REPORTED SPEECH

Reported speech reports the content of something uttered in the form of direct speech keeping the main general meaning. When turning something uttered in direct speech into reported speech it is necessary to make some morphosyntactic changes. Expressions of time and space are transformed in the following way: DIRECT SPEECH here this now today tomorrow yesterday ago next week/year/etc last week/year/etc the day before yesterday the day after tomorrow REPORTED SPEECH there that then that day the following day; the day after; the next day the day before; the previous day before the following week/year/etc. the week/year/etc. before; the previous week/year/etc. two days before in two days time

Moreover, verb tenses have to be moved one step back DIRECT SPEECH simple present I am fine present continuous Im feeling sick present perfect Shes just had the results of the test present perfect continuous Shes been having nightmares simple past She gave birth yesterday future simple I'll open the door imperative Dont go away! REPORTED SPEECH simple past She said (that) she was fine past continuous She explained she was feeling sick past perfect He informed us that she had just had the results of the test past perfect continuous He remarked that she had been having nightmares past perfect They told us that she had given birth the day before present conditional She informed us that she would open the door infinitive She asked me not to go away would could might had to

Modal verbs: will can may must 1) No changes occur for the following tenses:

past continuous e.g.: I was working when I felt sick She said that she was working when she felt sick

2)

past perfect e.g.: I had just found out that I was pregnant She told me that she had just found out that she was pregnant present conditional e.g.: I would like to have a baby She said that she would like to have a baby perfect conditional e.g.: I would have liked to have twins She said that she would have liked to have twins

3)

4)

When we report universal truths or things which are still true or always true it is not necessary to change verb tenses: e.g.: A short-sighted person is unable to see far. She explained that a short-sighted person is unable to see far There is no tense change when we report wishes or preferences: e.g. I wish he was with me now She said she wishes he was with her now. I would prefer to go to Paris. He said he would prefer to go to Paris. Tell is followed by an object: They told us (that) their holiday was great Say is not followed by an object They said (that) their holiday was great.

REPORTED QUESTIONS Yes/no questions: Have you been to the States before? She asked if I'd been to the States before Yes/No question clauses: dependent clauses that are formed from yes/no questions. A yes/no question is changed into a statement by adding the subordinator whether, whether or not, if. The word order changes to statement form, and the auxiliaries do, does, did are deleted. Examples: Direct questions: Are you American? Did you see the Eiffel Tower? Have you fed the cat yet? Have you been smoking?

Introductory clause She asked me He asked Mum asked me Dad asked me

Yes/no-question clause Subordinator + subject + verb + complement if I was American whether (or not) I had seen the Eiffel Tower. if I had fed the cat. if I had been smoking.

Whether is formal If is informal Whether or not may be written together at the beginning of the clause or may be separated WH-QUESTIONS: Where have you been? She asked me where I had been. Wh-question clause: a dependent clause formed from a direct wh-question that is first changed into a statement and then joined to an introductory clause to form a complex sentence. Reported wh-question clauses use the statement word order, and the auxiliaries do, does, did are deleted. Examples: Direct questions: Who is that woman? How can we get out of here? Where have they taken the sandwiches? What did the hijackers want? Introductory clause He asked She asked Mum asked The policeman asked REPORTING VERBS Reporting verbs require different structures: 1) Verb + to + infinitive agree, claim, demand, offer, promise, refuse, threaten He agreed to go with me to the police station. She promised not to do it again John offered to help 2) Verb + pronoun or object + to + infinitive advise, allow, ask, beg, command, encourage, forbid, instruct, invite, order, permit, remind, tell, urge, want, warn He asked me to give him the money back She forbade her daughter to go out Included wh-question clause Wh-word + subject + verb + complement who that woman was. how we could get out of there. where they had taken the sandwiches what the hijackers wanted

They invited us to leave the room They wanted us to hurry up 3) Verb (+ preposition) + gerund accuse somebody of, apologise for, admit to, complain about, deny, insist on, regret, suggest He accused me of crashing into his car. She insisted on us leaving the club because we were so noisy He regretted turning down the job offer They suggested taking the early train 4) verb + that-clause Most verbs can also be followed by a that-clause He insisted that we let him pay for the meal She apologised that she was so late He explained that the bus had had a problem Exceptions are: encourage, invite, allow, forbid, refuse, offer, which cannot be followed by a thatclause SUGGESTIONS Lets ask her information about the course Suggest can be followed by three different structures: Suggest + gerund He suggested asking her information about the course Suggest + that + subj + verb (that clause) He suggested that we ask her information about the course Suggest + that + subj + should + verb He suggested that we should ask her information about the course You cannot use the to infinitive He suggested to ask her information about the course Advise follows the structure: to advise someone to do something

Exercise: turn the following sentences in the direct speech into the reported speech 1) Your wife is expecting a boy. The doctor informed him 2) This is a the text for the next exam. ... 3) Im going to have a party next week. ... 4) Dont open that door! ... 5) She feels quite heavy now shes over 30 weeks pregnant. .. 6) Tim has been waiting for you for hours. .. 7) My wife has been feeling sick for days and we think she might be pregnant. .. 8) Im flying to New York next week. .. 9) Call me back in about ten minutes, please. .. 10) I suffer from headaches. .. 11) Dont worry! ... 12) She has just given birth to a beautiful girl. ... 13) Hes taking her to the airport. ... 14) You will have to wait outside. 15) She had a hard life. . 16) Well have to inform your parents. .. 17) Indian food is quite spicy. . 18) He is having an allergic reaction. .. 19) I have just had a phone call from Robert. .. 20) Keep trying. Dont give up. ..