UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

FACULTY OF ENGLISH LINGUISTICS AND LITERATURE

PORTFOLIO
GRAMMAR 2- B2
With a special focus on “REPORTED SPEECH”

Group No. 4
Group Name:
Names of Group Members:
Bùi Thị Thảo Nguyên
Nguyễn Thiện Quỳnh Như
Nguyễn Thị Hồng Nhiên
Lưu Thị Thảo Ngân
Đồng Ngọc Bảo Quyên
This is our summary about reported speech to review knowledge, which prepares
for the final exam.
This summary includes two main parts that are brief and introduction.
I. Brief:
1.Reported statement:
* What is reported speech?
Reported speech is how we represent the speech of other people or
what we ourselves say. There are two main types of reported speech:
direct speech and indirect speech.
Direct speech repeats the exact words the person used, or how we
remember their words:
Barbara said, “ I didn’t realize it was midnight.”
In indirect speech, the original speaker’s words are changed.
Barbara said she hadn’t realized it was midnight.
 *How to change direct speech into indirect speech?
- define the type of the sentence (statement, questions, command…)
- define tense is used in direct sentence
- change (or not) the person (pronoun)
- backshift (or not) the tenses
- change (or not) expressions of time and place
2. Reported Questions:
Reported questions are one form of reported of reported speech
There are 3 types of reported questions:
Type of Reported How to report Direct speech Indirect speech
speech
YES/NO questions Use “Have you She asked if I
‘ask+if/whether’+clause been to Bristol had been to
Whether is a little more before?” Bristol before.
formal and more usual in
writing.

QUESTION-WORD Use ‘ask’ (or another verb The policeman The policeman
questions like ‘ask’) +question word( said to the boy, asked the boy
what, when, why, how…) “ Where do where he lived.
+ clause. The clause you live?”
contains question, in
normal word order and
with the necessary tense
change.

CHOICE questions Have the same structure as He asked, “Do He asked

Reported YES/NO you prefer tea whether I
questions. or coffee?” wanted tea or
coffee
3.Reported orders, requests and advice:
REPORTING VERBS + TO INFINITIVE
 Reporting orders: use TELL or ORDER to report instructions and
orders
EX: -The doctor said, “Stop working so hard”
 The doctor told me to stop working so hard
-The police officer shouted: “get out of the car!”
 The police officer ordered us to get out of the car

 Reporting requests: use ASK or BEG

EX: - Mother said, “Will you please tidy your room?”
 My mother asked me to tidy my room
- “Please-oh, please-give us the sweets”
 The children begged us to give them the sweets

 Reporting advice: use advice, tell, or warn:

EX: -The doctor said, “I think you should go to the gym.”
 The doctor advised me to go to the gym.
-The teacher said, “You should all take the exam”
 The teacher told all the students to take the exam.
-Dad said, “Be careful- there’s ice on the roads.”
 Dad warned me to be careful because there was ice on the
roads.

4. REPORTING VERBS PATTERNS

I. Form
1. S + reporting verb + (that) + clause
Ex: she explained (that) she had been away at that time.
2. S + reporting verb + direct object + (that)+ clause
Ex: he assured me (that) there would be no delay.
 3. S + reporting verb + infinitive
Ex: she refused to work on Sundays.
4. S + reporting verb + direct object + infinitive
Ex: she reminded me to come to the meeting.
II. Use of reporting verbs

The most common reporting verbs are say and tell. However , there are a
number of ther reporting verbs that can be used instead of say or tell
Ex: ‘I’m sure that everything will be alright’
‘ he said that he was sure that everything would be alright’
‘he assured me that everything would be alright’
III. Common reporting verbs-say pattern
Verb + (that) + clause
Admit, advise, agree, announce, claim, complain , ….
IV. Common reporting verbs-tell pattern
Verb + direct object + (that)+ clause
Advise , assure, convince, inform, notify, promise, …..
V. Reporting actions : requests, promises etc

Reporting verb + infinitive with to

Agree, ask, claim, demand, offer, promise,…..
VI. Reporting verbs followed by a gerund
Admit, deny, mention, proposed, report, suggest,…..
Note: all of these reporting verbs can also use a verb + that + clause
Ex: he admitted that he had taken the money
He admitted taking the money

