Unit 11

Reported speech& Reporting verbs

1-Reported speech
Use
Why do we use the reported speech?
We use reported speech to report someone's words from the past.
Direct speech: 'The photos are on YouTube.
Reported speech: She said (that) the photos were on YouTube.

We can use the conjunction (that) in reported speech. There is no difference.

She said the photos were on YouTube.
She said that the photos were on YouTube.

'The photos are on YouTube.

She said (that) the photos were on YouTube.

1-Statements:
Form
When we report what someone said, we often move the tense 'backwards'.

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We often need to make other changes when we report what someone said:
Pronouns:

I he/she
We they
My his/her
Our their
You (object) me

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Time expressions:

Now then
today that day
tomorrow the next day
yesterday the previous day
last night the night before
this morning that morning
this that

here there

2-Reported questions

1-Yes/No Questions use if or whether

We do not use the auxiliary verb do in the reported
question. did - does and do is omitted when we report the
question. But will- can- has- have - is - are - am - shall are
not omitted, we change it from present to past and change
the question arrangement to a sentence arrangement.

“Do you want to be a researcher on this project?”

He asked (me) if/whether I wanted to be a researcher on that project. (Drop the ?)
'Do you think this policy will work?'
He asked if I thought the policy would work.
Lilly said to her son, “Can you give me a hand here”
Lilly asked her son if he could give her a hand there.

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2-What, why, where, who, when, how Questions We keep –wh and use the same order of an

affirmative statement putting the pronoun before

the verb

‘What have you been doing?'

I asked (him) what he had been doing. (Drop the ?)

‘Why haven't we seen this information before?

She asked why they hadn't seen that information before. (Drop the ?)

'What are you doing?'

I asked what he was doing.

1)We often use the verb say to report someone's words. We don't follow say
with an object.
I think Manchester United will win.

Paul said (that) he thought Manchester United would win.

“I think they will go.”

Sue said (that) she thought they would go.

2)We can use tell to report someone's words and to say who someone is talking to. Tell
always needs an object
such as me, him, her, you, us, them, everyone.
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Peter said to me: I think Manchester United will win.
Peter told me (that) he thought Manchester United would win.

I think we'll go.'

Sue told me (that) she thought they would go.

Change the following direct sentences to reported speech:

1- Greg: I’ve got a new digital camera.'

Greg said that he had got a new digital camera.

2- Anita: I’ll read the news report tomorrow.'

Anita said (that) she would read the news report the next day.

3- Joe: I visited the Amazon rain forest on my trip to South America last year/
Joe said that he had visited the Amazon rain forest on his trip to South America the year before

4- Adele: 'Can 1 give you a donation for charity?'

Adele asked if she could give me a donation for charity

5- Nathan: 'I've just seen the documentary about endangered languages of the world/

Nathan said he had just seen the documentary about endangered languages of the world.
6-Michelle: 'I was making improvements to the website yesterday/

Michelle said that she had been making improvements to the website the day before.

7-Simon: 'Have you ever met anyone from Peru?'

Simon asked if I had ever met anyone from Peru

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8-Manuela: 'We're meeting the local government representative tomorrow.'
Manuela said they were meeting the local government representative the next day.

Rewrite the sentences into the reported speech:

1-Jessica said to Lilly, “my eyes are hurting me tonight for sitting
eight hours straight on the computer.” Present continuous------past
continuous

Jessica told Lilly that her eyes were hurting her that night for sitting
eight hours straight on the computer. Past continuous-----past prefect
continuous

2-The teacher said, “How long has Henry been fighting cancer?”
The teacher asked how long Henry had been fighting cancer.
Present simple----present perfect continuous----past perfect continuous

3-The students said. “Do we have to study all this grammar to improve
our language?”
The students asked if/whether they had to study all that grammar to
improve their language. Present simple----past simple

4-The mother repeatedly said to her daughter, “Why do you keep

disobeying me?”

