An explanation of how reported structures work out.

1. Reported Speech
in all of its fascinating variations.

2. Turn off the lights.

3. Eat something.

4. Take your shoes off.

5. Bring me my beer.

6. Imperative
Do this..... Don't do that...
and bla bla...

8. "Just stop crying like a baby
and do the stupid dishes."
A. For imperatives, we report by using "tell" and "to".
B. We mention the messenger and the recipient.
C. Tense and verb forms stay exactly the same.
Conrad told his sister to stop crying
and do the stupid dishes.

9. Get that corn out of my
face!!!

10. "Get that corn out of my
face!"
D. Pronouns must be adjusted to properly communicate who
said what to whom.
He told his friend to get that corn out of
his face.
He told me to get that corn out of his face.
I told him to get that corn out of my face.

12. "Don't point that at your face, Luke."
E. When reporting negative imperatives, "to don't..." doesn't exist,
and is an error easily noticed by everyone. The correct way is to say
"not to".
Ben told Luke not to point the light saber at his
face.
I told Luke not to point the light saber at his
face.
He told me not to point the light saber at my
face
(but I'm dead now, so I guess it really doesn't matter).

13. Statements and Information
"Yeah... he really said that..."

14. I'm working.

15. I don't like your
glasses.

17. "Houston, something is wrong."
A. We say "tell" or "say" to report a statement that someone made or information
that someone shared. Using "tell" requires a messenger and recipient. Using
"say" does not require the mention of recipient.
B. We can use "that" to connect the original speaker to the statement made, but
the use is (optional).
C. The verb must be converted to past tense.
The confused astronaut told Houston (that)
something was wrong.
He said something was wrong.

18. Dad wants me to look pretty for my grandma.

19. But I don't give a CRAP about
what grandma thinks!
Dad wants me to look pretty for my grandma.

20. "Dad wants me to look pretty for my
grandma."
D. Pronouns must be adjusted to properly communicate who said
what to whom.
Eustreberta said (that) her dad wanted her to look
pretty for her grandma.
She told me her dad wanted her to look pretty for her
grandma.
I told Bob my dad wanted me to look pretty for my
grandma.

21. "Dad wants me to look pretty for my
grandma. But I don't give a crap
about what grandma thinks."
E. The use of "that" is not optional when reporting a second
statement in the same report.
Eustreberta said her dad wanted her to look
pretty for her grandma, but that she didn't
give a crap about what her grandma thought.

22. My new trova disc will be
out next week... if you like
what
you're hearing.

23. My new trova disc will be
out next week... if you like
what
you're hearing.

24. "My new trova disc will be out next
week... if you like what you're hearing."
F. When reporting a statement originally made in future tense with
"will", you must convert the "will" to "would".
You must make any adjustments to properly communicate any time
periods mentioned.
He said his new trova disc would be out a
week later, if anyone liked what they were
hearing.
I told them my new trova disc would be out
the following week, if any of them liked what
they were hearing.