can she come to lunch with us?

4
 Do you know _____________________________________________________

5. Did she miss her train?

I wonder _________________________________________________________

Practice Exercise 3 -- Speaking

Work with a partner. One person reads the sentences out loud; the other changes the
questions to embedded questions. Begin your embedded questions with Do you know…
The person making the embedded questions should not look at the paper. When you are
finished, change roles.

1. What is the weather like in Canada?

2. What is the longest river in the world?
3. How long is the Great Wall of China?
4. Did birds evolve from dinosaurs?
5. How many people live in Dubai?
6. What time is it in Saudi Arabia right now?
7. Which country has the most poets?
8. What is the capital city of Mongolia?
9. Is Mexican food spicy?
10. What year did the Berlin wall fall?

Practice Exercise 4 Dialogue and Role Play

Work with a partner. Imagine you are at a tourist information center in a foreign city. You
want to find something interesting to do. You should create a dialogue about one or two of
the topics listed below. One person is the tourist and the other is the information person.
Write down your dialogue, practice it and then perform it for the class. Try to use several
embedded questions.

Possible Topics

• Restaurants
• Interesting sights
• Entertainment
• Parks
• Shopping

5
Homework Exercise 1
Change the following direct questions to embedded questions.

1. Where is the nearest coffee shop?

____________________________________________________________
2. Is the coffee shop open yet?
____________________________________________________________
3. Dan isn’t usually late for work. Did he get stuck in traffic?
____________________________________________________________
4. I don’t know how to work this machine. Can you explain it to me?
____________________________________________________________
5. Is Professor Kazem teaching media law this semester?
____________________________________________________________
6. Who is the professor for TV reporting?
____________________________________________________________
7. Do we need a textbook for the course?
____________________________________________________________
8. How does the new grading system work?
____________________________________________________________
9. Will the faculty like the new grading system?
____________________________________________________________
10. Who is the new professor?
____________________________________________________________

Homework Exercise 2

Who is someone you would like to interview? What would you ask him or her? Make
embedded questions using, “I want to ask him…” or “I’d like to ask her…” Make at least
one embedded question for each word listed below.

What e.g. I’d like to ask him what his plans are for economic development in this
city.
Who
When
Whether
If
Why
Where

6
Answer Key

Practice Exercise 1
1. I don’t know who that man is.
2. I don’t know where Susan went to university.
3. I’m not sure what the weather is like in New York.
4. I’m not sure what time the movie starts.
5. I don’t know whose briefcase that is.
6. I don’t know why Safia is laughing.
7. I don’t know when the next conference will be.
8. I don’t know where she will study next year.

Practice Exercise 2
1. Can you tell me if Maria is coming to class today?
2. Do you know if the meeting started already?
3. Do you know if it’s supposed to rain tonight?
4. Do you know if she can come to lunch with us?
5. I wonder if she missed her train.

Practice Exercise 3
1. Do you know what the weather is like in Canada?
2. Do you know what the longest river in the world is?
3. Do you know how long the Great Wall of China is?
4. Do you know if birds evolved from dinosaurs?
5. Do you know how many people live in Dubai?
6. Do you know what time it is in Saudi Arabia right now?
7. Do you know which country has the most poets?
8. Do you know what the capital city of Mongolia is?
9. Do you know if Mexican food is spicy?
10. Do you know what year the Berlin wall fell?

Homework Exercise 1
1. Do you know where the nearest coffee shop is?
2. Do you know if the coffee shop is open yet?
3. I wonder if Dan got stuck in traffic.
4. Can you explain how to work this machine?
5. Do you know if Professor Kazem is teaching media law this semester?
6. Do you know who the professor is for TV reporting?
7. Do you know if we need a textbook for the course?
8. Can you tell me how the new grading system works?
9. Do you think the faculty will like the new grading system?
10. Do you know who the new professor is?

7
Embedded Questions
 Overview
— An embedded question is a question that is inside
another sentence. It can be inside a question or a
statement.
— Inside a question
— Can you tell me what time the meeting starts?
— Do you know what time the meeting starts?
— Inside a statement
— I don’t know what time the meeting starts.
— I can’t remember what time the meeting starts.
 Punctuation
— If the embedded question is inside a question, use
a question mark.

— E.g. Do you know where the bank is?

