Whenreportingsomeoneswordsweusuallymoveontensefurtherintothepast.

Sosimplepresentbecomes
simplepast,simplepastbecomespastperfect,etc.
Jilldoesntlikeyou.PaultoldmethatJilldidntlikeme.
Isawyouattheairportyesterday.Lindasaidthatshehadseenmeattheairportthedaybefore.

a) The verbs say and tell are common reporting admit, announce, answer, claim, complain,

verbsandfollowthestructure: confess, declare, explain, inform, insist,
(that)+subject+verb(s) mention,promise,reply,state,suggest...


b) Promises, orders, offers, requests, advice,

suggestions...areoftenreportedusingtoinfinitive: agree, advise, ask, beg, decide, demand,

ShallIcallataxi?Sheofferedtocallataxi. invite, offer, order, promise, refuse, remind,

Dont make so much noise. The teacher asked tell,threaten,warn...

menottomakesomuchnoise.


c)Someverbsarefollowedby
ing:
accuse of, admit (to), confess to,
SorryImlate.Paulapologisedforbeinglate.
congratulated for, deny, insist on, regret,
Sorry I was late. Paul apologised for having
thankfor...
beenlate.



d)Thespecialuseof
suggestWhynotgoouttoeatsomething?
Michaelsuggested (that)weshouldgoouttoeatsomething.(subject+should+infinitive)
(that)wewentouttoeatsomething.(subject+past)
goingouttoeatsomething.(ing)

REPORTthefollowingasindicatedbelow.

2.Ididnt 3.Youdidntforget

1.Dontworry! breakthis. mybirthday.

Illtalkto
yourmother.
4.Iwanttospeak
withmylawyer.

5.Younever 8.Youmustpush
takemyadvice. thisbuttonfirst.
6.Havelunch
withme.


7.Please,dont
fireme.

11.Youstartedthe
9.Imnotgoing 10.Ireallymustsee
tocuthishair. fire,didntyou?
yourhomework,Brian.

12.Iwontbelate
again.


14.Letmehelpyou
15.Congrats!Youve
13.Justbuyanew withthese.
wonthe1stprice. 16.Sorry,butIreally
car.
havetogiveyouthis
shot.

17.Ididntdomy
homework. 18.Yes,Iliedtoyou.
19.Thingsarenot
20.Stopthat
goingasplanned,
whining,son.
dear.

1.Myteacheragreed... 2.Hedenied...

3.Shethankedhimfor...
4.Shedemanded...

5.Mymothercomplained... 6. Heinvitedme...

7.Hebeggedhisboss... 8. Heexplained...

9.Herefused...
10. Briansfatherinsistedon...

11.Heaccusedmeof... 12. Hepromisedhimself...

13.Hisfriendsuggested... 14. Themanoffered...


15.Hecongratulatedmefor... 16. Thedoctorapologisedfor...


17.Heconfessed... 18. Kateadmittedto...


19.Heinformedhiswife...
20. Thecoachorderedhim...




 KEY

1....TOTALKWITHMYMOTHER. 2....HAVINGBROKENTHAT.

3....NOTHAVINGFORGOTTENHERBIRTHDAY.
4....TOSPEAKWITHHERLAWYER.

5....(THAT)INEVERTOOKHERADVICE. 6. ...TOHAVELUNCHWITHHIM.

7....NOTTOFIREHIM. 8. ...(THAT)IHADTOPUSHTHATBUTTONFIRST.

9....TOCUTHISHAIR.
10. ...SEEINGHISHOMEWORK.

11....STARTINGTHEFIRE. 12. ...(THAT)HEWOULDNTBELATE/NOTTOBELATEAGAIN

13....(THAT)HESHOULDBUY/(THAT)HEBOUGHT/BUYING... 14. ...TOHELPHERWITHTHOSE.


15....HAVINGWONTHE1 st
PRIZE. 16. ...HAVINGTOGIVEMETHATSHOT.


17....(THAT)HEHADNTDONE/TONOTHAVINGDONEHIS... 18. ...HAVINGLIEDTOME.


19....(THAT)THINGSWERENOTGOINGASPLANNED.
20. ...TOSTOPTHATWHINING.