Reported Speech

What is Reported Speech?

Reported Speech is a way how we report what someone has said by changing some of the words said, but retaining the same meaning.

What need to be changed in a sentence in Reported Speech? 1. The verbs 2. The pronouns and possesive adjectives 3. Some adverbs (now and there words) Example: I am watching my favourite programme now Tom said (that) he was watching his favourite programme then

I am very happy today.

Susanna said (that) she was very happy that day.

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We use reported speech to talk about what someone said.

When we report a statement, we have toobserve the following rules:

 take away the quotation marks

e.g Some students are talking, said the teacher. The teacher said (that) some students were talking.

 change the tense

simple present present continuous present perfect simple past past continuous simple past

continuous past
perfect past perfect past perfect continuous past

past perfect
simple future (will+ bare infinitive) future continuous f uture perfect

perfect past
would+ bare infinitive would+ continuous tense would+ past perfect

simple present /present perfect

simple past perfect / past /past past perfect continuous continuous/ past perfect

e.g. a) Peter said, I am driving a car. (simple present) Peter said, he was driving a car. (simple past) b) Peter said, I was driving a car. (simple continuous) Peter said he had been driving a car. (past perfect continuous) c) Peter said, I will drive a car. (simple future) Peter said he would drive a car. (would+ bare infinitive)

 e.g

I am very happy today, said Susanna Susanna said (that) she was very happy that day. e.g Some students are talking, said the teacher. The teacher said (that) some students were talking.
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How to change the pronouns and possessive adjectives I/you he/she

me/you
my/your mine/yours we/you

him/her
his/her his/hers they

us/you
our/your ours/yours

them
their theirs
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How to change the adverbs of time:

now today This afternoon tonight tomorrow yesterday next week last week

then that day that afternoon that night the following day the day before the following week the week before

Other changes to make:

this these here come

that those there go

Exercise:
1) Paul said, I have gone to Japan last summer. ________________________________ 2) May said, I visited the library yesterday. _________________________________

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How many people are there in your family?

Tony asked Ray how many people there were in his family.
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When we report a question, we have to:

take away the quotation marks change the tense change the pronouns

change the time words

determine whether it is an open (open answer)

/closed (yes/no answer) question
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We also have to:

change the question mark to a full stop e.g. How many people are there in your family? Tony asked Ray. Tony asked Ray how many people there were in his family.
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 change the order of words

(for open questions)

e.g. How many people are there in your family? Tony asked Ray. Tony asked Ray how many people there were in his family.
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Insert if/whether into the sentence when it is a closed question e.g. Peter asked, do you have a mobile phone? Peter asked if I had a mobile phone (or not).

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Exercise
1) Frank asked, do you know where I am? _______________________________ 2) Mary asked, what is your name? ________________________________

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Now, please do P.10 of your grammar book

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