NEW KNOWLEDGE:
1. There are some situations in which we don’t change the verb tenses:
- When the indirect speech contains a time clause, the tenses of that time clause
remains unchanged.
Ex: “He knocked the door while I was cooking,” she said.
 She said that he had knocked/ knocked the door while she was cooking.
- When the speech expresses a general truth/ permanent states.
- When the verb of the sentence is in the unreal past (the second or the third
conditional).
Ex: She said: “If I had enough money, I would travel around the world.”
 She said that if she would travel around the world if she had enough money.
- When people use had better, used to, mustn’t, might, ought to, could, would,
should in the speech.
Ex: Tom said: “Ann should study harder.”
 Tom said that Ann should study harder.
- When the introductory verb is in the Present/ Future/ Present Perfect Tense.
Ex: He says “I can play the piano.”
He says that he can play the piano.
- When people are reporting Past Tenses and they see the events from the
original speaker’s viewpoint, it’s not necessary to change the tense.
Ex: “At 6a.m the earthquake happened.”
 The radio said that the earthquake happened at 6a.m.
2. Main clauses connected with and/but:
- If two complete main clauses are connected with “and” or “but”, put “that”
after the conjunction.
Ex: He said “I had met her but she didn’t remember me.”
He said that he had met her but that she hadn’t remembered him.
- If the subject is left out in the second main clause, people don’t use “that.”
Ex: She told me “I’m a teacher and work in a university.”
She told me that she was a teacher and worked in a university.
3. Tense of the introductory clause:
- The introductory clause is usually in Past Tense.
 - People often use Present Tense to report a conversation still going on, e.g.
during a phone call or while reading a letter.
Ex: Steve says “Everything’s ok.”
 Steve says that eveything’s ok.
4. In sentences with when/if, Simple Past and Present Continuous don’t
normally change.
Ex: When we were watching TV, the phone rang.
 He said that when they were watching TV the phone rang.

NEW KNOWLEDGE:
1. There are some situations in which we don’t change the verb tenses:
- When the indirect speech contains a time clause, the tenses of that time clause
remains unchanged.
Ex: “He knocked the door while I was cooking,” she said.
 She said that he had knocked/ knocked the door while she was cooking.
- When the speech expresses a general truth/ permanent states.
- When the verb of the sentence is in the unreal past (the second or the third
conditional).
Ex: She said: “If I had enough money, I would travel around the world.”
 She said that if she would travel around the world if she had enough money.
- When people use had better, used to, mustn’t, might, ought to, could, would,
should in the speech.
Ex: Tom said: “Ann should study harder.”
 Tom said that Ann should study harder.
- When the introductory verb is in the Present/ Future/ Present Perfect Tense.
Ex: He says “I can play the piano.”
He says that he can play the piano.
 - When people are reporting Past Tenses and they see the events from the
original speaker’s viewpoint, it’s not necessary to change the tense.
Ex: “At 6a.m the earthquake happened.”
 The radio said that the earthquake happened at 6a.m.
2. Main clauses connected with and/but:
- If two complete main clauses are connected with “and” or “but”, put “that”
after the conjunction.
Ex: He said “I had met her but she didn’t remember me.”
He said that he had met her but that she hadn’t remembered him.
- If the subject is left out in the second main clause, people don’t use “that.”
Ex: She told me “I’m a teacher and work in a university.”
She told me that she was a teacher and worked in a university.
3. Tense of the introductory clause:
- The introductory clause is usually in Past Tense.
- People often use Present Tense to report a conversation still going on, e.g.
during a phone call or while reading a letter.
Ex: Steve says “Everything’s ok.”
 Steve says that eveything’s ok.
4. In sentences with when/if, Simple Past and Present Continuous don’t
normally change.
Ex: When we were watching TV, the phone rang.
 He said that when they were watching TV the phone rang.
Bùi Thị Thảo Nguyên
My knowledge of English grammar at the required level. Whether I
already have a very good grounding in English grammar or feel that my
grammar knowledge is lacking. This course is an opportunity to develop
your conscious knowledge about how English grammar works. It’s lucky to
have additional chances of being exposed to English. I took part in an
English center several months ago. This gives me opportunity to practice
English. We can interact with native speaker, learn how to use English in
order to make my English accurate as well as fluent. Futhermore, I
recognize that it’s a perfect environment for me to improve speaking skill.
Lưu Thị Thảo Ngân
Individual Reflection:
1. I appreciate my grammar skills is at average level. However, from
high school to university, it is improved significantly. When I start to
speak or write a sentence in English, my brain solve structure and
tense more flexibly. I don't make sure that exam scores are higher,
but my grammar is advanced.
2. Beside courses at school, I’m lucky to take part in a club consisting of
experienced people. They correct my faults in grammar. Moreover we
celebrate travel tour destinations where tourists come usually so as to
practice and talk with them. I think that is interesting and useful
experience I have.
3. There are so many methods I have practiced English effectively. For
instance, when living in country, I did homework, read reference
books. Until I live in city, these ways are still applied, but less than
before. Almost time I focus on speaking and listening skills. During
practicing, I try to use grammars from basic to complex. I believe that
the grammar lessons will help me improve English.

Nguyễn Thị Mai Sương

I assess my English grammar knowledge at 8 if 10 is the best on the
scale. My strongest English skill is grammar because I have practiced lots
of exercises since I began studying English . In addition to classes on
campus, I also have some chances of using English. I applied for member
position at a English speaking club at House of Youth Culture located in
district 1 and I have learnt useful things from many activities, which are
often held on two-day weekends. We can exchange knowledge, share
good tips, speak English... I usually practice using English by trying writing
essays, reading  English books to make a comparison between my use of
English with that of native writer.
Questions:
1. What is the difference between 'element' and 'factor'? Are there any
situations in which they have the same meaning?
2. When do we use 'go to bed' and when we do we use 'go to sleep'?
3. Does ' persuade' and ' convince' have the same meaning?