— If the embedded question is inside a statement,
use a period.

— E.g. I don’t know where the bank is.

 Embedded Questions
Structure
— Use statement word order – subject + verb
— Make sure the verb agrees with its subject – just
like in regular statements.

— Do not use the auxiliaries, do, does or did in

embedded questions.

Direct: What time does the party start?

Embedded: Do you know what time the party starts?

I’m not sure what time the party starts.

 Embedded Wh-questions
— Embedded wh-questions use a question word (when, where,
why, how, who, what, which and whose).

— Direct: What time does the lecture start?

— Embedded: Do you know what time the lecture starts?

— Direct: Where is the media center?

— Embedded: Let’s ask where the media center is.

— Direct: How long is the presentation?

— Embedded: Can you tell me how long the presentation is?

 Embedded Yes-No
Questions
— Embedded yes / no questions use if, whether or
whether or not.
— If is the most common.
Direct Question: Did their flight arrive?
Embedded:
— Do you know if their flight arrived?
— Do you know whether their flight arrived?
— Do you know whether or not their flight arrived?
— Do you know whether their flight arrived or not?
 Phrases commonly used to introduce
embedded questions.

Statements Questions
— I don’t know… — Do you know…?
— I’m not sure… — Can you
remember…?
— I don’t understand
— Could you tell me…?
— I’d like to know…
— Could you
— I wonder… explain…?
— Let’s ask…
Lesson 5 Instructions, Commands, Requests and Invitations

Objective
Students will learn how to use reported speech for instructions, commands, requests and
invitations.

Contents
Note to the Teacher
Power Point Slides 1-7
Practice Exercises 1-3
Homework Exercise
Answer Key

To the Teacher
Instructions, commands, requests and invitations are often changed to infinitives in reported
speech. Thus, the doctor instructions, “Take two tablets and call me in the morning,” becomes
“The doctor told me to take two tablets and to call him in the morning,” in reported speech.

This lesson should be fairly easy for the students since there is only one choice for verb tense –
the infinitive. As in all reported speech, changes in pronouns may be necessary to maintain the
original meaning of what is being reported.

 Go over the homework from the previous lesson.

 Go through these power point slides with the class.

PP1

In reported speech, we often use an infinitive (to + base form of verb) for:

• Instructions The instructor told us to complete the assignment by tomorrow.

• Commands The captain told the sergeant to report at 0700 hours.
• Requests The student asked the teacher to explain reported speech.
• Invitations Our neighbor asked us to go to his party.

PP2 Instructions

Direct: “Answer the test with a pencil,” said the instructor.

Reported: The instructor said to answer the test with a pencil.
Direct: “Please put your name at the top of the page,” said the instructor.
Reported: The instructor said to put our name at the top of the page.

1
PP3 Commands

Direct: Before the test, the instructor said, “Turn off all cell phones.”
Reported: The instructor said to turn off all cell phones.

Direct: “Stop running!” the lifeguard shouted at the boys.

Reported: The lifeguard shouted at the boys to stop running.

PP4 Requests and Invitations

Direct: “Can you help me with this package,” Susan asked Diane.
Reported: Susan asked Diane to help her with the package.

Direct: “Can you please turn down the radio?” Tom asked Asif.
Reported: Tom asked Asif to turn down the radio.

Direct: “Can you meet us for lunch?” Safia asked me.

Reported: Safia asked me to meet them for lunch.

PP5 Negatives

In reported speech, use a negative infinitive for negative instructions, commands, and requests.
(There is no such thing, really, as a negative invitation!)

Negative Instructions
Direct: “Don’t eat just before going to bed,” the doctor told her.
Reported: The doctor told her not to eat just before going to bed.

2
PP6 Negatives Continued

Negative Commands
Direct: “Don’t climb the fence,” said the security guard.
Reported: The security guard told us not to climb the fence.

Negative Requests
Direct: “Please don’t eat all the pizza. We need to save some for Jon.”
Reported: He asked me not to eat all the pizza because we needed to save some for Jon.

PP7

Although say, tell, and ask are the most common reporting verbs, the following verbs are also
possible when using an infinitive.

Common Reporting verbs for Requests, Commands, Invitations and Instructions

Say Command
Tell Urge
Ask Warn
Advise Instruct
Order Invite
Caution

Practice Exercises 1 and 2

Have the students do the practice exercises and correct together as a class.

