Language focus: Reported Speech

Reported Speech
I. PRESENTATION
Reported Speech (also referred to as indirect speech') refers to a sentence reporting what
soeone has said. It is alost alwa!s "sed in spo#en English.
The central eleent is the reporting $er%&
$er% ' o%(ect '
infiniti$e
$er% ' infiniti$e $er% ' (that) $er% ' ger"nd $er% ' o%(ect '
preposition '
ger"nd
$er% '
preposition '
ger"nd
ad$ise
enco"rage
in$ite
reind
warn
agree
decide
offer
proise
ref"se
threaten
adit
agree
decide
den!
e)plain
insist
proise
recoend
s"ggest
den!
recoend
s"ggest
acc"se
%lae
congrat"late
apologi*e
insist
Examples& +ac#
enco"raged e to
loo# for a new (o%.
The! in$ited all
their friends to
attend the
presentation.
Examples& She
offered to gi$e
hi a lift to
wor#.
,! %rother
ref"sed to ta#e
no for an
answer.
Examples& To
aditted (that) he
had tried to lea$e
earl!.
She agreed (that)
we needed to
reconsider o"r
plans.
Examples& -e
denied ha$ing
an!thing to do
with her.
.en s"ggested
st"d!ing earl! in
the orning.
Examples& The!
acc"sed the %o!s
of cheating on the
e)a.
She %laed her
h"s%and for
issing the train.
Examples& -e
apologi*ed for
%eing late.
She insisted on
doing the
washing "p.
A. The reporting verb is in the present: -e/ She sa!s that 0.
-e/ She is sa!ing that 0.
-e1 She has said that 0.
2-AN3ES&
the 4
st
person %ecoes the 5
rd
person (in the case of predicates and the prono"ns)
(a) stateents&
6I work hard e$er! da! and I am $er! tired.78 he sa!s.
-e sa!s (that) he works hard e$er! da! and he is $er! tired.
6I saw the fil !esterda!.78 she sa!s.
She sa!s she saw the fil !esterda!.
(%) 9"estions
: 6!es/no7 9"estions&
6Did To help the with the report178 he as#s.
-e as#s if / whether To helped the with the report.
: 6wh:6 9"estions&
: 6wh:6 ; s"%(ect& 6<ho called !o" !esterda!178 he as#s.
-e as#s who called !o" !esterda!.
: 6wh:6 ; o%(ect& 6<here have !o" been178 she as#s.
She as#s where !o" have been.
(c) iperati$es t"rn into infiniti$es&
6Dont hand in an! paper witho"t chec#ing it first=&8 o sa!s.
,o tells "s not to hand in an! paper witho"t chec#ing it first.
. The reporting verb is in the past:
2-AN3ES&
the tenses "ndergo the process of A!"S#$%T8 %eca"se we o$e fro the a)is of the present to the a)is of
the past8 a#ing the following changes&
A&is of the present: reference time ' present tense
Past Present Present >"t"re (will)
Tense Perfect Tense
???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? (now)
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? (then)
Past Past Past >"t"re in the Past
Perfect Perfect Tense (wo"ld)
A&is of the past: reference time ' past tense
ad$er%ials and ad(ecti$es change as follows&
Direct
Speech
Reported Speech E)aples&
this / these that / those 4. 6I work hard e$er! da! and I am $er! tired.78 he said.
-e said he worked hard e$er! da! and he was tired.
@. 6<here have !o" been178 she as#ed.
She as#ed where !o" had been.
5. 6I saw the fil yesterday.78 she said.
She said she had seen the fil the day before.
A. 6<ho called !o" yesterday178 he as#ed.
-e as#ed who had called !o" the previous day.
B. 6(ill To help the with the report178 he as#ed.
-e as#ed if To would help the with the report.
here there
toda! that da!
toorrow the ne)t / the following da!
ne)t the ne)t / the following
!esterda! the da! %efore / the pre$io"s da!
last wee# the wee# %efore / the pre$io"s
wee#
@ !ears ago @ !ears %efore
now then
$$. )RA!T$!*
+. Report the following:
4) 6IC so happ! to see !o" here toda!.78 she said.
@) 6I donCt #now !o".78 he said.
5) 6<e ha$e %een pla!ing foot%all all afternoon78 the %o!s said.
A) 6The! will coe %ac# ne)t wee#.78 o told "s.
B) 6There is an iportant eeting tonight.78 he reinded "s.
D) 6<e are sorr! %eca"se we didnCt coe last night.78 the! said
E) 6-a$e !o" e$er tra$elled %! plane178 she as#s.
F) 6-ow old are !o"178 the %o! wanted to #now.
G) 6<hat were !o" doing at G last night178 the detecti$e has as#ed.
4H) 6<h! did !o" lea$e !o"r one! in the roo178 he as#s.
44) 6 -ow long ha$e the! %een here178 the teacher as#ed.
4@) 6<here are the! now178 she wanted to #now.
45) 6Io" will soon #now the res"lts to the test.78 said the teacher.
4A) 6I recei$ed a letter fro 2aroline on <ednesda!78 he infored "s.
4B) ICll go swiing again as soon as I reco$er78 ,ichael ass"red "s.
4D) 6I didnCt e)pect to see !o" here toda!78 she said.
