REPORTED SPEECH

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Basic tense chart The tenses generally move backwards in this way (the tense on the left changes to the tense on the right): present simple I'm a teacher. present continuous I'm having lunch with my parents. present perfect simple I've been to France three times. present perfect continuous I've been working very hard. past simple I bought a new car. past continuous It was raining earlier. past perfect The play had started when I arrived. past perfect continuous I'd already been living in London for five years. past simple He said he was a teacher past continuous. He said he was having lunch with his parents. past perfect simple He said he had been to France three times. past perfect continuous He said he had been working very hard. past perfect He said he had bought a new car. past perfect continuous He said it had been raining earlier. past perfect NO CHANGE POSSIBLE past perfect continuous NO CHANGE POSSIBLE Other verb forms Other verb forms also sometimes change: will I'll come and see you soon. can I can swim under water for two minutes. must All tickets must be bought in advance. shall What shall we do about it? may May I smoke? would He said he would come and see me soon. could He said he could swim under water for two minutes. had to He said that all tickets had to be bought in advance. should He asked what we should do about it. might He asked if he might smoke. Things are slightly more complicated with imperatives. positive imperative Shut up! negative imperative Don't do that again! imperatives as requests Please give me some money. tell + infinitive He told me to shut up. tell + not + infinitive He told me not to do it again. ask + infinitive He asked me to give him some money 2
Questions Note that instead of ‚that‘ you use the interrogative. If there is no interrogative, use ‚whether‘ / ‚if‘. Direct Speech Reported Speech statement He said: “She lives in London.“ He said that she lived in London question with interrogative He asked:“Where does she live?“ He asked where she lived. He asked whether she lived in question without He asked: “Does she live in London. interrogative London?“ He asked if she lived in London • The verbs you use in the introductory clause are basic ones like say, tell, reply, and ask. • But you can also use other reporting verbs Some basic reporting verbs to accuse "It was you who ate my chocolate, Elvira, wasn't it?" → He accused Elvira of eating his chocolate. admit "OK, it was me. I ate your chocolate" → Elvira admitted eating the chocolate. / Elvira admitted that she had eaten the chocolate. advise "Well, if I were you I'd start saving for my retirement." → He advised me to start saving for my retirement agree "Yes, you're right, it's a terrible problem." → She agreed that it was a terrible problem. announce "I'm afraid I've got some bad news. The company's closing." → The manager announced that the company was closing. apologise "I'm sorry I didn't get to the meeting." → He apologised for not going to the meeting. ask "It's very hot in here. Would you mind opening the window?" → She asked him to open the window. blame "We lost the match because you didn't save that penalty." → He blamed the goalkeeper for losing the match. complain "The electrician said he was coming at ten o'clock so I took time off work and waited in all morning...." → She complained about the electrician. congratulate "Well done! I knew you'd pass your driving test this time." → She congratulated him on passing his driving test. deny "It most certainly wasn't me that left the front door open." → He denied leaving the front door open./ He denied that he had left the front door open. 3
Page 1: REPORTED SPEECH Sarah, ''I will mee
Page 5: 9) ''Will you help me with these bo

REPORTED SPEECH

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