Practice Exercise 3

Have the students do part A in pairs. When they finish, they should each do part B. You could
call on different students to read their sentences or to put them on the board.

Homework

Distribute the homework, go over the assignments and ask if there are any questions.

3
Practice Exercise 1

Read the following paragraphs. Underline the indirect instructions, commands, requests and
invitations. Circle the reporting verbs.

Last week I had an accident while on a city tour of Dubai. I slipped down some stairs and injured
my leg. The next evening I was in a lot of pain so I went to the hospital. Here is what happened.

I registered at the Orthopedic Department and the clerk asked me to take a seat. After just 10
minutes, a nurse called me into the doctor’s office. She told me to sit on the examining bed
where the doctor examined my leg. He advised me to stay off my feet for the next few days and
to elevate my leg often. Then he wrapped my leg in a gauze bandage. He wrote a prescription for
some medication and told me to take the prescription to the pharmacy in the hospital. The doctor
gave me his card and told me to call him if I had any problems. I paid for my bill at the counter,
went to the pharmacy, and then returned to my hotel by cab.

Practice Exercise 2

Change the following quotes to reported speech.

1. (direct speech) “May I see your driver’s license and registration?” asked the police officer.
(indirect speech) _____________________________________________________________
2. (direct speech) “Roll down your window,” the police officer told me.
(indirect speech) _____________________________________________________________
3. (direct speech) “Don’t park in front of the school,” the crossing guard said.
(indirect speech) _____________________________________________________________
4. (direct speech) “Don’t run in the hallways,” the teacher told the students.
(indirect speech) _____________________________________________________________
5. (direct speech) “Can you come to the student picnic,” the teacher asked us.
(indirect speech) _____________________________________________________________
6. (direct speech) “Can you bring some activities for the children,” the teacher asked me.
(indirect speech) _____________________________________________________________
7. (direct speech) “Wear comfortable shoes to the picnic,” the teacher told the children.
(indirect speech) _____________________________________________________________
8. (direct speech) The doctor said, “Take one tablet daily for one week.”
(indirect speech) _____________________________________________________________
9. (direct speech) The doctor told me, “Elevate your leg as much as possible.”
(indirect speech) _____________________________________________________________

4
10. (direct speech) “See me again in one week,” the doctor said.
(indirect speech) __________________________________________________________

Practice Exercise 3

Part A Speaking

What advice or instructions can you give each other for the following common problems? Work
with a partner and talk about what to do and what not to do. You don’t need to use reported
speech for this part of the exercise.

• Insomnia
• Insect bites
• Hiccups
• Snoring
• A sore throat
• A small kitchen burn

Example:
Maria, do you know what I can do for insomnia?
Yes, you should drink a glass of warm milk before you go to bed.

Part B Writing

Write sentences reporting what your partner advised you to do for each of the problems. Use
reported speech for this section.

Example:
For insomnia, Maria told me to drink a warm glass of milk before I go to bed.

5
Homework Exercise

Change the following sentences to reported speech.

1. Doctor Wang to Cathy: “You should eat fewer dairy products.”

__________________________________________________________________________

2. Teacher to students: “Please return to your seats.”

__________________________________________________________________________

3. Melissa to Emily: “Can you meet me for lunch?”

__________________________________________________________________________

4. Doctor Wang to Cathy: “Exercise at least five times a week.”

__________________________________________________________________________

5. Teacher to students: “No talking during the test.”

__________________________________________________________________________

6. Paul to Tracy: “Could you turn the radio down, please?”

__________________________________________________________________________

7. Police officer to Bill: “Do not park in front of the bus stop.”

__________________________________________________________________________

8. Hamid to Ahmed: “Slow down. You’re driving too fast.”

__________________________________________________________________________

9. Youssef to Rick: “Don’t talk on your cell phone while you’re driving.”

__________________________________________________________________________

10. Karen to Ben: “Could you run the meeting for me?”

__________________________________________________________________________

6
Answer Key

Practice Exercise 1
1. The police officer asked to see my driver’s license and registration.
2. The police officer told me to roll down my window.
3. The crossing guard said not to park in front of the school.
4. The teacher told the students not to run in the hallways.
5. The teacher asked us to come to the student picnic.
6. The teacher asked me to bring some activities for the children.
7. The teacher told the children to wear comfortable shoes to the picnic.
8. The doctor said to take one tablet daily for one week.
9. The doctor told me to elevate my leg as much as possible.
10. The doctor told me to see her again in one week.

