IES TARTESSOS

REPORTED SPEECH 2ND BACHILLERATO

2021/2022
WHAT IS IT?

A speaker's words reported in subordinate clauses governed by a

reporting verb.
EXAMPLE:
“ I love him”, she said.
She said that …
WHAT DOES IT IMPLY?
It requires CHANGES of PERSON, TENSES and PLACE AND
TIME EXPRESSIONS

“I love him”, she said.

She said that …

SHE lovED him

TENSES
To change the verbal tenses, we do something known as
BACKSHIFT
WHAT DOES BACKSHIFT MEAN?
We move the verb back in time when the reporting verb is in the past.
 Direct Speech Reported Speech
Present simple He said: ‘I don’t He said that he didn’t Past simple
know’ know
Present He said: ‘I am He said that he was Past continuous
continuous coming’ coming
Present perfect He said: ‘I’ve been He said that he had Past Perfect
sick’ been sick
Past simple He said: ‘I phoned He said that he had Past Perfect
last night’ phoned
Past continuous He said: ‘I was He said that he had
Past perfect
watching TV before been watching TV
continuous
you came’ before I came
will He said: ‘I will pick He said that he would
would
you up’ pick you up.
Be going to + He said: ‘I’m going to He said that he was Was/ were going
inf. buy the tickets’ going to buy the tickets to + inf.

BACKSHIFT
 DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH
can He said: ‘Ican’t go He said that he couldn’t Could
out tonight’ go out that night
May He said: ‘I may be He said that he might be Might
late for the meeting’ late for the meeting
Must He said: ‘ I must He said he had to write Had to
write this report now’ that report then
Have to He said: ‘ I have to He said he had to write Had to
write this report now’ that report then

BACKSHIFT
 DO WE ALWAYS USE THE BACKSHIFT?
NO, WE DON’T

We DO NOT use the BACKSHIFT in the following cases:

-Past PERFECT
-Modal verbs: would, could, might, had to
-Reporting verbs in the present tense: She says that
- GENERAL TRUTHS/STATEMENTS
Example:
She said: ‘I like drinking coffee’
She said she likes drinking coffee
BACKSHIFT is optional in this case.
 WHAT ELSE DOES IT
CHANGE?

TIME AND PLACE EXPRESSIONS

PERSONAL PRONOUNS – depending on the sentence
DEMONTRATIVE AND POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
 DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH
NOW THEN
AT THE MOMENT AT THAT MOMENT
TODAY THAT DAY
TOMORROW THE NEXT DAY
TONIGHT THAT NIGHT
NEXT WEEK/MONTH/YEAR THE FOLLOWING WEEK/ THE WEEK
AFTER
YESTERDAY THE DAY BEFORE
LAST WEEK/MONTH/YEAR THE PREVIOUS WEEK / THE WEEK
BEFORE
(…) AGO (…) BEFORE

TIME EXPRESSIONS IN
REPORTED SPEECH
OTHER CHANGES
PLACE EXPRESSION / DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES
DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH
HERE THERE
THIS (…) THAT (…)
THESE (…) THOSE (…)

SUBJECT PERSONAL PRONOUNS

DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH
I I/YOU /SHE / HE
WE WE/YOU/ THEY
NOTE: It would depend on each sentence and on who said what to decide what personal
pronoun we must write
MORE COMMON IMPORTANT
CHARACTERISTICS

Never ever write punctuation

marks such as exclamation,
quotation or question marks
(:,‘’, ?, !)
 LET’S PRACTISE:
REPORTED STATEMENTS
1. “He works in a bank” She said
2. “We went out last night” She told me
3. “I’m coming!” She said
4. “I was waiting for the bus when he arrived” She told me
5. “ I’d never been there before” She said
6. “I didn’t go to the party” She told me
7. “Lucy’ll come later” She said
8. “He hasn’t eaten breakfast” She told me
9. “I can help you tomorrow” She said
10. “You should go to bed early” She told me
LET’S PRACTISE:
REPORTED STATEMENTS
11. “I don’t like chocolate” She told me
12. “I won’t see you tomorrow” She said
13. “She’s living in Paris for a few months” She said
14. “I visited my parents at the weekend” She told me
15. “She hasn’t eaten sushi before” She said
16. “I hadn’t travelled by underground before I came to London” She said
17. “They would help if they could” She said
18. “I’ll do the washing-up later” She told me
19. “He could read when he was three” She said
20. “I was sleeping when Julie called” She said
REPORTED QUESTIONS

TWO TYPES OF QUESTIONS

YES / NO
QUESTIONS
WH- QUESTIONS
 REPORTED QUESTIONS
EXAMPLE:
YES / NO Did you meet your friends
last weekend?
QUESTIONS Answer: Yes or No

EXAMPLE:
Where did you meet your WH- QUESTIONS
friends last night?
Answer: Open
 REPORTED QUESTIONS
WH- QUESTIONS YES/NO QUESTIONS
Type of interrogative with a question word; Type of question that implies a YES or NO as
the answer implies different possibilities: answer
Where
What Do you like …?
Who Have you ever been…?
When Did you know…?
Etc. Were you at home …?
FORM:
QUESTION WORD + SUBJECT + VERB FORM:
(backshift) IF/WHETHER + SUBJECT + VERB
(backshift)
Reporting verbs for questions
Ask, wanted to know, wonder, inquire, quiz, etc.
REPORTED QUESTIONS

EXAMPLES

WH- QUESTIONS YES/NO QUESTION

DIRECT SPEECH DIRECT SPEECH
He asked me: ´Where did you go last He asked me: ‘Do you like blueberry
night? muffins?

REPORTED SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH

He asked me where I had been the He asked me whether/if I liked
night before blueberry muffins
REQUESTS / ORDERS /
COMMANDS
Orders or commands are expressed with the imperative form.
IMPERATIVE FORM IN ENGLISH:
Affirmative sentences: verb without –to
Example: Sit down!
Negative sentences: Don’t before the verb
Don’t talk so loud!
DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH

Her mum ordered him: ‘GO to your Her mum ordered him TO GO to
room immediately’ his room immediately.

He warned me: ‘DON’T He warned me NOT TO

DRIVE too fast’ DRIVE too fast.

IMPERATIVE SENTENCES – Write to+ infinitive or not to+ infinitive

REPORTING VERBS (with this type of sentences):

command, order, warn, ask, advise, invite, beg, teach, forbid, offer , etc.

REQUESTS / ORDERS /
COMMANDS
 SUGGESTIONS OR
PROPOSALS
In English, the same as in Spanish, there are different ways of suggesting or
proposing a plan or an idea.
Example:
Plan > have a coffee
Ways of suggesting the same plan:
- Why don’t we have a coffee?
- Let’s have a coffee
- How about having a coffee?
- Shall we have a coffee?

That’s why there are also different ways of changing these sentences to the
REPORTED SPEECH
 SUGGESTIONS
DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH
1ST FORM: 1ST FORM:
Why don’t you get a mechanic to look at He suggested me that I get a mechanic to
your car? He suggested me look at my car – BASE FORM VERB
2ND FORM: 2ND FORM:
What about buying a new computer?: He He recommended that I/we should buy a
recommended new computer - SHOULD
3RD FORM: 3RD FORM:
‘Let’s have a drink tonight’: He proposed He proposed having a drink that night –
GERUND
Different kinds of suggestions/proposals:
-Let’s … // - What about …? // Why don’t …? // Shall we …? // We could / should
REPORTING VERBS (with this type of sentences):
Suggest, propose, recommend, etc.
REPORTING VERBS LIST
TO BE CONTINUED …