Landstede Groep

Reported Speech

Unit 11 grammar

Reported Speech (talking about what

other people have said)

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Slide 1: Slide

EngelsMiddelbare schoolhavoLeerjaar 4

This lesson contains 18 slides, with text slides.

Lesson duration is: 30 min

Items in this lesson

Unit 11 grammar

Reported Speech (talking about what

other people have said)

Slide 1 - Slide

What is reported speech?

Sometimes someone says a sentence, for example "I'm going to the cinema tonight".

Later, maybe we want to tell someone else what the first person said. We report what was said.

We will look at how to do this.

Slide 2 - Slide

Reported speech

Direct speech: the literal, exact words someone says:

Mike: “I am very angry with you”.

Often in written text with quotation marks "..."/'...'

Indirect or reported speech: when you tell someone what somebody else said.

He said (that) he was very angry with me.

No quotation marks in written text.

What changes: - Tense (present to past) - Pronouns ( I, we, you) - Pronouns (here → there, this → that, these → those) - Adverbials of time (yesterday → the day before, tomorrow→ the following/ next day)

Slide 3 - Slide

Changing the tense

Direct speech Mary: "He tells a lie"

Reported speech Mary said that he told a lie

Present simple → Past simple

So what happens is that when we change the verb tense, we take a step 'back in time', as it were. Have a look →

Slide 4 - Slide

Tense changes

Mary: "He is telling a lie" She said that he was telling a lie

Present continuous → Past continuous

Mary: "He has told a lie She said that he had told a lie

Present perfect → Past perfect

Mary: "He told a lie" She said that he had told a lie

Past simple → Past perfect

Mary: "He was telling a lie" She said that he had been telling a lie

Past continuous → Past perfect continuous

Mary: "He had told a lie" She said that he had told a lie

Past perfect → Past perfect

Slide 5 - Slide

Modals:

Mary: "He will tell a lie" She said that he would tell a lie

Will → would

Mary: "He can tell a lie" She said that he could tell a lie

Can → could

Mary: "He may tell a lie" She said that he might tell a lie.

May → might

Mary: "He must tell a lie" She said that he had to tell a lie.

must → had to

When something is reported that is a general truth, there is often no tense change.

Teacher: “Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius."

The teacher said that water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.

Slide 6 - Slide

Slide 7 - Slide

Other changes: pronouns

pronouns:

you → he/she/they - 'I warned you earlier' = He said that he had warned her earlier.

your → his/her/their - 'I noticed your mistake earlier.' = He said that he had noticed her mistake earlier.

You need the context to find the right pronouns.

this/that (as pronouns) - 'You should erase this .' = She told him he should erase it.

this/that/these/those + noun: 'This report is very detailed' = she told him the report was very detailed.

Slide 8 - Slide

Other changes: time

Slide 9 - Slide

There are different reporting verbs, which can take the following structures:

Accuse + of + -ing

Mike: “You stole the bag” → He accused her of stealing the bag

Admit + (to) + -ing / Admit + (that)

Mike:“I lost the key” → He admitted that he had lost the key He admitted (to) losing the key

Apologise + for + -ing

Mike: “I am sorry that I am late” → He apologized for being late

Argue + for + -ing / argue (that)

Mike: “It is unnecessary to change anything” → He argued that it was unnecessary to change anything

Claim + (that)

Jane: “He is a coward” → Jane claimed that he was a coward.

Slide 10 - Slide

Deny + (that) / deny + -ing

John: “I don’t break any rules” → John denied that he broke any rules / John denied breaking any rules.

Explain + (that)

The mechanic: “There aren’t any problems.” → The mechanic explained (that) there weren’t any problems anymore.

Invite + pronoun + to

Isaac: "Come to my party tonight!' → Isaac invited me to come to his party tonight.

Promise + (that) / promise+ to + infinitive

Dad: “I will pick you up” → Dad promised (that) he would pick me up. / Dad promised to pick me up.

Refuse + to + infinitive

The boy: “I don’t want to throw the rubbish in the bin” → The boy refused to throw the rubbish in the bin.

Slide 11 - Slide

Reveal + (that)

The fireman: “The fire started in the bakery".” → He revealed that the fire had started in the bakery.

Suggest + (that) / suggest + -ing

“Let’s drive more slowly." → The man suggested (that) we drove more slowly. / The man suggested driving more slowly.

Threaten + to + infinitive

Hugh: “I will hit you if you don't stop teasing me.” → Hugh threated to hit them if they didn't stop teasing him.

Warn + (that) / warn = to + infinitive

Mum: “Santa will not come if you are naughty.” → Mum warned us that Santa wouldn’t come if we were naughty. / Mum warned us not to be naughty or Santa wouldn’t come.

Slide 12 - Slide

Practise: Turn to reported speech

Mark said, “My friend found a new job in the music business.”
Her boyfriend told her,” You have bought a wonderful dress.”
Mary said, “I will play a card game tomorrow.”
Judy revealed, “I have already written this essay four times.”
My father told Ben, “I am sure I saw you here last week.

Slide 13 - Slide

Answers

Mark said that his friend had found a new job in the music business.
Her boyfriend told her that she had bought a wonderful dress.
Mary said that she would play a card game the following day.
Judy revealed that she had already written that essay four times.
My father told Ben that he was sure he had seen him there the week before.

Slide 14 - Slide

Change into reporting speech using the given reporting verb

Tom: “Gerry cheats at tests.” (accuse)
Jerry: “you must replace A by B” (explain)
Joe: “ I do not know anything” (deny)
Mary: “I will help you” (promise)
Christa: “You could work harder” ( suggest)
We: “ stop cheating at tests” (warn)

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