Chapter Four: Supplementary Notes about Reporting Speech

Learning Out Comes

By the end of this topic, Students should be able to:-

1. Explain the meaning of reported speech in general;

Definition of Reported Speech.

Reported speeches are sentences which concerning on direct and indirect speeches. They refer to
what a person says without necessary saying or writing the speaker’s exact word in speaking and
writing English language. Reported speech does not use quotation mark and capital letters to
show the beginning of the words that a person actually speaks or write.

Example:- Dr. Zelalem says, “I teach English at Dila University”. (Direct speech)

Dr, Zelalem said that he taught English at Dila University.

The following formulas are very necessary in changing direct speech in to indirect speech.

Change pronouns from direct speech to indirect speech

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

I she/he/it

We they

You I/ we/they

Change possessive adjectives from direct speech to indirect speech

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Me him/her

My his/ hers

Mine his/hers

Us them

Ours theirs
 Note:- third person pronouns should not be changed.

These are:- Subject such as she/he/ they

Object such as her/him/them Should not changed.

Possessive such as hers/ his/theirs

Change in adverbs of place and time from direct speech to indirect speech

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

This that

These those

Here there

Now then

Today that day

Yesterday that day before

Ago before

Tomorrow the following day

Next week the following week

Tense changes From Direct to Indirect Speech

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

1. Simple present tense Simple past tense (except in universal

Example:- Abebech said “ I go to school. Abebech said that she went to school.

2. present continuous tense past continuous tense.

Example:- Hana said “ I am watching Tv. Hana said that she was watching Tv.
3. present perfect tense. past perfect tense.

Example:- Tulu said “ I have helped my mother. Tulu said that he had helped his mother.

4. present perfect continuous tense. Past perfect continuous tense.

Example:- Bontu said “I has been going to school”. Bontu said that she had been going to
school.

5. Simple past tense. Past perfect tense.

Example:- Chala said “I went to market”. Chala said that he had gone to market.

6. Past continuous tense past perfect continuous tense.

Example:- He said “I was doing my home work”. He said that he had been doing his home
work.

7. Past perfect tense. remains Past perfect

Example:- Fatuma said “I had gone to school”. Fatuma said that she had gone to school.

8. Past perfect continuous tense. past perfect continuous

Example:- Lema said “I has been going to school”. :- He said that he had been going to school”.

9. Fully possible zero conditional tense. change verb-1 to verb-2.

Example:- :- Lomi said “if it rains, I get water”. (Dirct speech).

Lomi said that if it rained ,s he got. (Indirect speech).

10. Simple future tense 2nd type conditional tense.

Example:- Kidist said “I can teach English”. Kidist said that she could teach English.

11 Unlikely/ imaginary conditional tense change v-1 to v-2 and 2nd type conditional
tense.

Example:- Megertu said “if I study hard, I will pass the examination.” (direct speech).

Megertu said that if she studied hard, she would have passed the examination. (Indirect speech)

12 Impossible conditional tense. verb-3 as it is and 3rd type conditional tense.

Example:- Chaltu said “if I had had money, I would have given it to you”. (Direct speech)

Chaltu said that if she had had money, she would have given it to me/ us.
GROUP WORK ASSIGNMENT (10%).
Write the following sentences from direct speech to indirect speech based upon the above
given examples.

1. Write three simple present direct speech sentences and change to indirect speech sentences.

2. Write three present continuous direct speech sentences and change to indirect speech.

3. Write three present perfect direct speech sentences and change to indirect speech.

4. Write three present perfect continuous direct speech sentences and change to indirect speech.

5. Write two simple past direct speech sentences and change to indirect speech sentences.

6. Write two past continuous direct speech sentences and change to indirect speech sentences.

7. Write two past perfect direct speech sentences and change to indirect speech sentences.

8. Write two past perfect continuous direct speech sentences and change to indirect speech.

9. Write one simple future direct speech sentences and change to indirect speech sentences.

10. Write one future continuous direct speech sentences and change to indirect speech sentences.

11. Write one future perfect direct speech sentences and change to indirect speech sentences.

12. Write one future perfect continuous direct speech sentences and change to indirect speech.