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Ask; inquire; try; find out; wonder; want to know
Reported Speech
| Present Simple ‘ I know about it.’ Present Continuous ‘I’m writing a test.’ Present Perfect ‘I’ve bought a car.’ Past Simple ‘I saw the film.’ Past Continuous ‘I was waiting for Ann.’ Past Perfect ‘I had done it by 9.’ | He said (that)… | Past Simple he knew about it. Past Continuous he was writing a test. Past Perfect he had bought a car. Past Perfect he had seen the film. Past Perfect Continuous he had been waiting for Ann. Past Perfect he had done it by 9. |
Note: Future tenses in the reported speech become Future-in-the Past tenses (would/should)
II. There are the following types of reported speech:
Reported statements.
Reported statements are introduced by verbs like these, followed by that:
Add; admit; announce; answer; complain; explain; find out; inform smb;
Let smb know; reply; report; say; shout; suggest; tell smb; whisper
“I’m afraid I made a mistake”. She admitted that she had made a mistake.
“Oh, and I’m sorry ”. She added that she was sorry.
“Listen everyone we’re getting married! ”They announced that they were getting married.
Reported orders, promises, offers, requests and advice.
Reported orders, promises, offers, requestsandadvice are introduced by verbs like these, followed by to… :
Advise; ask; encourage; invite; offer; order; persuade; promise; recommend;
Remind; tell; threaten; want; warn
“You’d better be careful. ” She advised me to be careful.
“ Will you help me, please?” He asked me to help him.
“ Don’t drop it.” She warned me not to drop it.
“Go on, have another try.” She encouraged me to try again.
Reported questions.
Reported questions are introduced by verbs like these, followed by a Wh- question word:
ask; inquire; try; find out; wonder; want to know
“ What are you doing?” He asked me what I was doing.
Yes/No questions are reported with if or whether:
“Are you feeling all right?” She asked me if / whether I was feeling all right.
III. When you’re reporting timesand places, words like these may have to be changed, depending when the original conversation took place:
| tomorrow ® the next day yesterday ® the day before this week ® that week last week ® the week before next week ® the week after |
here ® there
now ® then
this ® that
these ® those
NOTES:
1. The tense of the words spoken does not change:
1)if the reported words are always true.
The teacher explained that the earth goes round the sun.
He said he can’t speak French.
2) if the words spoken are still true.
He said a statement will be made in next week’s newspaper (The newspaper hasn’t been printed yet).
3) if a message is being repeated immediately.
Mary said she’s too busy to come (Immediate reporting).
4)in Conditional sentences:
“I wish it was summer now.”
She (said she) wished it was summer.
“You might be more polite with your children”.
He remarked she might be more polite with her children.
5)if the Past Indefinite in direct speech denotes an action taking place at a definite moment, it remains unchanged in indirect speech.
| He said, “I had left home before you came”. | He said he had left home before I came. |
6)The Past Indefinite after since remains unchanged.
| She said, “I have been writing since I came.” | She said she had been writing since she came. |
2. Indirect speech with modal auxiliaries:
1)modals change where there is a “past” equivalent
will – would/ can –could / may – might
could, would and might do not change
She said (that) she might be late.
2) Must remains unchanged if it expresses advice or is replaced by had to to express necessity.
You must be more careful. She told him he must be more careful (advice).
I must get up early every morning. She said she had to get up early every morning
(necessity).
Date: 2015-12-24; view: 1458
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