Reported Questions

Reported commands.

Reported statements.

REPORTED SPEECH

Grammar Study

1. When we want to relate what someone said or thought, we can use either direct speech or reported speech.

e.g. Direct speech: «They hate big hotels», Paul Moor says.

Reported speech: Paul Moor says they hate big hotels.

There are several changes that take place when converting direct speech into reported speech.

e.g. Direct speech: «We hope you will ring», she said.

Reported speech: She said they hop ed I would ring.

2. There are 3 areas of reported speech.

e.g. He said he was busy now.

e.g. He told them to go back to work.

e.g. He asked me where I lived.

3. Reported Statements.

a) if the reporting verb is in the present tense (e.g. says, asks), there is no tense change:

e.g. «The train will be late».

He says the train will be late.

«I come from Spain».

She says she comes from Spain.

b) if the reporting verb is in the past tense (e.g. said, told), it is usual for the verb in the reported clause to move «one tense back»:

present → past

present perfect → past perfect

past → past perfect

e.g. «I am going».

She said she was going.

«We have passed the exam».

They told me they had passed the exam.

«Last year he travelled a lot».

She said (that) he had travelled a lot last year.

c) The «one tense back» rule does have exceptions. If the reported speech is about something that is still true, the tense in the reporting sentence remains the same.

e.g. «Rainforests are being destroyed».

She told him that rainforests are bein g destroyed.

d) Sometimes we report the idea rather than the actual words.

e.g. «I’ ll lend you some money»

He offered to lend me some money.

«I won’t help you».

She refused to help me.

Note: In more formal situations, we can use that after the reported verb.

e.g. He reported that cars were a major cause of pollution in the city.

4. Reported commands

a) reported commands, offers, requests and advice are formal with the same pattern:

b) negative command uses not before to.

Table 1. Pattern Structure of Reported Commands.

e.g. He told me not to tell anyone.

The police warned the people not to go out.

Notes: «Say» is not possible with commands. Use «ask … to», «told …to», etc. «Tell» is used both for reported statements and reported commands, but the structures are different.

e.g. Reported statement: He told me that he was going.

Reported command: He told me not to marry her.

5. Reported questions

a) The word order is different in reported questions.

As it is no longer a question, the word order is direct (subject + predicate) and the auxiliaries do, does, did are not necessary. Mind Sequence of Tenses.

e.g. «How long have you been here?»

He asked me how long I had been here.

«Where do you live?»

She asked me where I lived.

b) If there is no special question word, we can use if or whether:

e.g. «Have you been to America?»

He wants to know I have been to America.

c) The «one tense back» rule is the same with reported questions as with reported statements.

e.g. «What time is it?»

He wants to know what time it is.

«Why have you come here?»

I asked him why he had come here.

Notes: We do not use question mark in a reported question.

We do not use say in reported questions.

e.g. He asks me how old I am.

We use ask for both reported commands and reported questions, but the structure is different.

e.g. I was asked to attend the interview.

I was asked what I had done yesterday.

6. Some other words must be changed when using reported speech.

a) the pronoun often changes:

e.g. «I’ve washed the dishes.»

She said she had washed the dishes.

b) words about time (time expressions) change to words not directly related to the present time:

tomorrow – the following day / the next day today – the same day / that day yesterday – the day before / the previous day next week / year – the following week / year last week / year – the previous week / year

now – then here – there this (week) – that (week) this, these, that, those (as adjectives) – the this, these, that, those (as pronouns) – it, they, them

c) some words like «please» and «now» disappear:

e.g. «Please, come in».

He asked her to come in.

«Now what do you want to talk to me about?»

She asked him what he wanted to talk to her about.

Ex. 19. Match the words according to their use as reporting verbs in:

Reported Statements

Reported Commands

Reported Questions

request, remind, suggest, advise, explain, offer, ask, tell, say, admit, refuse, complain, warn, interrupt, think, forget, hope, want to know, claim, agree, insist, complain, deny, reply, wonder, order, demand, know, urge, persuade, suppose, inquire.

Ex. 20. Which verb can be used to report the direct speech in the sentences below? Replace "said" and translate the sentences. Use Ex.19 for help.

1. «Please can you translate this sentence for me?» Marina said to Mark.

2. «Will I be able to pay by Eurocheque?» Mr.Gruber said.

3. «Don’t forget that the average length of stay in Singapore is only 4 days», she said to the manager.

4. «Don’t go too close to the dog – sometimes he bites», my neighbour said.

5. «I think if I were in your position, I would talk to her and tell her exactly how I feel», I said to my friend.

6. «Why don’t you go to the cinema this evening?» she said.

7. «Sorry, that’s not possible. I’ve got a headache, I won’t come», the girl said to her boy friend.

8. «Don’t drive so fast», said Henry to his wife.

9. «Could you bring a friend along to the party», Jane said to me.

10. «You can hardy find people speak Gaelic in Ireland», she said to me before my trip there.

11. «He is certainly the most unusual person I have ever met», he said to his friends.

12. «Guests enjoy speed boat and catamaran rides between them to make full use of diving programme», the guide said to the tourists.

Ex. 21. Put the following direct speech into reported speech.

1. «We flew to Barbados», they said.

2. «Which airport did you fly from?» I asked them.

3. «I love living in London», I told him.

4. «My friend is going to Amsterdam for his holiday», he said.

5. «Are you on your own?» he was asked.

6. «Stop making so much noise», I asked them.

7. «Unless you have a passport, you can’t travel», she explained.

8. «Do you want a car or not?» she wondered.

9. «You should go to bed» he told me.

10. «I’ll meet you at the station», she suggested. (Be careful!).

11. «Will you open your bag?», the Custom Officer asked me.

12. «Are you all right?», the teacher wants to know.

Ex. 22. Fill in the table.

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