REPORTED SPEECH

This paper is submitted to fulfill the assignment of Advanced English Grammar

Lecturer : Hilman, M.Pd.,

Compiled by : Group 10

Bernica Salsabilla (181230159)

Siti Nuraini (181230171)

Rahmah Antika Zahraa (181230181)

English Education Department

Faculty of Education and Teaching Training of Sultan MaulanaHasanuddinBanten

2020/2021

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 PREFACE

First of all, thanks to our god Allah SWT. Because of Allah we can finished this paper entitled
"Reported Speech". The purpose in writing this paper is to fulfill the assignment that given by
Mr. Hilman, M.Pd.,as lecturer in subjectAdvanced English Grammar. We realize that this paper
is far from perfect in the arrangement or in the contents of the paper. We hope that suggestionts
from readers can be support to make it better in the next paper project. Hopefully this paper can
be useful to increase our knowledge.

Serang, April 12, 2020

The Writer

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................... ........................iii

CHAPTER I ..............................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION
A. Problem Background........................................................................................1
B. Problem Formulation.........................................................................................1
C. Writing purpose.................................................................................................1

CHAPTER II
DISCUSSION
1. Definition of Reported Speech .........................................................................2
2. Backshifting In Reported Speech .....................................................................4
3. The Form of Indirect Reported Speech.............................................................6

CHAPTER III
A. Conclusion .......................................................................................................14

REFERENCE

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 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Problem Background

English language is international language. If we learn English well, so we can

get communication with other people in other countryin this world. Beside that, we also
get more knowledge which is usefulfor our country's advancement, because we can read
the literature ofEnglish, listen the other country's streaming radio, and watch themovie.
With all of that, finally we have the ability in all of sector.Reported speech is part of
learning the English language andshould know how to use is in the language. in this
paper the authorswill provide knowledge about the Reported Speech.

B. Problem Formulation
1. What is Reported Speech?
2. What is The Backshifting in Reported Speech?
3. What are The Form of Indirect Reported Speech?
C. Writing purpose
1. To know what the Reported Speech is.
2. To know what is The Backshifting in Reported Speech
3. To know what are The Form of Indirect Reported Speech

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 CHAPTER II

DISCUSSION

1. Definition Reported Speech

In Indonesian, we refer to Reported Speech as an indirect sentence. Reported Speech
is used to report / relay back the words that have been submitted by others.There are two
ways to report what someone said.

1. Direct speech (direct sentence)

2. Indirect speech (indirect sentence)

Direct Speech

Repeat the speaker's words.

Example :I have lost my key.

 He said, "I have lost my key." (tense doesn't change)

Reporting what someone says using Direct Speech is very easy, because there are no
tenses that change in the sentence.

Indirect Speech / Reported Speech

Reported speech or indirect speech is a way of expressing what other people (speakers)

have said directly ( direct speech ) which can be in  the form of statements, questions, or
other utterances by changing the format of the conversation so that it becomes clearer,
natural, and efficient for the listener. Logically, a newscaster does not report every word
spoken by someone.
Indirect speech focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact
words. In indirect speech, the structure of the reported clause depends on whether the speaker
is reporting a statement, a question or a command.
Give the right meaning of a sentence without having to use the exact words of the
speaker. If we want to mention who the speaker is speaking with, we use " told " or
use "said"

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Example :I have lost my key.

 She said that she had lost her wallet.

 She told me that she had lost her wallet.

Note:

The tense changes that occur are : Present Perfect Tense becomes Past Perfect Tense.

2. Backshifting In Report Speech

Backshift’ refers to the changes we make to the original verbs in indirect speech
because time has passed between the moment of speaking and the time of the report.

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 In these examples, the present (am) has become the past (was), the future (will)
has become the future-in-the-past (would) and the past (happened) has become the past
perfect (had happened). The tenses have ‘shifted’ or ‘moved back’ in time.

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 The past perfect does not shift back; it stays the same:
Direct speech: He asked: ‘Had the girls already left?’
Indirect speech: He asked if the girls had already left.

No backshift

We don’t need to change the tense in indirect speech if what a person said is still
true or relevant or has not happened yet. This often happens when someone talks about
the future, or when someone uses the present simple, present continuous or present
perfect in their original words;

He told me his brother works for an Italian company. (It is still true that his brother
works for an Italian company.)

She said she’s getting married next year. (For the speakers, the time at the moment of
speaking is ‘this year’.)

He said he’s finished painting the door. (He probably said it just a short time ago.)

She promised she’ll help us. (The promise applies to the future.)

