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Teens | B1
What will you learn in this lesson?
What direct speech is.
What reported speech is.
How to turn direct speech into reported speech.
Warm Up
Yesterday you hung out with your friends. Here are some things your friends said to you. Try to remember who said what.
I work as a volunteer in the animal shelter.
Sarah
I am enjoying my new school.
Chriss
I am in love!
Alice
I missed you!
Peter
I love your new style.
Greg
Warm Up
Today your mother asks you how your friends are. You tell her what your friends said. Try to remember who said what.
said she worked as a volunteer in the animal shelter.
said he enjoyed his new school.
said that she was in love!
said he missed me!
said that he loved my new style.
Click to reveal names
Sarah
Chris
Alice
Peter
Greg
Think: What changed in the sentences when your reported you friends’ comments?
What Is Direct and Reported Speech?
Direct speech
is what exactly the person said. The speech is surrounded by quotation marks.
Reported speech
is the exact meaning of what the person said. It is not exact in words. We do not have quotation marks in reported speech.
She said that she loved them to the moon and back.
She said, ”I love you to the moon and back.”
Reporting Verbs: Say and Tell
To report speech, we use a reporting verb like say, tell, explain, advise, promise, exclaim followed by that close. ‘That’ can be omitted.
Remember:
We always use object after ‘tell’.
My mother told us (that) we would soon move. (Not told that)
Remember:
We do not have object after say.
My sister said she bought a car. (Not said us)
But we can use to + object after say.
Peter said to us that he would graduate next year. (but no ‘to’ with tell)
Remember about collocations: tell the truth, tell a lie, say nothing, tell one for another
Let’s Practise
Say or tell?
told
said
told
told
us
Click to reveal answers
What do you need to do to make reported speech?
Reported speech
Direct speech
She said, “I can do this myself tomorrow.”
She said she could do that herself the next day.
1: Change punctuation : ” “
2: Change the pronouns : I, myself → she, herself.
3: Change the time and place words in your sentence to the past tense if needed : tomorrow, → the next day
4: Change the tense to past tense if needed : can → could
She said, “I can do this myself tomorrow.”
She said, “I can do this myself tomorrow.”
She said she could do that herself the next day.
She said, “I can do this myself tomorrow.”
She said she could do that herself the next day.
She said, “I can do this myself tomorrow.”
She said she could do that herself the next day.
Change Punctuation
No quotation marks or comma are needed in the reported speech.
1
Compare:
The teacher promised, “We will go hiking in spring.”
The teacher promised that we would go hiking in spring.
Change of Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives
2
When reporting a sentence, change pronouns according to the meaning.
She said to us, “I am happy to walk your dog.”
She said to us that she was happy to walk our dog.
Eric said, “It will be the first time I travel by myself.”
Eric said that it would be the first time he travelled by himself.
Let’s Practise
She said that was not hungry.
Nick said that enjoyed at the party.
2
Fill in the blanks with the right pronouns.
she
they
themselves
Reported Speech
Direct Speech
Change of Adverbs of Time and Place
3
In reported speech, time and place adverbs need to be changed according to the meaning. For example, we can’t talk about ‘now’ or ‘here’ reporting activities in the past.
at that time, then, at once, immediately
that day, that week / month / year
the day before, the previous week / month / year
the next day, the day after
there
now
today, this week / month / year
yesterday, last week / month / year
tomorrow
here
that / those
this / these
Let’s Practise
3
Fill in the right time or place reference below?
He said that he was coming ?
She said that they met week.
She said she was not studying any more.
that day
the previous
there
Change of Tense (If Needed)
4
When the reporting verb is in the present tense or future, the tense in the reporting sentence does not change:
My father says, “You need to go to bed at the same time every day.”
My father says that we need to go to bed at the same time every day.
My mother said, “You can stay awake all night on the 31st of December.”
My mother said that we could stay awake all night on the 31st of December.
But when the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense in the reporting sentence changes to the past:
Change of Tense
Reported Speech
Direct Speech
4
When the reporting verb is in the past, we need to change the tense in the reporting clause as follows:
Past Simple Jack said that he wanted to go.
Past Continuous Daniella said that they were dancing.
Past Perfect Richard said that he had sold his new computer.
Past Simple or Past Perfect He said that he had done all his homework / He said that did all his homework
Future in the Past She said that she would marry him.
Present Simple Jack said, “I want to go.”
Present Continuous Daniella said, “They are dancing.”
Present Perfect Richard said, “I have sold my old computer.”
Past Simple “I did all my homework”, he said.
Future “I will marry you”, she said.
When we do not need to change the tense
If the fact in the reporting clause still exists and is relevant or it is a permanent truth we use present tenses.
The teacher proved to the students that the Earth revolves around the Sun.
He said that he is living in New York. (He is still living there now)
Let’s practise! Unscramble the sentence.
jacket. / Jane / her / that / she / needed / mother / told / a / new
Jane told her mother that she needed a new jacket.
Unscramble the sentence.
India / He / January. / was / said / in / to/ that / he /travelling
He said that he was travelling to India in January.
Unscramble the sentence.
home. / Jin / that / said / his / friends / to us / gone / had
Jin said to us that his friends had gone home.
Turn the sentences into reported speech.
The teachers advises that the students should not use AI to generate essays.
Jean said she had cooked the lunch herself.
The science teacher said that water evaporates at 100°C.
Where do the tenses remain the same as in the direct speech? Why?
Report what these people said about the party last week.
It is the best birthday party ever!
Ana
Ana said (or exclaimed) it was the best birthday party ever.
Report what these people said about the party last week.
The cake looks terrific!
Janet
Janet said (or exclaimed) that the cake looked terrific.
Report what these people said about the party last week.
The mother thought they would not eat those hamburgers after they saw the cake.
They will not eat these hamburgers after they see the cake.
Mother
Report what these people said about the party last week.
We decorated the house ourselves yesterday
Tim
Tim said that they had decorated the house the day before.
Report what these people said about the party last week.
I got so many presents. I will open them now!
Alice
Alice said she got many presents and she would open them immediately.
Add your own ideas what they might think or say!
Wrap Up Questions