REPORTED
SPEECH
Mr. José Espinoza
GETTING INTO THE SUBJECT
CAN YOU SPOT THE DIFFERENCE?
NOTE THAT IN THE FIRST ONE, THE SENTENCE IS INDICATING WHAT THE PERSON SAID, WHILE THE SECOND IS BEING REPORTED WHAT SOMEONE ELSE SAID.
Have you ever heard about the occupation REPORTER?
What does it do?
WHAT IS THE REPORTED SPEECH?
He/she REPORTS information heard or seen,
and informs it to other people.
THE REPORTED SPEECH DOES THE SAME!
WHAT IS THE REPORTED SPEECH?
We use the reported speech in the following situations:
1. Give someone a telephone message.
For example:
Mary said that she couldn’t come today because she was sick.
2. Tell someone something we heard from someone else.
For example:
They told me that they graduated.
3. To report something that happened earlier.
For example:
My friend said that the other driver ran the red light and hit his car.
HOW DO WE REPORT?
DIRECT SPEECH | (INDIRECT) REPORTED SPEECH |
I like ice cream | She said (that) she liked ice cream. |
I am living in London | She said (that) she was living in London. |
I bought a car | She said (that) she had bought a car OR She said (that) she bought a car. |
I was walking along the street | She said (that) she had been walking along the street. |
I haven't seen Julie | She said (that) she hadn't seen Julie. |
I had taken English lessons before | She said (that) she had taken English lessons before. |
I'll see you later | She said (that) she would see me later. |
NOTE THAT EACH OF THE SENTENCES FROM DIRECT SPEECH IS MODIFIED IN CERTAIN ELEMENTS WHEN BECOMING AN INDIRECT SPEECH SENTENCE.
HOW DO WE REPORT?
HOW DO WE REPORT?
“HE SAID THAT HE WOULD FINISH HIS REPORT IN TWO DAYS”.
Speaker
Reporting Verb
That (optional)
Tense Change
HOW DO WE REPORT?
“HE SAID THAT HE WOULD FINISH HIS REPORT IN TWO DAYS”.
REPORTING
VERB
TELL
ASK
AGREE
APOLOGIZE
DECIDE
EXPLAIN
INSIST
PROMISE
RECOMMEND
HOW DO WE REPORT?
There are some time expressions that are modified when they are part of the reported speech (indirect speech).
HOW DO WE REPORT QUESTIONS?
The tense changes are the same, and we keep the question word. The very important thing though is that, once we tell the question to someone else, it isn't a question any more. So we need to change the grammar to a normal positive sentence. A bit confusing? Maybe this example will help:
So much for 'wh' questions. But what if you need to report a 'yes / no' question? We don't have any question words to help us. Instead, we use 'if’.
PRACTICE SPOT
PRACTICE SPOT
“I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have”.
Thomas Jefferson
PRACTICE SPOT
Thomas Jefferson said he found that the harder he worked,
the more luck he seemed to have.
WHAT DID HE SAY?
PRACTICE SPOT
“90% of our worries are about things that will not happen”.
Margaret Thatcher
PRACTICE SPOT
Margaret mentioned that 90% of their worries were about
things that would not happen.
WHAT DID SHE MENTION?
PRACTICE SPOT
PRACTICE SPOT
PRACTICE SPOT
I am happy today, because I am finishing my final work at school.
My teacher congratulated me on my advance, and a smile appeared on my fase.
How is this reported?
PRACTICE SPOT
REPORT THE FOLLOWING SEQUENCE OF EVENTS ABOUT A TYPICAL DAY OF AN EXOTIC VET.
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