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E4 Is Direct and Indirect Speech PDF
E4 Is Direct and Indirect Speech PDF
In indirect / reported speech, the tense used in the speaker’s original words is
usually (but not always) moved back a tense when the reporting verb (said, told,
etc.) is in the past.
Tense changes
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Part IV_________________________________________________Grammar with Exercises
▪ All natural laws and eternal truths may remain in the Present Simple:
She said: “Water boils at 100° C.” – She said that water boils at 100° C.
▪ Assuming that the situation still exists, the verb can stay in the Present Simple
or change to the Past Simple in reporting:
▪ When the Past Simple Tense is used in a time clause, it does not generally
change. The verb in the main clause can remain in the Past Simple or change
into the Past Perfect:
He said that when he got there, the place was / had been empty.
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Part IV_________________________________________________Grammar with Exercises
▪ When the Past Simple is used to refer to a situation that still exists in the
present, it does not generally change:
She said: “We didn’t stay in the hotel because it was too expensive.”
(And presumably the hotel is still expensive now.)
She said that they hadn’t stayed in the hotel because it was too expensive.
▪ The Past Continuous used in time clauses does not normally change:
▪ The verbs could (used for past ability can remain unchanged or become had
been able to), should, would, might, must (used for deductions, permanent ruling
/ prohibition; otherwise must changes into had to), needn’t, ought to, used to,
had better do not normally change:
She said to me: “You had better leave Tom alone.” – She told me that I
had better leave Tom alone.
Sheila said: “I could swim when I was four.” – Sheila said that she could / had
been able to swim when she was four.”
He said: “Soldiers must wear uniforms.” – He said that soldiers must wear
↓ uniforms.
permanent ruling
but: Harry said: “I must leave.” – Harry said that he had to leave.
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Part IV_________________________________________________Grammar with Exercises
EXERCISE
18. “When they arrived, I was still reading the newspapers”, she said.
19. “We were planning to go out but then Joe started feeling sick”, he said.
20. They said: “We enjoyed ourselves.”
21. The scientist said: “Wood floats in water.”
22. “When the project first started, there was a lot of interest in it”, she said.
23. He said: “People must obey their country’s law.”
24. “I must go home”, she said.
25. My father said to me: “You’d better write a report.”
26. She said, “I must have a computer to teach online.”
27. She said, “I can teach English online.”
28. “My name is Rose”, she said.
29. “If it rains, I’ll stay at home”, Paul said.
30. “If I married Harry, I would be happy”, she said.
31. She said: “We would have bought a car if my husband had won the lottery.”
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Part IV_________________________________________________Grammar with Exercises
now → then
He said: “I’m really angry now.” He said he was really angry (then).
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Part IV_________________________________________________Grammar with Exercises
She said: “I’ll work hard next week.” She said she would work hard the
following week .
ago → before
Jill said: “It happened 4 centuries ago.” Jill said it had happened 4
centuries before.
here → there
Bob said: “I like it here.” Bob said he liked it there.
These equivalents should be used with common sense, and it is not always
necessary to use any equivalents at all, as the past tense of the introducing verb
is often quite sufficient:
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Part IV_________________________________________________Grammar with Exercises
EXERCISE
Imagine you want to repeat sentences that you heard two weeks ago in another
place. Rewrite the sentences in reported speech. Change tenses, pronouns and
expressions of time and place where necessary:
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Part IV_________________________________________________Grammar with Exercises
When reporting commands or orders with the reporting verb in the past, the
same rules which apply to reporting when a reporting verb is in the Present
Simple, future or the Present Perfect are necessary, as well as the change of time
and place.
EXERCISE
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Part IV_________________________________________________Grammar with Exercises
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Part IV_________________________________________________Grammar with Exercises
REVISION EXERCISE 2
Read the following text in the indirect form. The authentic sentences are listed
below:
When the Headmaster discovered that Henry Bates in the Fourth Form had been
playing truant, he summoned him to his study. He looked at the boy and asked
him (1) __________________________________. Bates replied that (2)
_______________________________. The Headmaster looked astonished and
asked him (3) ____________________________. Bates explained (4)
______________________________, but that (5)
____________________________________. The headmaster asked (6)
____________________________________, and the boy said (7)
________________________________. Then the Headmaster enquired whether
(8) _____________________________________________. Bates answered
that (9) _____________________________________ and added that (10)
_____________________________________. The Headmaster thought for a
moment and then remarked that (11) __________________________________.
He went on to say, however, that (12) ______________________________.
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Part IV_________________________________________________Grammar with Exercises
REVISION EXERCISE 3
Write a dialogue:
When I woke up I asked my wife what the weather was like. She looked out of
the window and said it was raining hard. Then she asked me what I wanted for
breakfast. I said I wanted a glass of milk and a roll with jam. She said we didn’t
have any jam and asked if I wanted honey instead. I said that was all right. Then
I asked if she wanted to go out to dinner. She said she had already prepared
some food for dinner. She also thought her mother would come to have dinner
with us. She asked if I minded. I said I hoped there was a football match on TV
that afternoon.
He: __________________________________________
She: _________________________________________
__________________________________________
He: __________________________________________
She: _________________________________________
__________________________________________
He: __________________________________________
__________________________________________
She: _________________________________________
__________________________________________
He: __________________________________________
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