Practice Exercise 2

Last week I had an accident while on a city tour of Dubai. I slipped down some stairs and injured my leg.
The next evening I was in a lot of pain so I went to the hospital. Here is what happened.

I registered at the Orthopedic Department and the clerk asked me to take a seat. After just 10 minutes, a
nurse called me into the doctor’s office. She told me to sit on the examining bed where the doctor
examined my leg. He advised me to stay off my feet for the next few days and to elevate my leg often.
Then he wrapped my leg in a gauze bandage. He wrote a prescription for some medication and told me to
take the prescription to the pharmacy in the hospital. The doctor gave me his card and told me to call him
if I had any problems. I paid for my bill at the counter, went to the pharmacy, and then returned to my
hotel by cab.

Practice Exercise 3

Answers will depend on the students’ conversations.

Homework Exercise

1. Doctor Wang told Cathy to eat fewer dairy products.

2. The teacher told the students to return to their seats.
3. Melissa asked Emily to meet her for lunch.
4. Doctor Wang told Cathy to exercise at least five times a week.
5. The teacher told the students not to talk during the test.
6. Paul asked Tracy to turn down the radio.
7. The police officer told Bill not to park in front of the bus stop.
8. Hamid told Ahmed not to slow down and that he was driving too fast.
9. Youssef told Rick not to talk on his cellphone while he was driving.
10. Karen asked Ben if he could run the meeting for her.

7
Reported Speech for
Instructions,
Commands, Requests
and Invitations
 Using Infinitives
— In reported speech, we often use an infinitive (to + base
form of verb) for:

— Instructions The instructor told us to complete the

assignment by tomorrow.

— Commands The captain told the sergeant to

report at 0700 hours.

— Requests The student asked the teacher to

explain reported speech.

— Invitations Our neighbor asked us to go to his

party.
 Infinitives for Instructions
— Direct: “Answer the test with a pencil,” said the
instructor.

— Reported: The instructor said to answer the test

with a pencil.

— Direct: “Please put your name at the top of the

page,” said the instructor.

— Reported: The instructor said to put our name at

the top of the page.
 Infinitives for Commands
— Direct: Before the test, the instructor said,
“Turn off all cell phones.”

— Reported: The instructor said to turn off all cell

phones.

— Direct: “Stop running!” the lifeguard shouted at

the boys.

— Reported: The lifeguard shouted at the boys to stop

running.
 Requests and Invitations
— Direct: “Can you help me with this package,” Susan
asked Diane.

— Reported: Susan asked Diane to help her with the

package.

— Direct: “Can you please turn down the radio?” Tom

asked Asif.

— Reported: Tom asked Asif to turn down the radio.

— Direct: “Can you meet us for lunch?” Safia asked me.
— Reported: Safia asked me to meet them for lunch.
 Negatives
— In reported speech, use a negative infinitive for
negative instructions, commands, and requests.
(There is no such thing, really, as a negative
invitation!)

— Negative Instructions
— Direct: “Don’t eat just before going to bed,” the
doctor told her.

— Reported: The doctor told her not to eat just

before going to bed.
 Negatives (cont’d)
— Negative Commands
— Direct: “Don’t climb the fence,” said the security guard.
— Reported: The security guard told us not to climb the
fence.

— Negative Requests
— Direct: “Please don’t eat all the pizza. We need to
save some for Jon.”

— Reported: He asked me not to eat all the pizza because

we needed to save some for Jon.
 Common reporting verbs for
instructions, commands, requests and
invitations

— Say — Command
— Tell — Urge
— Ask — Warn
— Advise — Instruct
— Order — Invite
— Caution
Lesson 6 Quoted and Reported Speech -- Review

Objective
Students will review and consolidate everything they have learned about quoted and
reported speech.

To the Teacher
For the final day on reported speech, you’ll start with a quick review and then have the
students do an interactive exercise that requires them to put into practice what they have
learned about reported speech.

