2. Contents Objectives Reported speech. Vocabulary related to communications. Expressions used for summarizing information. By the end of this lesson you: Will be able to use the reported speech tense to pass on information. Will be able to express your opinion on the topic of information overload in businesses. Will summarize a report on e-mail surveillance.
3. Communication These days the exchange of information is quite common. In just a few seconds we can get a business report published in the other side of the world, and we can even chat with our colleagues with the help of a webcam. However, not all that glitter is gold. If it is truth that most of us can download information from the internet, it is also truth that most of the information is not regulated and lacks a strong, solid academic or social background. Moreover, one of the biggest concerns that is worrying most of the businesses is the misuse of the information. What is private and what is personal? What can be sent to competitors out of the meeting room, and to what an extent can the employer prohibit the exchange of the information? These days we create and receive a lot of information and that has brought a problem: Infoglut and the right to privacy. Lesson 8
4. Communication What can we do with all the information that we received every day? If it is truth that the average person receives around 114 mails per month, it is also truth that most of the times that information is sent while the person is still at work. The big problem then is to define the limits of how much information can be sent out of the office, and also, the limits of unveiling any type of information. We are going to read an article dealing with e-mail surveillance. Read the instructions below: Lesson 8
5. Reported Speech If someone came to you and asked you for a summary of what the author of the article said, surely you would say something like this: Kocherp: “The loss of privacy has made individuals dread the use of IT) .” (Direct speech) Kocherp mentioned that the loss of privacy had made individuals dread the use of IT. (Reported speech) Kocherp: “Privacy can be defined as a a way to define a line between the individual and the society.” (Direct speech) He said that privacy could be defined as a way to define a line between the individual and the society. (Reported speech) Kocherp: “What is more feared today is the use of surveillance technology.” (Direct speech) He also explained that what was more feared today was the use of surveillance technology. (Reported speech) Lesson 8
6. Reported Speech Every time we give an oral or written report like this, we have to make a backshift in the time of the sentence, that is we have to change the tense of the verbs. Look at the following examples and pay attention to the shift in tense. Direct Speech Indirect Speech Simple present Simple past She never writes personal e-mails in her job. She said that she never wrote e-mails in her job. Present continuous Past continuous I’m studying the regulations regarding the use of the Internet. He said that he was studying the regulations regarding the use of the Internet. Simple past Past perfect They studied in a public school. They said that they had studied in a public school Future Conditional He will travel to Toronto next month He said that he would travel to Toronto next month. Lesson 8
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8. We TELL SOMEONE something Reported Speech 1.- Edward: “Karen, please bring the report .” 2.- Jimmy: Mario, open the CD and give it to me.” 3.- Saul: “Can you stop talking , please?” 4.- Emma: “I’ m going to bring the material for this lesson.” Direct speech Reported speech 1.- Edward told Karen to bring the report . 2.- Jimmy told Mario to open the CD and gave it to him . 3.- Saul told them to stop talking. 4.- Emma told us she was going to bring the material for this lesson.” The verbs: would, could, should, might and ought to remain the same. Lesson 8
