REPORTED SPEECH

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REPORTED SPEECH
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REPORTED SPEECH

• What is it ? How do you use it?

He said he was feeling ill.
Wheres Tom?
We use it when we want to tell another person
about a conversation that took place in the past
(e.g telephone call, news or a story that someone
told us, etc.)
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CHANGES FROM DIRECT TO REPORTED SPEECH

• Verb Tense (when the Reporting Verb is in the
  Past Tense most times)
• Personal Pronouns, Possessives
• (In a logical way, see every sentence)
• Demonstratives This ? That
• These ?Those
• Time Place Expressions

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DIRECT SPEECH
REPORTED SPEECH  
Verb Tense Changes

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(No Transcript)
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Changes in Time and Place expressions
Time Time Place Place
Now Ago Then Before here there
today that day This town/ garden... That town/ garden ...
tomorrow the following day OR the day after These cities/ ... Those cities/ ...
yesterday the previous day OR the day before
last week/ month/ ... the previous week/ month ... OR the week before
Next week / month/ ... The following week / month OR the week/ month after
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REPORTING STATEMENTS

• Statements are Affirmative or Negative Sentences.
• We use a Reporting Verb That (it can be
  omitted) Subject verb in Previous tense ...
• - The students are tired- said the teacher
• The teacher said (that) the students were tired.
• - Its the funniest show Ive ever seen -Joan
  told me.
• Joan told me (that) it was the funniest show she
  had ever seen.
• - Ill call you this afternoon - Mary assured
• Mary assured us (that) she would call us that
  afternoon.

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Reporting Verbs ADD ADMIT ANSWER ARGUE ASSURE
BOAST about
COMPLAIN to .. About DENY EXPLAIN GRUMBLE
about OBJECT to OBSERVE
POINT OUT PROMISE PROTEST against /about
REMARK REPLY These verbs ing
The most common ones TELL I.O. and
SAY Followed by THAT ( Remember it can be
omitted!)
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REPORTING QUESTIONS
A) YES / NO QUESTIONS
Reporting Verb If or whether Subject Verb
... (Order of Reported Question Subject
Verb - as in Statements) Are you working these
days? he said. He asked if/whether I was working
those days. (No Question Mark) Did you speak to
John last night? she asked She wanted to know if
I had spoken to J, the night before.
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B) WH- QUESTIONS
Reporting Verb Question Word(s) Subject
Verb (The Word Order is again the same as in
Statements) Where did you go last summer?. He
asked me where I had gone the previous
summer. How long were you waiting for us? She
wanted to know how long I had been waiting for
them. Introductory
verbs ask, wonder, would like/ want to know,
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REPORTING COMMANDS ( ORDERS)
The Imperative changes into (Not) To
Infinitive He said to us Stay here ?He told
us to stay there The Reporting Verb must
indicate order He said Dont mention that
He told me not to mention that. Say that
again, he said to me He asked me to say
that again. Reporting Verbs Tell,ask, beg,
invite, warn, order, command, instruct,...
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REPORTING SUGGESTIONS

• We normally use suggest gerund
• OR suggest that Clause
• Lets, why dont we, shall we, why not are
  omitted
• Lets go to the theatre
• Why dont we go to the theatre?
• Shall we go to the theatre?
• She suggested going to the theatre
• She suggested that we (should) go to the theatre
• Lets not argue again, he said.
• He suggested not arguing again
• He suggested that they should not argue again.

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REPORTING REQUESTS
We use these Reporting Verbs beg, ask, demand,
request (not) to (they usually take an Indirect
Object) The word please is omitted. Can I go
out tonight, mum, please? The boy begged. The
boy begged to go out that night. John, dont
open the window, please I said I asked
/requested/begged John not to open the
window. Can you let me use your phone, please?
I asked my neighbour. I asked my neighbour to let
me use her phone. Can I use your phone? I asked
my neighbour I asked my neighbour if I could use
her phone OR To use her phone
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Other Verbs Structures
Agree, refuse, offer, promise, threaten To
Infinitive Ann Would you wait half an
hour? Tom All right Tom agreed to wait half an
hour. Chris Would you lend me another
50? David No, I wont lend you any more
money David refused ... Accuse of, admit,
apologize for, deny, insist on Gerund You
took my money! ?He accused her of ... I didnt
steal it! ?He denied ... I am sorry Im late ?
She apologized for ... Let me pay, please ? She
insisted on ...