Review
Ask the students what they know about reported speech. Accept all answers that are
correct. Then go over some sentences on the board together, choosing either option A or B.

Option A
Ask the students to supply you with a short dialogue. For example, you could give them a
topic and ask for volunteers to have a short conversation about it. This could be a journalist
interviewing a politician or a famous artist, for example. Choose, or have your students
choose the topic and people according to their interests. You should write the dialogue (or
at least parts of it) on the board. As you write the quotation and punctuation marks, check
with the class first. Where do they think those marks should go? Then, as a class, change
all the quotes to reported speech.

Option B
Use the dialogue below to practice reported speech. First, explain the scenario. Then write
the dialogue on the board, and together as a class, change the dialogue to reported speech.
You could choose a section of the dialogue if you don’t have a lot of room on the board.

The Scenario
There is a reception for Professor Hazin, a respected author, who has just announced he
will publish a new book. A student asks him a few questions for the student newspaper.

Reporter: “What is the title of your book?”

Mr. Hazin: “The title is The River at Midnight.”
Reporter: “What is the topic?”
Mr.Hazin: “The book is a collection of new poetry that I wrote last year.”
Reporter: “Is this your first book?”
Mr. Hazin: “It is my first book of poems. I have previously published two novels.”
Reporter: “Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?”
Mr. Hazin: “They should read a lot and write a lot – every day if possible.”
Reporter: “Do you have anything else you’d like to say?”
Mr. Hazin: “Yes. Please join me for some refreshments at the reception!”

1
Here are the sentences in reported speech:

• The reporter asked Mr. Hazin what the title of his book was.
• Mr. Hazin said the title of his book was The River at Midnight.
• The reporter asked what the topic of the book was.
• Mr. Hazin said it was a collection of new poetry that he had written last year.
• The reporter asked if it was Mr. Hazin’s first book.
• Mr. Hazin said it was his first book of poetry and that he had previously published
two novels.
• The reporter asked if Mr. Hazin had any advice for aspiring writers.
• Mr. Hazin said to read and write a lot. Or Hazin said they should read and write a
lot.
• The reporter asked if Mr. Hazin had anything else he wanted to say.
• Mr. Haziz invited the reporter to join him for some refreshments at the reception.

Practice Exercise The Interview

In small groups, the students will interview one of their classmates and write a follow-up
report using indirect speech. Alternatively, the class could interview one person, but using
small groups will give all students more opportunities to speak.

In their group, students choose a famous person they would like to interview. Someone in
the group must volunteer to play the role of the famous person. Obviously, the famous
person has to be someone who is well known to all members in the group.

Process

1. Divide the class into groups of 3-5, depending on the size of your class.

2. Have the students decide who will be the interviewee.

3. Give the students a few minutes to prepare a few questions. They don’t need to
think of all their questions ahead of time, as the interview will suggest follow-up
questions.

4. Have students conduct the interviews for about 15 minutes. They should take notes
since they will have to write a report.

5. After the interview, the group should compare notes to see that they have all the
information they need to write their reports.

6. At this point, check the time. If you have enough time left, ask each group to report
to the class two things they learned from their interview. Again, this will depend
on how many students are in your class.

2
 7. Each student should write a report using indirect speech. They should also include
a couple of quotes in the report. The person who was interviewed can also write a
report, but will write from the first person point of view. “I told them ….They asked
me….”

8. Circulate and help the students where needed.

9.

Students can finish the writing in class or at home for homework.

3
Student Practice – The Interview
In a small group, you will interview one of your classmates and write a follow-up report
using both quoted (direct) and reported (indirect) speech.

In your group, choose a famous person you would like to interview. Someone in the group
must volunteer to play the role of the famous person. Obviously, the famous person has to
be someone who is well known to all members in the group!

Process

1. In your group, decide who will be the interviewee and which famous person they
will be.

2. Prepare a few questions. You don’t need to think of all your questions ahead of
time, as the interview will suggest follow-up questions.

3. Interview your classmate for about 15 minutes. You should take notes since you
will have to write a report.

4. After the interview, you should compare notes with your classmates to see that you
have all the information you need to write your report.

5. Each student should write a report using indirect speech. You should also include at
least two quotes in your report. The person who was interviewed can also write a
report, but will write from the first person point of view. “I told them ….They asked
me….”