3. The form of Indirect Reported Speech

a) Reporting statements

Indirect reports of statements consist of a reporting clause and a ‘that-clause’. We

often omit that, especially in informal situations;

Example;

- Direct; They said, “ we love our teacher”

Indirect; they said that they loved their teacher.

- Direct; Mr Woods said, “There are many boats in the harbour”.

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 Indirect; Mr Woods said that there were many boats in the harbour.

- Direct speech;He said “I’m not hungry now”

Reportd speech; He said that he was not hungry at that tim

b) Reporting yes-no question

An indirect question or embedded question is so called because the utterer is
typically not asking a question but reporting a real question. Indirect reports of yes-no
question and questions with or consist of a reporting clause and a reported clause
introduced by if or whether. If is more common of whether.
Example;
- Original yes-no question; are you scottish?
Reported speech; she asked me if I was scottish.
- Original yes-no question; do you want a table near the window ?
Reported speech; The waiter asked me whether we wanted a table ner the window.
- Original yes-no question; ‘are you ready?’ the nurse asked Joel.
Reported speech; The Nurse asked Joel if he was ready
c) Reporting wh-question
Reported questions is the questions that report. When we reported some
questions, the report is no longer in the form of a question but a statement.
Example;
- Direct; She asked me, ‘Where do you live ?”
Reported speech; she asked me where I lived.
- Direct; she asked me; “ what are you doing ?”
Reported speech; she asked me what I was going.
- Direct; He asked me “ who did you meet?”
Reported Speech; He aked me who I had meet.

d) Reporting commands
Reporting command is a statement made when you want someone to do
something. Commands are imperative sentences (without a subject). Reported Orders,
Commands and Requests are formed using the to-infinitive and not to-infinitive. The

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reporting verbs for the orders/ commands/ requests are: order, shout, demand, warn,
beg, command, tell, insist, beseech, threaten, implore, ask, propose,
etc.
When we change from direct to indirect speech, the pronoun and tense changes
that are also needed. Commands and requests are usually reported using a to-infinitive.
That-clauses can also be used. Note that after certain verbs, only to-infinitives are
possible. In the same way, after some reporting verbs, only that-clauses are possible. You
will also need to observe the rules for the change of tenses and pronouns.

-affirmative commands → to + infinitive

-negative commands → not + to + infinitive

1) Affirmative or positive command

 Direct Speech ,Dad: Do your homework.
Reported Speech : Dad told me to do my homework.
 Direct speech: Be good!
Reported speech: The teacher told the children to be good.
 Direct speech: “Open the door!”
Reported speech: He ordered me to open the door
 Direct speech, him: Come with me
Reported speech: He told me to go with him
 Direct speech: Turn the music down!
Reported speech: He told me yo turn the music down
 Direct speech: I think you should leave now
Reported speech: She ordered me to leave

2) Negative command
 Direct speech : Please don't touch the paintings!
Reported speech : They asked the children not to touch the paintings
 Direct Speech, Teacher: “Don't talk to your friend.”
Reported Speech: The teacher told me not to talk to my friend.
 Direct speech: Don't answer the phone

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 Reported speech: She told me not to answer the phone
 Direct speech: Don't be back late
Reported speech: He ordered me not to be back late
 Direct speech, Him: “Don’t lie to me.”
Reported speech: He told me not to lie to him

3) The introductory sentence in commands

The word tell in introductory sentences in Reported Commands can be
substituted with other words, e.g.
-advise
-ask
There is no backshift of tenses, no matter which tense is used in the
introductory sentence. Example;
• Direct Speech, Dad: “Do your homework.”
Reported Speech:
×Dad tells me to do my homework. Or
×Dad told me to do my homework. We change the word 'tell' be 'ask'
~ Dad asked me to do my homework
• Direct speech, me: Obey your parents!
Reported speech: I advised him to obey his parents. Or I advised him that he should
obey his parents.
• Direct speech: The teacher said to the boys, ‘Work hard.’
Reported speech: The teacher advised the boys to work hard.
• Direct speech: The doctor said to the patient, ‘Do not consume too much sugar.’
Reported speech: The doctor advised the patient not to consume too much sugar.
 Direct speech: The father said to the son, ‘Put that book back on the shelf when
you have finished with it.’
Indirect speech: The father asked the son to put that book back on the shelf when
he had finished with it.

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e) Present simple reporting verb and Past continous reporting verb
In English grammar, a reporting verb is a verb (such as say, tell, believe, reply,
respond, or ask) used to indicate that discourse is being quoted or paraphrased. It's also
called a communication verb.

