Reported speech

Reported Speech

Is what someone said, but not the exact words

Reported Statemens

Indirect questions

Reported commands, requests, suggestions, etc

Modal verbs in reported speech

That can be used or omitted after the introductory verb say, tell, suggest

Say - Tell

- say + personal object: He said he was exhausted

- say+ to + personal object: He said to us he was exhausted

- tell+ personal object: He told us he was exhausted

Say: Hello, good morning/afternoon etc, something/nothing, so, a prayer, a few words, no more, for certain/sure, etc.

Tell: the truth, a lie, a story, a secret, a joke, the time, the difference, one from another, someone's fortune, etc

Ask: a question, a favor, the price, after somebody, the time, around, for something/someone, etc.

Peronal/possesive pronouns and adjetives can change depending to the meaning of the sentence

Reported questions

Up-to-date: Tenses can either change or remain the same.

Direct speech: Tom said, I haven't checked the report yet

Reported speech: Tom said he hasn't/hadn't checked the report yet

Out-of-date: Introductory verbs is in past simple and the tenses change as:

Present simple > Past simple

Present continuous > Past continuous

Past simple > Past simple or Past perfect

Past continuous > Past continuous or Past perfect continuous

Future (will) > would

Certain words or rexpressions change accordint to the meaning:

Now: then, immediately, at that moment

Today: that day

Yesterday: the day before, the previous day

Tomorrow:the nex/following day

This week:that week

Last week:the week before, the previous week

Next week:the week after, the following week

Ago:before

Here:there

- Tenses remain the same if introductory verbs is in present, future or present perfect.

- tenmses can change or remain when reporting general truth or law of nature.

- Verb tense remain the same when the verb is in unreal past

- The following verb/verb phrases are used: Had better could, would, used to, needn't have, should, might and ought to.

- The time of the information is not over yet

Usually introduced with the verbs ask, inquire, wonder or want to know

- When it begins with a wh word, then the reported questions is introduced with the same word.

- If it begins with an auxuxiliary verb or a modal verb the question is intrudced with if or whether.

- Question tags are omitted in reported sppech, but we can use remind as a introductory verb.

-Yes/no answers arre express with subject+appropiate auxiliary verb or subject + appropiate introductory verb

The verb is in affirmative. Exprssions such as please, well ,oh, etc are omitted. The verb tenses, pronouns and time expressions change as in statements.

Are used to ask for advice or information

They are introducedwith: Could you tell me...?, Do you know...?, I wonder.., I want to know..., I doubt..., etc. Question mark is omitted

Question words (what, where, who, etc) or whether, But NOT why, can be folloed by an infinitive if the subject of the question is the speaker.

Where can I leave it? she asked me--- She wanted to know where to leave it

We use special introductory verb followed by a to infinitive, ing form or that clause, depending the ointroductory verb.

In order to report orders, we use introdcutory verbs order or tell + sb + (not) to-infinitive

the doctor told me to stop smoking

The following model verbs change in reported speech when the reported sentece is out-of-date

will: would

can: could (present reference)/would be able to (future reference).

may: might/could

shall: should (asking for advice), would (asking for information), offer (expressing offers).

must: must (expressing possibility or assumption), had to (expressing obligation)

needn't: Didn't need to (present reference), Didn't have to (present reference), wouldn't have to (future reference)