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Theory Introduction

We use reported speech to report the exact meaning of what someone said, but not the exact words.

Reported Statements

1.To turn statements into reported speech we use the conjunction that (or omit it after say and tell + object). But that should be kept after other verbs: complain, explain, object, point out, protest, etc.

He said, “I am ill. I have been ill since last month”.

He told me he was ill. He explained that he had been ill since the previous month.

2. Personal and possessive pronouns change according to the meaning of the sentence.

He said, “I don’t remember your address.”

He told me (that) hedidn’t remember my address.

3. Verb tenses change in the reported speech according to the Sequence of Tenses rule (See page 248) in the following cases:

a) when the introductory (reporting) verb is in the past tense:

“I have bought a new computer this week,” he said.

He told me (that) he had boughta new computer thatweek.

 

b) in out-of-date reporting:

“I am going to buy a house,” my friend said.

My friend told me (that) he was going to buy a house.

 

c) when we consider what the speaker says to be untrue:

“Tom and I are business partners,” Jane said to me.

Jane said (that) she and Tom were business partners. (but it is not true)

Note:

In Type I conditionals tenses change in reported speech as follows: the present simple becomes past simple in the if-clause, and will becomes would in the main clause.

“If it rains, we won’t go anywhere”, he said.

He said (that) if it rained, they wouldn’t go anywhere.

 

4. Some words and time expressions change according to the meaning of the sentence:

now today tonight yesterday ago two days ago last month next month this these   tomorrow here come → → → → → → → → →   → → → → then, at the time, immediately/at the moment that day that night the day before, the previous day before two days before the month before, the previous month the month after/the following month that/the; (this week → that week, this book → the book) those/the; (these years → those years, these films → the films) the next day/ the following day there go

“I came here yesterday,” he said to me.

He told me (that) he had gone there the day before.

 

5. Instead of the verb say to we use the verb tell without “to” + object, or other reporting verbs. (See page 259)

say to me/him/her tell me/him/her

Notes:

1. When this/these are used in time expressions, they change to that/those.

this week → that week, these days → those days

2. When this/these/that/those are not used in time expressions, they change as follows:

a) they change to the when used as adjectives, that is, when they are followed by a noun.

“This book is boring,” I said.

I said that thebook was boring.



b) they change to it or they/them when used as pronouns, that is, when they are not followed by a noun.

“This is the happiest day in my life”, she said.

She said that it was the happiest day in her life.

 

Say – Tell – Ask

Say can be used both in direct and reported speech. It is used without or with a personal object and in this case it is always followed by the preposition to(said to me). Say can introduce a statement or follow it.

He said, “I am busy.”/“I am busy,” he said. Investion is possible: “I am busy,” said he. But: “I am busy,” he said to me.

In reported speech say is not followed by an object pronoun, but can be followed by that.

He said (that) he was busy.

Tellcan be used both in direct and reported speech. It is always followed by a personal object (tell me/him/her), except with tell the truth/the time; tell a lie/a story.

“I am happy,” she told me. → She told me (that) she was happy.

Note:

Say + to + person addressed and tell (somebody) with direct speech are placed after the direct statement.

“I haven’t got much time,” he told me./ or he said to me.

Askis used in reported questions and requests. It is also used in direct speech and is placed at the end of the statement.

“Where have you been?” he asked me.

He asked me where I had been.

“Will you do me a favour?” Peter said to me.

Peter asked me to do him a favour.

 

Tenses do not change in reported speech:

1) when the reporting verb (say, tell, etc) is in the present simple, present perfect or future.

“I live in Minsk”, he says. He says (that) he lives in Minsk.

He has explained, “I know nothing about this”.

He has explained that he knows nothing about it.

2) when the reported sentence has modal verbs must(logical assumption) mustn’t, should, ought to, could, mightand had better, used to.

She said, “You mustbe brave and honest”.

She said that I mustbe brave and honest.

“You shouldnever tell a lie to your teachers”, Mum said.

Mum said that I shouldnever tell a lie to my teachers.