Tenses and Their Uses

Most often, reporting verbs, such as seen in fiction to show dialogue, are in the
past tense, because as soon as a speaker says something, it is literally in the past. George
Carlin illustrates this in this example of reported speech: "I went to a bookstore and asked
the saleswoman, 'Where's the self-help section?' She said if she told me, it would defeat
the purpose."
To contrast with words spoken once, putting a reporting verb in the present tense
is used to show an adage, something that someone has said in the past and continues to
say or presently believes. For example: "She always says how he's not good enough for
you."Next, a reporting verb may be in the historical present tense (to refer to an event that
took place in the past).
The historical present is often used for dramatic effect or immediacy, to place the
reader right in the scene. The technique should be used sparingly, so you don't create
confusion, but its use can make for a dramatic lead to a story, for example. "The year is
1938, the place, Paris. The soldiers smash shop windows and run through the street and
yell..."
You also use reporting verbs in the literary present tense (to refer to any aspect of
a work ofliterature). This is because no matter what year you watch a particular movie or
read a book, the events always unfold in the same way. The characters always say the
same thing in the same order. For example, if you're writing on "Hamlet," you might
write, "Hamlet shows his anguish when he speakshis 'To be' soliloquy." Or if you're
reviewing fantastic movie lines, you might write, "Who can forget when Humphrey
Bogart says to Ingrid Bergman, 'Here's looking at you, kid' in 'Casablanca'?"

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Indirect speech: present simple reporting verb
We can use the reporting verb in the present simple in indirect speech if the
original words are still true or relevant at the time of reporting, or if the report is of
something someone often says or repeats:

Sheila says they’re closing the motorway tomorrow for repairs.

Henry tells me he’s thinking of getting married next year.

Rupert says dogs shouldn’t be allowed on the beach.

(Rupert probably often repeats this statement.)

Newspaper headlines
We often use the present simple in newspaper headlines. It makes the reported
speech more dramatic:

JUDGE TELLS REPORTER TO LEAVE COURTROOM

PRIME MINISTER SAYS FAMILIES ARE TOP PRIORITY IN TAX REFORM

Indirect speech: past continuous reporting verb

In indirect speech, we can use the past continuous form of the reporting verb
(usually sayor tell). This happens mostly in conversation, when the speaker wants to
focus on the content of the report, usually because it is interesting news or important
information, or because it is a new topic in the conversation:

Rory was telling me the big cinema in James Street is going to close down. Is that true?

Alex was saying that book sales have gone up a lot this year thanks to the Internet.

f) Changes to pronouns

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 Changes to personal pronouns in indirect reports depend on whether the person
reporting the speech and the person(s) who said the original words are the same or
different.
Example :

Direct Speech Indirect Speech Information

“I don’t want to shock Tom said he didn’t want to - different speakers
people,” Tom said. shock people. -Pronoun : I changes to he

“I’ll look after Toby,” I I said I would look after- -same speaker

said. Toby. - -pronoun : no change

“You need to be here at Georgetold Beatrice she -Differentspeakers

nine o’clock,” George needed to be there at nine -pronoun : you changes to she
told Beatrice. o’clock.

h.) Changes to adverbs & demonstratives

We often change demonstratives (this, that) and adverbs of time and place (now,
here, today, etc.) because indirect speech happens at a later time than the original speech,
and perhaps in a different place.

 Typical changes to demonstratives, adverbs and adverbial expressions:

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

This That
These Those
Here There
Now Then
Yesterday The day before
Tomorrow The next / following day
Two weeks ago Two weeks before

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 Example :

 Direct : I said, ‘I’ll meet you here tomorrow.’

Indirect : I told her I would meet her there the next/following day.
 Direct : He said, “I want it now.”
 Indirect : He said he wanted it then/at that moment.
i.) Typical Erors
 The word order in indirect reports of wh-questions is the same as statement word
order (subject + verb), not question word order:

Example :She always asks me where I am going.

Not: She always asks me where am I going.

 We don’t use a question mark when reporting wh-questions:

Example : I asked him what he was doing.

Not: I asked him what he was doing?.

CHAPTER III

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 CONCLUSION

Reported Speech is used to report / relay back the words that have been submitted by
others. There are two ways to report what someone said, Direct Speech and Indirect Speech.
Direct speech is report someone said by using (“”) without changing the tense in original
speech, while indirect specch is report someone speech to other by changing the tense in
indirect clause.
In reporting speech, sometimes backshift are used in there, it is based on the form of
original sentence or direct sentence. The form of indirect speech are; Statements, yes/no
question, wh-questions, reporting commands, reporting present simple verb, past continous
verb, change to pronoun and adverb.

REFERENCES

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https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/reported-speech-indirect-speech.

https://grammar.co.id/reported-speech/.

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