Reported speech ‘When direct speech is changed into reported speech, with a reporting verb in the pas, the verb tense, the pronouns and the time-phrase may all have to be changed to indicate the time shift to the past: + "Well be getting married this year he said. (avec speech) He says (that) they'l be getting married this year. (ceported speech with a present reporting verb) He said (that) they would be getting married that year. (ceported speech with a past reporting verb) Its usually better style to use more precise reporting verbs than say or tell when turning (usually informa) direct statements into (usualy more formal) reported ones. Examples are: advise, apologise, congratulate, promise, remind, See Section 6 of the Appendix for a complete list of these verbs and their ifferent grammatical patterns. ‘A Match the direct speech (on the left with the most appropriate reporting verb (on the right. B Now put the direct statements in Exercise A into reported speech, Using the verbs you have chosen, and starting each sentence with She. Follow the instructions for Exercise A. Now follow the instructions for Exercise B, starting each sentence with He 1 ‘Fve had better marks than anyone else all term!” 2 "You did it! I saw you! You stole my watch!” 3 ‘Ifyou don't give me your money, Ill hit you!” 4 Tim very sorry I didn't get round to writing earlier.’ 5 ‘Why don't we all go for a drive in the country?” 6 ‘Imust, I simply must see the manager at once!” 7 Please, please, don’t tell anyone you've seen me!” 8 ‘That's right. Your flight's taking off at midnight.’ 9 ‘Don't forget to bring the binoculars, will you?” 10 ‘Timagine Mexico City has about 20 million inhabitants by now, but I could be wrong.’ 1 ts five o'clock already, you know. 2 ‘Yes, that's fine. I'l be able to help’ 3 ‘Don't worry, there'll be no difficulty, believe me.” 4 ‘How kind of you to bring me the flowers!” 5 ‘If were you, I'd keep it under my hat.” 6 «.... and another thing, there'll be a 2% surcharge.” 7 8 9 ‘I didn't do it! I didn't rob the old lady? ‘No, I'm afraid I'm not prepared to make a speech.’ ‘Be careful when you cross the road, won't you?” 10 ‘Well done! You've passed the test first time!” 11 ‘Tm sure it was Charlotte who let us down.” 12 ‘Yes, it was my fault. I caused the accident.’ A atmesdoa PRUOmOsH OO SS threaten suggest boast insist estimate apologise confirm remind assure blame deny admit refuse congratulate add point out advise thank Recycling Advanced EnglishUnit he modals should, would, could, ought and might do not change tense in reported speech, and neither do the second and third conditionals. With 2 reported second or thd conditional, that is needed, and a comma is necessary to separate the two clauses if the if clause comes fist: ‘+ He pointed out that if she had bought him a ticket, he could have seen the [mete play too, E Turn the sentences into reported speech F Correct the reported ‘questions if necessary. Tick any which are already conrect ‘If Thad known, I'd have come earlier,’ she said. He said, ‘Unless John tells the truth, somebody'll get hurt.” ‘Treally think you should join the tennis club this summer,’ she said. ‘Ifyou practised more, you might be able to make a career out of music, her teacher said, 5 ‘Iwouldn’t have had the accident if the brakes had been repaired properly,’ he said. 6 ‘Helll be sent to prison if he commits a further offence,’ said the magistrate. 7 ‘You can stay here as long as you like,’ he said. 8 ‘I wish Bob would buy himself a new suit,’ said Maggie. Notice how reported questions are formed from the two types of direct question in English 2 questions starting with a question-word: * When will you next bein Paris?” He asked when she would next be in Pars. (NOT .. *when would she next be in Paris) ++ "When does your plane take off?” ‘She asked when his plane took off. Notice that no daidid auxiliaries are needed in reported speech, and that the word order isthe same as ina statement. b_ questions starting with a ver: * "Gan you come tomorrow? ‘She asked iftwhether could go the next daylthe day afterithe following day. I/whether connect the reporting verb and this type of question, has no connection here with conditional if, Whether must be used before an infinitive: * He was not sure whether to believe them. * I didn’t know whether to laugh or ery | —__| Tasked how far was it to the station. ‘They wondered how many people lived in Tokyo, She asked me unless I could do the shopping for her. Her father asked her was what she had told him true. ‘The committee enquired whether she might accept the job. ‘The traffic warden asked why had I parked there. asked the old man what was his recipe for long life. Recycling Advanced English 39Uni 11 G Match the direct request or imperative on the left with its reported version on the right H Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first one, using the word given. You must use between three and eight words, including the word given (Contractions count as two words.) 