DevEX - reference for building teams, processes, and platforms
Reported Speech
1. REPORTED SPEECH
Statements
The verb shifts back into the past
Sheila: I am having a party on Saturday
Pres. cont
Reported: She said she was having a party
Past cont.
BACKSHIFT OF TENSES
PRESENT SIMPLE PAST SIMPLE
PRESENT CONTINUOUS PAST CONTINUOUS
PRESENT PERFECT PAST PERFECT
PAST SIMPLE PAST PERFECT / PAST SIMPLE
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
PAST PERFECT PAST PERFECT
FUTURE SIMPLE CONDITIONAL SIMPLE
(...)
2. REPORTED SPEECH
Statements
MODAL VERBS
CAN COULD
SHALL SHOULD
SHOULD SHOULD
MUST HAD TO
MAY MIGHT
MIGHT MIGHT
WILL WOULD
REPORTING VERBS
SAY: She said she was going
TELL: She told me she was going
IND.
3. REPORTED SPEECH
Questions
1) Yes / No Questions
There are some steps which are the same as in statements (changing of the person, backshift of
tenses, changing of expressions of time).
In Reported speech the question becomes a statement.
Word order is: subject – verb - complements
Did he travel there?
She asked IF he had travelled there
2) Wh- / How Questions
When are you leaving?
She asked when she was leaving
Where can we go?
She asked where they could go
REPORTING VERBS
Ask: He asked me where I live
He asked how much it was
4. REPORTED SPEECH
Orders
1) Affirmative commands
tell + to + infinitive.
Father: "Do your homework.“
Father told me to do my homework.
2) Negative commands
tell + NOT + to + infinitive.
Teacher. "Don't talk to your neighbour.“
The teacher told me not to talk to my neighbour.
REPORTING VERBS
Ask: He asked me to stop talking
Tell: He told me not to go there
5. REPORTED SPEECH
Here-and-now words
This (evening) that (evening)
These those
Here there
Now then
Today That day
Tonight that night
Yesterday the day before / the day before
Last night the night before
Last weekend the weekend before / the previous weekend
2 days ago 2 days before
Tomorrow the next/following day
next (week) the following (week)
6. REPORTED SPEECH
Here-and-now words
This (evening) that (evening)
These those
Here there
Now then
Today That day
Tonight that night
Yesterday the day before / the day before
Last night the night before
Last weekend the weekend before / the previous weekend
2 days ago 2 days before
Tomorrow the next/following day
next (week) the following (week)