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 The mother repeatedly asked her daughter why she kept disobeying
her. present continuous----past continuous.

5-Jashua said to his friends, “where did you go yesterday

Jashua asked his friends where they had gone the day before. ?” past
simple-----past perfect

6-Veronica said, “The word KG means Kinder Garten in German.”

Veronica explained that the word KG means Kinder Garten in
German. (Fact)

7-Jasmine said to Samantha, “David loves me and wants to marry me

as soon as possible.”
Jasmine told Samantha that David loved her and wanted to marry her
as soon as possible. Present simple------past simple

8-The child said to the police, “I stole the loaf because I was hungry!”
The child told the police that he had stolen the loaf because he had
been hungry. Past simple-------past perfect

9-The child said to his friends, “I want to go back home early.”

The child told his friends that he wanted to go back home early.
Present simple-----past simple

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10-The boy said to the conductor, “When does the train leave the
station?” Present simple-----past simple
The boy asked the conductor when the train left/leaves the station.”
(Fact)

2-Reporting verbs

Form
Common verbs for reporting what people have said are:
say, tell, explain, suggest, think, recall, ask /remind /invite + someone + (not)
When you give a command, order or advice
to +(sentence usually start or end with please)
infinitive
1- Use to+ verb in the reported speech if the sentence is positive
1. “Please turn off your mobile phones at work,” the manager said to his employees.

The manager asked his employees to turn off their mobile phones at work.

2. She said to me, “finish the report by the end of the day.”

She told me to finish the report by the end of the day.

3- Jamie said to his friend, “upload your photos as soon as you get home.”

Jamie reminded his friend to upload his photos as soon as he got home.

4- Vie said to our clients, “attend the opening of the new gallery.”

Vie invited our clients to attend the opening of the new gallery.

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 5- “Please check your details before continuing”

They reminded customers to check their details before continuing.

6-'Don't contact me by email until my computer is fixed.”

She asked her friends not to contact her by email until her computer was fixed.

2- Use (not) to + infinitive in the reported speech if the sentence is negative

1. They promised not to write about the incident on their blog.

2. She advised us not to send a text to the journalist.

The reporting verbs realise, think, wonder and know have the same pattern as say and
ask:

She realised (that) she had forgotten to switch off her computer.

They knew (that) she was coming to visit at the weekend.

Patrick wondered if they read his blog.

Use
When we decide what reporting verb to use, we think about the function or the purpose of the

speaker's words:

“Remember to switch off your computer”

He reminded me to switch off my computer.

“I’ll send you a text when I arrive.”

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She promised to send me a text when she arrived.

“Stay healthy and give up smoking”

She encouraged me to stay healthy and give up smoking.

“Don’t procrastinate”

She advised me not to procrastinate.

“Follow your intuition”

He persuaded/ convinced me to follow my intuition.

“Don’t play with fire,” Jashua said to the child.

Jashua warned the child not to play with fire.

Change the direct speech into reported speech, using a suitable reporting verb.
Remember to make changes to pronouns and time expressions where necessary.

Rewrite the following sentences using the proper verb (use either Tell/ Ask):

1-David: "I wonder if your friends are coming.'

David wondered if my friends were coming.

2-Sarah: “Can I borrow your laptop tomorrow?”

Sarah asked if she could borrow my laptop the next day.

3-Caroline: 'Upload these reports onto the website.”

Caroline told me to upload those reports onto the website.

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4-Martin: “Remember to take your mobile phone next week.”
Martin reminded me to take my mobile phone the following week.

5-Jack: 'I'll connect you to the Internet tomorrow morning.'

Jack promised to connect me to the Internet the following / next morning.

6-Hannah: 'Come and stay with me next weekend.'

Hannah invited me to come and stay with her the following weekend.

7-Adam: 'I realise that I was wrong last night.'

Adam admitted that he had been wrong the night before.

8-Martina: 'Where are you going on Saturday?'

Martina asked where I was going on Saturday.

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