8 We wondered how did our neighbours manage to keep their garden so neat. 9 The officials asked him what did he want. 10 Tonly wanted to know where he had been for so long. Reported requests or commands usualy involve the use ofthe infinitive with to: «Take that away!” He told me to take it amay. + Please don't talk.’ She asked us not to talk Use ask for a polite request, beg for an earnest request, instruct or tel for 2 command, and order for an authoritative command: ‘She ordered the children to sit down and be quiet. 1 ‘Kindly stand back, would you!” A She asked us to stand back. 2 Please don't ery!” B She ordered us to stand back. 3 ‘Leave the room now!” C He begged me not to ery. 4 ‘Would you mind opening D He told me not to ery. the door?” 5 ‘Stand back!” E_ He told me to leave the room immediately. 6 ‘You mustn't cry!” F He asked me to leave the room. 7 ‘Would you leave the room, G She ordered me to open the please?” door. 8 ‘Open the door!” H She asked me to open the door. 1 ‘You've passed the exam? Oh, well done!’ my aunt said to me. on My aunt the exam. 2 ‘T'm sorry I forgot to set the security alarm,’ said the receptionist. for The receptionist_______set the security alarm. 3 ‘Why don’t you postpone your trip till the autumn, Jim? suggested Sarah. off Sarah suggested till the autumn, 4 Don't forget to enclose a cheque, will you?’ the clerk said to me. in The clerk reminded___the envelope. 5 ‘It’s a good idea to rehearse your speech in front of a mirror,’ George told me, George advised ______in front of a mirror. 40 Rocyeting Advanced EnglishUnit 11 A 1D 2B 3A 4H 5C 6E 7G 81 93 10F Bl 10 She boasted (that) she had had better marks than anyone else all term. She accused me of stealing her wateh. She threatened to hit me if T didn’t give her my money. She apologised for not getting round/not having got round to writing earlier. She suggested (that) we should all go for a drive in the country/going for a drive in the country. She insisted on seeing the manager at once. She begged me not to tell anyone I had/'d seen her. She confirmed (that) my flight was taking off at midnight. She reminded me to bring the binoculars. She estimated that Mexico City had about 20 million inhabitants, C 11 2L 3A 4K 5J 6H 7C 8F 9D 10G 11B 12E D1 2 3 10 11 12 He pointed out that it was already five o'clock. He agreed to help. He assured me (that) there would be no difficulty. He thanked me for bringing the flowers. He advised me to keep it under my hat. He added (that) there would be a 2% surcharge. He denied robbinghhaving robbed the old lady. He refused to make a speech. He warned me to be careful when I crossed the road. He congratulated me on passing the test first time, He blamed Charlotte for letting them down. He admitted causinghhaving caused/(that) he had caused the accident. E 1 She said that if she had known, she would have come earlier. 2 He said that unless John told the truth, somebody would get hurt. 3 She said (that) she really thought (that) I should join the tennis club that summer. 4 Her teacher said that if she practised more, she might be able to make a career out of music. 5 He said that he wouldn't have had the accident if the brakes had been repaired properly. 6 ‘The magistrate said (that) he would be sent to prison if he committed a further offence. 7 He said (that) I could stay there as long as I liked 8 Maggie said (that) she wished Bob would buy himself a new suit. F 1 Lasked how far it was to the station. av 3 She asked me if I could do the shopping for her. 4 Her father asked if what she had told him was true. BV 6 The traffic warden asked why I had parked there. 7 Lasked the old man what his recipe for long life was. 8 We wondered how our neighbours managed to keep their garden so neat. 9 The officials asked him what he wanted. 10v G 1A 2C 3E 4H 5B 6D 7F 8G HL ... congratulated me on passing ... 2 ... apologised for forgetting to. 8 ... (that) Jim should put off his marketing trip ... 4... me to puvlenclose a cheque in... 5 ... me to run through my speech ...