This blog has been designed to provide information about the activities held at the social studies bilingual sections in CPI Tino Grandío (Guntín,Spain). The English language and Social Studies teachers have elaborated most of the resources you can see but our "auxiliares de conversa" also have their own page and posts. Therefore everyone is invited to have a look .

Sunday, April 2, 2017

Reported Speech

GENERAL RULES FOR REPORTED SPEECH
  • Tenses change from present to past (if we are talking about what somebody said in the past):
    • am 15.”  He said he was 15.
    • We have a problem.” They said they had a problem.
    • can swim.”  She said that she could swim.
    • She comes by bus.”  He said that she came by bus.
    • Your sister doesn’t like pizza.”  She said that my sister didn’t like pizza.
    • You are looking through the window.”  He said that I was looking through the window.
    • They will probably fail.”  She said that they would probably fail.
    • My mother saw a mouse.”  She said that her mother had seen a mouse.
  • Personal pronouns change (if somebody is telling
    what somebody else has said before):
    • I am 15.”  He said he was 15.
    • My mother saw a mouse.”  She said that her mother had seen a mouse.
    • We saw you at the cinema.”  They said that they had seen me at the cinema.
  • Place and time complements have to be adapted to the new context:
    • He came here.” ⇨ They said that he had gone there. 
    • It’s raining today”  Jake said that it was raining then / yesterday.
    • I saw you last week.” ⇨ She said that she had seen me the week before.
STATEMENTS

  • Tell and say are common reporting verbs. (Tell is used before an indirect object.):
    • She said that she liked pizza.
    • My mother told me to go with her.
    • Everyone said that the lesson was very difficult.
    • He told his friends about my illness.

  • Other verbs can be used: know, promise, insist, warn...
  • That can be omitted after say:
    • She said that she liked pizza. She said she liked pizza.
    • They knew that he liked her. They knew she liked her.
QUESTIONS

  • Typical reporting verbs are: ask, wonder, want to know.
    • He wanted to know the opening times of the museum.
    • She wondered how old my mother was.
  • Subject always comes before the verb:
    • She asked me how old I was.
  • If the question is answered with yes or no, if should be introduced before the indirect question:
    • My sister asked if you wanted to come with us.
    • I wondered if she was watching the programme on TV.
  • If the questions cannot be answered with yes or no, and usually begins with how / when / what / where  / who / how old... you keep this element in the reported speech and don't add if:
    • He asked me "What is your name? " ⇒ He asked me what my name was.
    • My mother asked me: "What time did you arrive?" ⇒ My mother asked me what time I had arrived.
    • Gina asked: "When will you come tomorrow?" ⇒ Gina asked when I would come / go the following day.
  • We use ask / tell + object + (not) + to + infinitive to say what people want(ed) us to do:
    • Please, open the window.” ⇨ She asked us to open the window.
    • Tidy your room.” ⇨ My father told me to tidy my room.
    • Don’t smoke here.” ⇨ My aunt asked me not to smoke in her car.

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