06 Planet

Earth
● VOCABULARY: The Environment
● GRAMMAR: Reported speech
● READING: A report
● WRITING: An essay
Food for thought…
 Grammar: reported
statements
We use the reported speech to tell another person what someone said.

LAST TIME I SAW

we normally move the verb back in LACEY SHE TOLD ME
time when reporting information SHE WAS GOING TO
I’M GOING TO
SAVE UP TO BUY A
SAVE UP TO BUY
NEW CAR
A NEW CAR
December 2024 Present Time
 However, there is no change in verb tense when reporting an objective fact or a
permanent situation:

SHE SAYS SHE IS

A VERY
I’M A VERY The reporting verb may or may not RESPONSIBLE
RESPONSIBLE change. PERSON.
PERSON.
December 2024 Present Time
 Reporting verbs:
When we report the information we
normally need a reporting verb in the past,
such as said, told, explained, or asked.
SAY or TELL ?
After ‘say’ we don’t use a person or However, there is a wide variety of verbs
object pronoun: you can use to enrich your language: add,

He said (that) he was tired.

admit, agree, announce, answer,
apologise, boast, claim, complain,
After ‘tell’ we must use a person or
declare, deny, explain, inform, insist,
pronoun:
mention, offer, predict, promise, refuse,
He told me (that) he was tired.
remind, reply, state, etc.
 When we report the information we We usually need to change the tense,
normally need a reporting verb in the pronouns and time and place words
past: said, told, explained, asked, etc. too:

I will meet you

here tomorrow.
SAY or TELL ?
After ‘say’ we don’t use a person or object
pronoun: He said (that) he was tired.
He told me he
After ‘tell’ we must use a person or pronoun:
He told me (that) he was tired.
would meet me
there today.
 Grammar tense Direct speech Indirect speech

Present Simple “I like travelling” She said (that) she liked travelling

Present Continuous “I’m leaving tomorrow” She said (that) she was leaving the next day.

Past Simple “I passed my exam” She told me (that) she had passed her exam.

Past Continuous “I was working in a hospital” She told me (that) she had been working in a hospital.

Present Perfect Simple “I’ve forgotten my keys! She told me (that) she had forgotten her keys

Present Perfect Cont. “I’ve been studying a lot these days” She told me (that) she had been studying a lot those days.

Past Perfect Simple “I had taken English lessons before” She said (that) she had taken English lessons before

Past Perfect Cont. “I had been sleeping for hours” She said (that) she had been sleeping for hours.

Future Simple (will) “I will always love you” She said (that) she would always love me.

Be going to “I’m going to buy a new car next year” She said (that) she was going to buy a new car the
following year
Modal verb Direct speech Indirect speech

Can / Can’t “I can’t come to your party.” She told me (that) she couldn’t come to my party.

May (not) “I may be late.” She said (that) she might be late.

Must / Have to “I must leave now.” She said (that) she had to leave then.

However, some modal verbs stay the same: should, could, might, mustn’t.

“I should call He told me he

my mother should call his
more often” mother more often
 Direct speech Indirect speech

now then

today that day

Other changes: tonight that night

tomorrow the next day / the following day / the

day after
Direct speech Indirect speech
next (week) the following (week) / the (week) after
here there

this that yesterday the day before / the previous day

these those
last (night) The (night) before / the previous (night)

A (month) ago The previous (month) / the (month)

before
 Reported questions:
When reporting questions, questions turn into affirmative forms: subjects don’t come after verbs
like in normal questions and we don’t use question auxiliary verbs. Some common reporting
verbs are: ask, enquire, request, wonder, and want to know.

WH- questions:
2
YES / NO questions:
1
Did she phone? Where do you
live?

HE ASKED HE ASKED ME
We use the words ‘IF’ WHETHER/IF SHE WHERE
or ‘WHETHER’ HAD PHONED. I LIVED
Scientists: “Are we doing enough to save endangered
animals?

Scientists wondered whether they were doing enough to save

endangered animals.
Lizzie: “Will you volunteer for the clean up next month?”

Lizzie wanted to know whether I would volunteer for the clean

up the following month.

Dad: “Why don’t you buy a hybrid car?”

My dad asked me why I didn’t buy a hybrid car.

 Reported suggestions:
The reporting verb can be followed by a gerund (-ing) or by that + subject + base form.
Some common reporting verbs are: suggest, and recommend:

Gerund: That + S + base form:

1 2
“YOU SHOULD “YOU SHOULD
READ MORE” READ MORE”

HE SUGGESTED
HE RECOMMENDED
THAT I READ
READING MORE. We prefer this structure if we MORE.
want to mention to whom is the
suggestion addressed.
 Reported suggestions:
However, with the reporting verbs advise and invite, we use this structure:

Indirect Object + to-infinitive:

3
“YOU SHOULD “YOU SHOULD
SEE THE PARADE” TRY YOGA”

HE INVITED ME
TO SEE THE HE ADVISED ME
PARADE. TO TRY YOGA.
“Wash these clothes in cold water”, said the salesperson.

“I think we should use eco-friendly lights, said the

headteacher.

“You should ride a bike instead of driving”, advised Larry.

 Reported orders and requests:
When reporting orders and requests, we use the infinitive. Some common reporting
verbs are: tell, ask, beg, warn, demand, order, and shout.

Orders: Requests:
1 2
“PLEASE, STOP
THE CAR” “PLEASE, STAY!”

THE WOMAN
In negative reported HE ASKED ME TO BEGGED KATE TO
orders, we use: STOP THE CAR. We always mention the STAY.
indirect object.
not + infinitive.
Locals: “Remember not to swim in this river”.

“Don’t stand there!”, the police warned the demonstrators.

“Please do the recycling when you go out”, my father said.