Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 518 views

    Reported Speech Chart

    Uploaded by

    Alex Pera
    This document provides a chart for summarizing reported speech in English. It outlines the key changes needed for pronouns, tenses, place, time and other expressions when changing direct to reported speech for statements, questions, requests and commands. For statements, pronouns, tenses and place/time expressions may need to change depending on the context. For questions, these areas plus the question structure need transformation. Requests and commands usually involve changing pronouns and place/time but not tense.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Reported Speech Chart

    Uploaded by

    Alex Pera
    518 views4 pages
    This document provides a chart for summarizing reported speech in English. It outlines the key changes needed for pronouns, tenses, place, time and other expressions when changing direct to reported speech for statements, questions, requests and commands. For statements, pronouns, tenses and place/time expressions may need to change depending on the context. For questions, these areas plus the question structure need transformation. Requests and commands usually involve changing pronouns and place/time but not tense.

    Original Description:

    Reported

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    This document provides a chart for summarizing reported speech in English. It outlines the key changes needed for pronouns, tenses, place, time and other expressions when changing direct to reported speech for statements, questions, requests and commands. For statements, pronouns, tenses and place/time expressions may need to change depending on the context. For questions, these areas plus the question structure need transformation. Requests and commands usually involve changing pronouns and place/time but not tense.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    518 views4 pages

    Reported Speech Chart

    Uploaded by

    Alex Pera
    This document provides a chart for summarizing reported speech in English. It outlines the key changes needed for pronouns, tenses, place, time and other expressions when changing direct to reported speech for statements, questions, requests and commands. For statements, pronouns, tenses and place/time expressions may need to change depending on the context. For questions, these areas plus the question structure need transformation. Requests and commands usually involve changing pronouns and place/time but not tense.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 4

    ENGLISH TRAINING

    REPORTED SPEECH CHART

    GRAMMAR TASK

    A. Reporting Statements
    When transforming statements, check whether you have to change:

    pronouns

    tense

    place and time expression

    1- Pronouns
    Example: She says, My dad likes roast chicken. She says that her dad likes roast chicken.

    2- Tenses
    Direct Speech

    Reported Speech

    Simple Present

    Simple Past

    He said: "I am happy"

    He said that he was happy

    Present Progressive

    Past Progressive

    He said: "I'm looking for my keys"

    He said that he was looking for his keys

    Simple Past

    Past Perfect Simple

    He said: "I visited New York last year"

    He said that he had visited New York the


    previous year.

    Present Perfect

    Past Perfect

    He said: " I've lived here for a long time "

    He said that he had lived there for a long time

    Past Perfect

    Past Perfect

    He said: "They had finished the work when

    He said that they had finished the work when

    I arrived"

    he had arrived"

    Past Progressive

    Past Perfect Progressive

    He said: "I was playing football when the

    He said that he had been playingfootball when

    accident occurred"

    the accident had occurred

    Present Perfect Progressive

    Past Perfect Progressive

    He said:"I have been playingfootball for two

    He said that he had been playingfootball for two

    hours."

    hours

    Past Perfect Progressive

    Past Perfect Progressive

    He said: "I had been reading a newspaper

    He said that he had been reading a newspaper

    when the lightwent off"

    when the light had gone off

    Future Simple (will+verb)

    Conditional (would+verb)
    1

    ENGLISH TRAINING

    REPORTED SPEECH CHART

    GRAMMAR TASK

    He said: "I will open the door."

    He said that he would open the door.

    Conditional (would+verb)

    Conditional (would+verb)

    He said: "I would buy Mercedes if

    He said that he would buyMercedes if he had

    I were rich"

    been rich"

    Other modal verbs may change:

    Modal

    Direct speech

    Reported speech

    can

    "I can do it."

    He said he could do it.

    may

    "May I go out?"

    He wanted to know if he might go out.

    must

    "She must apply for the job."

    He said that she must/had to apply for the job.

    will

    "They will call you."

    He told her that they would call her.

    3- Place, demonstratives and time expressions


    Place, demonstratives and time expressions change if the context of the reported statement
    (i.e. the location and/or the period of time) is different from that of the direct speech.
    Direct Speech

    Reported Speech
    Time Expressions

    today

    that day

    now

    then

    yesterday

    the day before

    days ago

    days before

    last week

    the week before

    next year

    the following year

    tomorrow

    the next day / the following day


    Place

    here

    there
    Demonstratives

    this

    that

    these

    those

    B. Reporting Questions
    When transforming questions, check whether you have to change:

    pronouns

    ENGLISH TRAINING

    REPORTED SPEECH CHART

    place and time expressions

    tenses (backshift)

    GRAMMAR TASK

    Also note that you have to:

    transform the question into an indirect question

    use the question word (where, when, what, how) or if / whether

    Types of questions
    With question word (what,
    why, where, how...)

    Direct speech

    "Why" dont you speak He asked me why I didnt


    English?

    speak English.

    Without question word (yes or Do you speak


    no questions)

    Reported speech

    English?

    He asked me whether / if I
    spoke English.

    C. Reporting requests / commands


    When transforming requests and commands, check whether you have to change:

    pronouns

    place and time expressions


    Direct speech

    Reported speech

    Nancy,do the exercise.

    He told Nancy to do the exercise.

    "Nancy, give me your pen, please."

    He asked Nancy to give him her pen.

    Tenses are not relevant for requests simply use to / not to + verb (infinitive without "to")
    For affirmative use to + infinitive (without to)
    For negative requests, use not to + infinitive (without to).

    D. Other transformations

    Expressions of advice with must, should and ought are usually reported
    using advise /urge.
    Example:
    "You must read this book."
    He advised / urged me to read that book.
    3

    ENGLISH TRAINING

    REPORTED SPEECH CHART

    GRAMMAR TASK

    The expression lets is usually reported using suggest. In this case, there are two
    possibilities for reported speech: gerund or statement with should.
    Example:
    "Lets go to the cinema."
    1. He suggested going to the cinema.
    2. He suggested that we should go to the cinema.

    Main clauses connected with and/but


    If two complete main clauses are connected with and or but, put that after the conjunction.
    Example:
    He said,I saw her but she didn't see me. He said that he had seen her but thatshe hadn't
    seen him.
    If the subject is dropped in the second main clause (the conjunction is followed by a verb), do
    not use that.
    Example:
    She said,I am a nurse and work in a hospital. He said that she was a nurse and worked in a
    hospital.

    You might also like