Level 8 - Mail 10

[Prof. Guillermo Katz]

 

        Dear students:

Our next big subject is Reported Speech.  Please look at these notes that come from http://esl.about.com/library/grammar/blreported.htm?once=true&.  Also, as promised I am sending you the exercises we will work on next week which are dialogues form movies.  I found dialogues from Titanic, Closer, Pulp Fiction and Meet Joe Black as requested by some of you.  Please take a moment to look at these during the week.

 

See you in class! 

 

Gmo

 

Indirect  or Reported Speech

Indirect Speech (also referred to as 'reported speech') refers to a sentence reporting what someone has said. It is almost always used in spoken English.

• If the reporting verb (i.e. said) is in the past, the reported clause will be in a past form. This form is usually one step back into the past from the original.

  For example:

  • He said the test was difficult.
  • She said she watched TV every day.
  • Jack said he came to school every day.

• If simple present, present perfect or the future is used in the reporting verb (i.e. says) the tense is retained.

  For example:

  • He says the test is difficult.
  • She has said that she watches TV every day.
  • Jack will say that he comes to school every day.

Changing Pronouns and Time Signifiers

When changing from direct speech to indirect speech, it is often necessary to change the pronouns to match the subject of the sentence.

For example:

• She said, "I want to bring my children." BECOMES She said she wanted to bring her children.
• Jack said, "My wife went with me to the show." BECOMES Jack said his wife had gone with him to the show.

It is also important to change time words (signifiers) when referring to present, past or future time to match the moment of speaking.

For example:

• She said, "I want to bring my children tomorrow." BECOMES She said she wanted to bring her children the next day.
• Jack said, "My wife went with me to the show yesterday." BECOMES Jack said his wife had gone with him to the show the day before.

Indirect Questions

When reporting questions, it is especially important to pay attention to sentence order. When reporting yes/ no questions connect the reported question using 'if'. When reporting questions using question words (why, where, when, etc.) use the question word.

For example:

• She asked, "Do you want to come with me?" BECOMES She asked me if I wanted to come with her.
• Dave asked, "Where did you go last weekend?" BECOMES Dave asked me where I had gone the previous weekend.
• He asked, "Why are you studying English?" BECOMES She asked me why I was studying English.

The following chart includes sentences changed from quoted speech to reported speech using a past form. Pay special attention to sentences marked with "*". Note Simple past, present perfect, and past perfect all change to past perfect in the reported form.

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
He said, "I live in Paris."	He said he lived in Paris.
He said, "I am cooking dinner."	He said he was cooking dinner.
He said, "I have visted London twice."	He said he had visited London twice.
He said, "I went to New York last week."	He said he had gone to New York the week before.
He said, "I had already eaten."	He said he had already eaten.
He said, "I am going to find a new job."	He said he was going to find a new job.
He said, "I will give Jack a call."	He said he would give Jack a call.
He said, "I have been working on that project for over two weeks."	He said he had been working on that project for over two weeks.
He said, "I can come tonight."	He said he could come that night.
* He said, "I may buy a new car."	He said he might buy a new car.
* He said, "I might go to Denver."	He said he might go to Denver.
* He said, "I must give Ken a call."	He said he had to give Ken a call.
* He said, "I have to give Ken a call."	He said he had to give Ken a call.
* He said, "I should see a doctor"	He said he should see a doctor.

 

http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/blgrquiz_reported1.htm Direct to Indirect Speech Transformations - Quiz 1

Take the following sentences in direct speech and put them into indirect (or reported) speech. Once you have decided on your answer, click on the arrow to see if you have answered correctly. For more information about how to use indirect or reported speech, refer to this construction chart. Remember to make appropriate changes in pronoun and time words. Sometimes time signifiers could be changed depending on the moment of reporting.

1. Tom said, "I want to visit my friends this weekend."

   Tom said --he wanted to visit his friends that weekend.

2. Jerry said, "I'm studying English a lot at the moment."

   Jerry said --he was studying English a lot at that moment.

3. They said, "We've lived here for a long time."

   They said --they had lived there for a long time.

4. He asked me, "Have you finished reading the newspaper?"

   He asked me --if I had finished reading the newspaper.

5. "I get up every morning at seven o'clock.", Peter said.

   Peter said --he got up every morning at seven o'clock.

6. Susan reassured me, "I can come tonight."

   Susan told me --she could come that night.

7. She said, "I really wish I had bought that new car."

   She told me --she really wished she had bought that new car.

8. Jack said, "He must be guilty!"

   Jack said he must have been guilty.

9. Cheryl asked her, "How long have you lived here?"

   Cheryl asked her --how long she had lived there.

10. He said, "I must get going. Otherwise, I'm going to be late."

    He told me --he had to get going. Otherwise, he was going to be late.

http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/blgrquiz_reported2.htm Direct to Indirect Speech Transformations

Take the following sentences in direct speech and put them into indirect (or reported) speech. Once you have decided on your answer, click on the arrow to see if you have answered correctly. For more information about how to use indirect or reported speech, refer to this construction chart. Remember to make appropriate changes in pronoun and time words. Sometimes time signifiers could be changed depending on the moment of reporting.

1. She said, "I've worked here since I left my last job."

   She told me that --she had worked there since she had left her last job.

2. You said, "I will help you!"

   You said --you would help me!

3. She asked me, "When are we going to leave?"

   She asked me --when we were going to leave.

4. Peter said, "I may bring someone with me to the party."

   Peter said --he might bring someone with him to the party.

5. My friend said, "I will have finished my homework by the time you arrive."

   My friend told me --he would have finished his homework by the time I arrived.

6. Mark asked me, "Why do you want to study Russian?"

   Mark asked me --why I wanted to study Russian.

7. Marcia said, "I have been waiting for you for over an hour."

   Marcia said --she had been waiting for me for over an hour.

8. Alison said, "I had eaten before you arrived."

   Alison told me --she had eaten before I had arrived.

9. Lenny sang, "I want to get away, I want to fly away"

   Lenny sang --he wanted to get away, he wanted to fly away.

10. Jason asked me, "Are you coming with me?"

    Jason asked me --if I was coming with him.