The document discusses reported speech, including how to change verb tenses and time/place references when reporting what someone said. It provides examples of changing direct speech like "I'm going to the park" to reported speech like "She said she was going to the park." It also lists and defines common reporting verbs used to report what someone said, like said, asked, announced, admitted, etc.

1. REPORTED SPEECH
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 STRUCTURE
 IMPERATIVES
 TIME & PLACE REFERENCES
 QUESTIONS
 BASIC REPORTING VERBS
1

2. present simple past simple
I'm a teacher. He said he was a teacher
present continuous past continuous.
I'm having lunch with my parents. He said he was having lunch with his parents.
present perfect simple past perfect simple
I've been to France three times. He said he had been to France three times.
present perfect continuous past perfect continuous
I've been working very hard. He said he had been working very hard.
past simple past perfect
I bought a new car. He said he had bought a new car.
past continuous past perfect continuous
It was raining earlier. He said it had been raining earlier.
past perfect past perfect
The play had started when I arrived. NO CHANGE POSSIBLE
past perfect continuous past perfect continuous
I'd already been living in London for five years. NO CHANGE POSSIBLE

3. Other verb forms also sometimes change:
will would
I'll come and see you soon. He said he would come and see me soon.
could
can
He said he could swim under water for two
I can swim under water for two minutes.
minutes.
had to
must
He said that all tickets had to be bought in
All tickets must be bought in advance.
advance.
shall should
What shall we do about it? He asked what we should do about it.
may might
May I smoke? He asked if he might smoke.

4. Things are slightly more complicated with
imperatives.
tell + infinitive
positive imperative He told me to shut up.
Shut up!
tell + not + infinitive
He told me not to do it
negative imperative
again.
Don't do that again!
ask + infinitive
He asked me to give
imperatives as requests him some money.
Please give me some money.

5. Questions
 WH- :
What time is Paul leaving school today?
David wondered/asked/wanted to know WHAT TIME Paul was leaving school that day
 YES/NO:
Is Laura coming to the party tonight?
Sara asked IF/WHETHER Laura was going to the party that night

6. then
now
Time and place references often today that day
have to change:
here there
this that
this week that week
the following day
tomorrow the next day
the day after
the following week
next week the next week
the week after
the previous day
yesterday
the day before
the previous week
last week
the week before
previously
ago
before
2 weeks previously
2 weeks ago
2 weeks before
tonight that night
the previous Saturday
last Saturday
the Saturday before
the following Saturday
the next Saturday
next Saturday
the Saturday after
that Saturday

7. Examples:
 I went to the theatre last night.
He said he had gone to the theatre the night before.
 I'm having a party next weekend.
He said he was having a party the next weekend.
 I'm staying here until next week.
He said he was staying there until the following week.
 I came over from London 3 years ago.
He said he had come over from London 3 years before.

8. Some basic reporting verbs
 ACCUSE
to accuse someone of doing something
"It was you who ate my chocolate, Elvira, wasn't it?"
He accused Elvira of eating his chocolate.
 ADMIT
to admit doing something
to admit that...
"OK, it was me. I ate your chocolate"
Elvira admitted eating the chocolate.
Elvira admitted that she had eaten the chocolate.
 ADVISE
to advise someone to do something
"Well, if I were you I'd start saving for my retirement."
He advised me to start saving for my retirement
 AGREE
to agree that...
"Yes, you're right, it's a terrible problem."
She agreed that it was a terrible problem.

9.  ANNOUNCE
to announce that...
"I'm afraid I've got some bad news. The company's closing."
The manager announced that the company was closing.
 APOLOGISE
to apologise (to someone) for doing something
"I'm sorry I didn't get to the meeting."
He apologised for not going to the meeting.
 ASK
to ask someone to do something
"It's very hot in here. Would you mind opening the window?"
She asked him to open the window.
 BLAME
to blame someone for doing something
 "We lost the match because you didn't save that penalty."
He blamed the goalkeeper for losing the match.
 COMPLAIN
to complain about something
"The electrician said he was coming at ten o'clock so I took time
off work and waited in all morning...."
She complained about the electrician.

10.  CONGRATULATE
to congratulate someone on doing something
"Well done! I knew you'd pass your driving test this time."
She congratulated him on passing his driving test.
 DENY
to deny doing something
to deny that...
"It most certainly wasn't me that left the front door open."
He denied leaving the front door open.
He denied that he had left the front door open.
 EXPLAIN
to explain why...
to explain that...
"Sorry I'm late. The traffic was bad and then I couldn't find a
parking space."
He explained why he was late.
He explained that the traffic was bad.
 FORGET
to forget to do something
"Oh no, I haven't got any money. I didn't go to the bank."
He forgot to go to the bank.

11.  INVITE
to invite someone to do something
"Would you like to come to our house for dinner on
Friday?
He invited them to come to dinner on Friday.
 OFFER
to offer to do something for someone
"Those bags must be heavy, John. Shall I take one?"
She offered to carry a bag for him.
 PROMISE
to promise to do something
"Yes, honest, I'll be there on time. I won't be late."
He promised not to be late.
 REFUSE
to refuse to do something
"Well I'm not washing up. I did it last time."
He refused to do the washing-up.

12.  REMIND
to remind someone to do something
"Remember you have to go to the bank. You forgot yesterday."
She reminded me to go to the bank.
* SUGGEST
to suggest that someone should do something
to suggest that someone do something
"Why don't you go to the dentist if your tooth* hurts?"
She suggested that he should go to the dentist.
She suggested that he went to the dentist.
 THREATEN
to threaten to do something
"If you're late again we'll start without you."
They threatened to start without him.
 WARN
to warn someone about something
to warn someone (not) to do something
"Don't drive too quickly. The streets are very icy."
He warned him about the ice.
He warned him not to drive too quickly