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Supplementary Material

REPORTING WHAT SOMEONE HAS SAID


(Supplementary Material for Gamma Upper Module)

We use Reported Speech to repeat what somebody has said, read or heard.
Grammatically speaking, Reported Speech is formed as follows:
If the reporting verb is in the present tense (he says, she tells, they inform), we do not change the tenses when
reporting it; for example:

Jim: I want to go home.


Peter: Jim says (that) he wants to go home.

PRESENT PRESENT

When the reporting verb is in the past tense, as it often is, (he said, she told, they informed), we change the
verb in the original sentence to the past; for example:

Jim: I want to go home.


Peter: Jim said (that) he wanted to go home.

PAST PAST

The following table shows the way tenses change from the actual words into the corresponding reported forms:

ACTUAL WORDS REPORTED SPEECH


Am/is/are Was/were
Do Did
Did Had done
Will Would
Can Could
Have done Had done
May Might
Must Had to

EXERCISE 1. Match the phrase in column A with the reported speech in column B.

A B

1. You can’t leave yet. It’s only 11 o’clock. a) They said they had to go.
2. Well, I’ll do whatever I can for you. b) He said he would help if he could.
3. If I were you I would get in touch with the c) She promised she would visit us.
manager. d) He suggested that we should talk to the
4. I bumped into your brother in London yesterday. manager.
5. It’s no good just telephoning. Put something in e) They insisted we should stay a bit longer.
writing. f) They complained that they were too busy.
6. I’ll certainly come and see you. g) She mentioned that she had met you.
7. We have far too much work at the moment. h) I explained that they should send a letter.
8. I’m afraid it’s time for us to leave.

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EXERCISE 2. Turn the following remarks into reported speech.
Example: «I was queuing up for 2 hours»
The man complained that he had been queuing up for 2 hours.

1. «I’ve been waiting for nearly an hour»


The lady complained _____________________________________________________________

2. «It’s terrible»
The second lady commented ______________________________________________________

3. «If I see an inspector, I’ll give him a piece of my mind»


The stout lady warned that if _______________________________________________________

4. «I can’t help it; it isn’t my fault»


Th conductor replied _____________________________________________________________

5. «It says ‘fast bus’ on the front»


The elderly man murmured ________________________________________________________

EXERCISE 3. Read the following reported text carefully. Then, write the actual dialogue between Mr. Daniels
and Mr. Thompson about Peter.

Peter had an interview for a job with a travel agency. The man who interviewed him was called Mr.

Daniels. After the interview, he discussed Peter with his boss, Mr. Thompson. He asked Mr. Daniels about
Peter and Mr. Daniels said he was a very pleasant young man. Mr. Daniels said he was inexperienced, but had
done quite well at school and spoke some French and Spanish.

Mr. Thompson asked if Mr. Daniels thought Peter could learn the job reasonably quickly and Mr. Daniels
replied that he seemed very keen and intelligent.

Mr. Thompson asked if Mr. Daniels had mentioned a specific salary, and Mr. Daniels said that he had
explained that the starting salary would be quite small, but that it would increase considerably after six months,

if Peter proved to be the right man for the job.

Mr. Thompson told Mr. Daniels to contact Peter and offer him the job at a starting salary of (US) $ 200,00

weekly. Mr. Daniels thanked him and promised to do so right away.

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KEY CHECK

EXERCISE 1.

1. e
2. b
3. d
4. g
5. h
6. c
7. f
8. a

EXERCISE 2.

1. ... that she had been waiting for nearly an hour.

2. ... (that) it was terrible.

3. ... she saw an inspector, she would give him a piece of her mind.

4. ... (that) he couldn’t help it; it wasn’t his fault.

5. ... that it said ‘fast bus’ on the front.

EXERCISE 3.

Mr. Thompson : Well, What do you think about Peter?

Mr. Daniels : He’s a very pleasant young man...

Mr Thompson : Does he have any previous working experience?

Mr. Daniels : No, but he did quite well at school and speaks some French and Spanish.

Mr. Thompson : Do you think he can learn the job reasonably quickly?

Mr Daniels : He seems very keen and intelligent.

Mr. Thompson : Did you mention a specific salary?

Mr Daniels : Well...., I explained that the starting salary will be quite small, but that it will increase
considerably after six months if he proves to be the right man for the job.

Mr. Thompson : Good! Contact Peter please and offer him the job at a starting salary of (US)$200.00
a week.

Mr Daniels : Thank you, Mr. Thompson. I’ll do it right away.

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