“You oughttobe on time here”, the teacher said.

The teacher told us (that) we oughttobeon time there.

3) In Type II and Type III conditionals.

“If I earned much money, I would buy a new car”, he said.

He said (that) if he earned much money, he would buy a new car.

“If I had been more careful, I wouldn’t have made such a mistake,” Sarah said.

Sarah told me (that) if she had been more careful, she wouldn’t have made such a mistake.

Notes:

Tenses can either change or remain the same in reported speech:

1) when the speaker reports a general truth, a law of nature or a permanent state.

“The Sun rises in the East and sets in the West,” the teacher said.

The teacher explained that the Sun rises/rose in the East and sets/set in the West.

The teacher said Edinburgh is/was the capital of Scotland.

2) In theory the Past Simple changes to the Past Perfect, but in spoken English it is often left unchanged, provided it doesn’t cause confusion about the time of the action.

He said, “I loved her” must become He said he had loved her as
otherwise there would be a change of meaning.

 

3) The Past Continuous in theory changes to the Past Perfect Continuous, but in practice it often remains unchanged except when it refers to a completed action.

a) He said, “When I saw them, they were playing chess”.

He said when he saw them they were playing chess.

b) She said, “We were thinking of buying a new house but we have decided not to.”

She said that they had been thinking of buying a new house but had decided not to.

4) The Past Simple/Past Continuous tenses do not normally change in time clauses. The main verb of such sentences can either remain unchanged or become the Past Perfect.

He said, “When I lived/was living in England I often saw the sights of London.”

He said that when he lived/was living in England he often saw/had often seen the sights of London.

5) Shall used with future reference for prediction, speculation, etc. becomes would in reported speech.

I shall tell him everything.” → She said that she would tell him everything.

Shall used in offers, suggestions or requests for advice, becomes should (even after the second and third person).

“Shall I speak to her in person?” she asked. She asked whether she should speak to her in person.

6) Needn’t (absence of necessity) can remain unchanged or can be replaced by didn’t have to in reported speech.

“You needn’t go there tomorrow,” the boss said. → The boss said I needn’t/didn’thaveto go there the next day.

 

Reported Questions

1. To turn general questions beginning with an auxiliary verb (is/are, was/were, do/does, did, have/has, had, will) or a modal verb (can, may, etc.) into reported speech we use the conjunctions if or whether and direct word order in reported questions.

“Are you from Belarus?” she asked me.

She asked me if I was from Belarus.

“Did you take part in the concert yesterday?” my friend asked me.

My friend asked me whether I had taken part in the concert the day before.

“Will you help me tomorrow?” Father asked me.

Father asked me if/whether I would help him the next day.

Notes:

1) We can use the following verbs and verb phrases before if and whether clauses: ask, want to know, wonder, (not) say, enquire, cannot remember, etc.

2) Do/does/did in general questions disappear in reported speech.

“Did he go home?” → She asked me if he had gone home.

3) All kinds of Yes/No questions are reported in the same way. Phrases like in surprise can be added if necessary.

Do you speak English? Don’t you speak English? You speak English, don’t you? You don’t speak English, do you?   He asked me if/whether I spoke English.

4) If and whether are interchangeable, but if is more usual. Whether conveys slightly greater doubt. Whether is usually preferred when a choice has to be made and when we include the phrase or not.

She asked me whether I wanted tea or coffee.

5) Reported Yes/No questions with or not may be the following:

“Do you play chess or not?”

a) He wanted to know whether I played chess or not.

b) He wanted to know whether or not I played chess (not: if or not)

 

2. To turn special questions beginning with question words (who, where, when, what, why, how, how long, how old, how many/how much) into reported speech we use the same question word as a conjunction and direct word order in reported questions.

“Whereareyou from”, he asked me.

He asked me whereIwas from.

“Wheredid you goyesterday?” Mum asked me.

Mum asked me whereIhad gone the day before.

“How many students are there in your group?” my friend asked me.

My friend asked me how many students there were in my group.

 


Date: 2015-12-11; view: 1311


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