4E) 6ICll write to ! other toorrow orning78 proised Richard.
4F) 6ICll ha$e finished coo#ing %! the tie !o" get hoe78 ,rs. ,ason told her h"s%and.
4G) 6I alwa!s sta! at hoe when it rains78 the old an said.
@H) 6If I were taller8 she wo"ld arr! e78 he said.
$$. %ill each of the blank spaces with one of these verbs, in an appropriate form: ask, speak, talk, sa-, tell,
order.
4. I donCt #now the hotel personall!8 %"t it is 00 to %e 9"ite a good one.
@. Sit down and 00 e e)actl! what happened.
5. JetCs 00 the new neigh%o"rs to dinner ne)t wee#.
A. <eCd %etter 00 the whole thing o$er again %efore we a#e a decision.
B. The inister is going to 00 in Parliaent toorrow a%o"t "neplo!ent.
D. The doctor too# his teperat"re and then 00 hi straight to %ed.
E. Soe people 00 that the iported cola is %etter than the local prod"ct %"t I canCt 00 the difference.
F. Kadd!8 Nigel has 00 e to arr! hi=
G. And what ha$e !o" got to 00 for !o"rself8 !o"ng an1
4H. I ha$e %een 00 the that the! are a#ing a great ista#e.
44. Ies8 I thin# I 00 3eran well eno"gh to a#e !self "nderstood at least.
4@. <aiter8 weCre read! to 00 now.
45. <e were 00 to her last night and she didnCt once 00 a word a%o"t her illness.
4A. 3o and 00 that an what he is doing here. -e wasnCt in$ited.
4B. The iners here are 00 a%o"t going on a stri#e again.
$$$. Translate the following into *nglish and report the sentences that are in direct speech:
4) Lnde ti:ai petrec"t $acanta de $ara18 intrea%a ea.
@) 2ine a rasp"ns la telefon ieri18 intrea%a aa.
5) Ke ce n" ai terinat de scris scrisoarea18 intrea%a el.
A) A incep"t sa plo"a18 intrea%a ea.
B) Ma fi fericita daca o $ei s"na ine18 intrea%a To.
D) Lnde loc"iesti si citi ani ai18 a $r"t el sa stie.
E) Mictor $oia sa stie c" a fost $reea.
F) ,a intre% de ce n" a $enit.
G) Te rog8 sp"ne:i "nde $rei sa ergi.
4H) P"tini sti" ce "lt "nceste el.
44) ,a intre%a "nde a d"c si ce a c"parat.
4@) Nicea ca de do"a ore se l"pta sa afle ade$ar"l in aceasta pro%lea8 dar ca din nefericire in casa aceea nieni n"
stie ai niciodata niic.
45) Ji**ie sp"ne ca in "ltia $ree n" a ai citit nici "n roan de Kic#ens8 dar ca in copilarie a citit cinci8 printre
care ,ic"ta KorritC.
4A) Ni"a "ratoare8 desteptind":se din son8 3hita era nelinistit. Isi ad"cea ainte de cele petrec"te peste noapte
dar si le gindea ca si cind le:ar fi $isat8 iar cind isi dadea seaa ca ele intr:ade$ar s:a" petrec"t8 ii era r"sine de
cele ce fac"se.
4B) Ai a"*it ce$a despre rascoala8 parinte1 2ica roani din ,oldo$a s:ar fi ridicat ipotri$a %oierilor.
4D) Si c" l"na se asc"nse intr:"n nor8 r"ga pe lic"rici sa:i l"ine*e calea.
4E) Oatrin"l in$atat ai sp"nea ca paint"l este gradina inflorita a "ni$ers"l"i si ca in aceasta in"nata gradina
o"l este cea ai fr"oasa floare.
4F) 6A fac"t cale l"nga si sinte foarte o%ositi. N" ne:ati p"tea ga*d"i peste noapte178 a" sp"s ei.
4G) Tot"l a incep"t intr:o diineata in $ara an"l"i 4G@5 cind a $a*"t "n aerican "itind":se la 2oloana l"i
Nelson. A aflat ai tir*i" ca este %ogat8 ca este din Iowa. A ers la el si i:a e)plicat ce repre*enta stat"ia
si cine a fost lord"l Nelson. Apoi i:a sp"s ca piata n" ar fi aceeasi fara stat"ie8 dar ca Anglia a$ea sa o $inda8
ipre"na c" coloana8 leii si fintinile. Aerican"l iediat a intre%at cit costa iar e" i:a sp"s ca g"$ern"l ar
accepta DHHH de lire8 doar ca tre%"ia sa fie c"parator"l potri$it. I:a sp"s ca ii f"sese incredintata $in*area
acestora8 dar ca asta era secret. Aerican"l a $r"t sa se %age in fata8 asa ca a ers si i:a s"nat pe s"periorii
ei pentr" instr"cti"ni. Kesig"r ca n" a fac"t asa ce$a& a ers doar d"pa colt si a asteptat. 2ind a
re$enit8 i:a sp"s ca p"te accepta de la el "n cec chiar at"nci si acolo. In acea $ara a ai $ind"t Oig Oen si
aproape a $ind"t si O"c#ingha Palace P a%ele "nor aericani cred"li.