Grammar – Unit 47

Reported speech 1
(He said that…)
 Agenda
 Learning Objectives

 Example Set A - direct speech and reported speech

 Example Set B - the present form in direct speech

changes to the past form in reported speech

 Example Set C - the past simple can be changed to past

perfect

Reported speech 1 2
Agenda
 Learning Objectives

 Example Set A - direct speech and reported speech.

 Example Set B - the present form in direct speech

changes to the past form in reported speech

 Example Set C - the past simple can be changed to past

perfect

Reported speech 1 3
Learning Objectives

 Reported speech

• Two types of speech-direct speech and reported speech

• The present form in direct speech changes to the past form in

reported speech

• The verb in past simple form can be changed to past perfect

form

Reported speech 1 4
Agenda
 Learning Objectives

 Example Set A - direct speech and reported speech

 Example Set B - the present form in direct speech

changes to the past form in reported speech

 Example Set C - the past simple can be changed to past

perfect

Reported speech 1 5
Example Set A - direct speech and reported speech
Study this example situation:

You want to tell somebody what Paul

I’m feeling
ill.
said. There are two ways of doing
this:

You can repeat Paul’s words (direct speech):

Paul said, ‘I’m feeling ill.’

Or you can use reported speech:

Paul said that he was feeling ill.

Reported speech 1 6
 Continue..

Compare:

In writing we use these

direct Paul said, ‘ I am feeling ill.’ quotation marks to show
direct speech.

reported Paul said that he was feeling ill.

Reported speech 1 7
Agenda
 Learning Objectives

 Example Set A - direct speech and reported speech.

 Example Set B - the present form in direct speech

changes to the past form in reported speech

 Example Set C - the past simple can be changed to past

perfect

Reported speech 1 8
Example Set B - the present form in direct speech changes
to the past form in reported speech

 What we use reported speech, the main verb of the sentence is usually past
(Paul said that ….. / I told her that ……….. etc.). The rest of the sentence is
usually past too:

□ Paul said that he was feeling ill.

□ I told Lisa that I didn’t have any money.

 You can leave out that. So you can say:

□ Paul said that he was feeling ill. or Paul said he was feeling ill

Reported speech 1 9
Continue…

In general, the present form in direct speech changes to the past

form in reported speech:

am / is  was do / does  did will  would

are  were have / has  had can  could

want / like / know / go etc.  wanted / liked / went etc.

Reported speech 1 10
 Continue.. Compare direct speech and reported speech:

You met Jenny. Here are some of the Later you tell somebody what Jenny said.
things she said in direct speech: You use reported speech:
□ Jenny said that her parents were very
‘My parents are very well.’ well.

‘I’m going to learn to drive.’  She said that she was going to learn to drive
‘I want to buy a car.’ □ She said that she wanted to buy a car.

‘John has a new job.’ □ She said that John had a new job.

‘I can’t come to the party □ She said that she couldn’t come to the
on Friday.’
party on Friday.
‘I don’t have much free
time.’ □ She said she didn’t have much free time.

‘I’m going away for a few □ She said that she was going away for a
days. I’ll phone you when I Few days and would phone me when she
get back.’ got back.
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 Agenda

 Learning Objectives

 Example Set A - direct speech and reported speech.

 Example Set B - the present form in direct speech

changes to the past form in reported speech

 Example Set C - the past simple can be changed to past

perfect

Reported speech 1 12
Example Set C - the past simple can be changed to
past perfect

 The past simple (did / saw /knew etc.) can usually stay the same in
reported speech, or you can change it to the past perfect ( had
done / had seen / had known etc.):

□ direct Paul said: ‘I woke up feeling ill, so I didn’t go to work.’

reported Paul said: (that) he woke up feeling, so he didn’t go work.

or
Paul said: (that) he had woken up feeling ill, so he hadn’t gone to work

Reported speech 1 13
 Summary
 Learning Objectives

 Example Set A - direct speech and reported speech.

 Example Set B - the present form in direct speech

changes to the past form in reported speech

 Example Set C - the past simple can be changed to past

perfect

Reported speech 1 14