Reported Speech
Enviado por MaloGura • 17 de Enero de 2014 • 315 Palabras (2 Páginas) • 461 Visitas
Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)
Exercises on Reported Speech
If we report what another person has said, we usually do not use the speaker’s exact words (direct speech), but reported (indirect) speech. Therefore, you need to learn how to transform direct speech into reported speech. The structure is a little different depending on whether you want to transform a statement, question or request.
Statements
When transforming statements, check whether you have to change:
pronouns
present tense verbs (3rd person singular)
place and time expressions
tenses (backshift)
Type Example
direct speech “I speak English.”
reported speech
(no backshift) He says that he speaks English.
reported speech
(backshift) He said that he spoke English.
→ more on statements in reported speech
Questions
When transforming questions, check whether you have to change:
pronouns
present tense verbs (3rd person singular)
place and time expressions
tenses (backshift)
Also note that you have to:
transform the question into an indirect question
use the interrogative or if / whether
Type Example
with interrogative direct speech “Why don’t you speak English?”
reported speech He asked me why I didn’t speak English.
without interrogative direct speech “Do you speak English?”
reported speech He asked me whether / if I spoke English.
→ more on questions in reported speech
Requests
When transforming questions, check whether you have to change:
pronouns
place and time expressions
Type Example
direct speech “Carol, speak English.“
reported speech He told Carol to speak English.
→ more on requests in reported speech
Additional Information and Exeptions
Apart from the above mentioned basic rules, there are further aspects that you should keep in mind, for example:
main clauses connected with and / but
tense of the introductory clause
reported speech for difficult tenses
exeptions for backshift
requests with must, should, ought to and let’s
→ more on additional information and exeptions in reported speech
Exercises on Reported Speech
Statements in Reported Speech
no backshift – change of pronouns
no backshift – change of pronouns and places
with backshift
with backshift and change of place and time expressions
Questions in Reported Speech
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Requests in Reported Speech
Exercise 1 – requests (positive)
Exercise
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