DAY -42

ESL for TECH Program - II

Reported (indirect) Speech
Today’s Topics:

❑ Reported speech (indirect)

✓ Backshifting

✓ İmperative, requests, and advice (Reduction)

✓ Questions

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Indirect Speech:
She said that she
She said: ‘’I’m was learning ESL.
learning ESL’’.
I’m learning ESL.

• Direct quote • Direct speech • Indirect speech

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Indirect Speech:
• We have two speeches in English: direct and indirect (reported)

Direct speech • We use ıt when we report the exact words that somebody says.
• Usually used in written English.
!! we use quotation marks in
• Gozde said: ‘I am learning English for IT’. order to show direct speech
• Eray said: ‘I love Java’.
• Students told me: ‘We must review our vocabulary sets’.

Noun Clause
Indirect speech Usually used in spoken English.

• Gozde said that she loved Java.

!! İmportant !!
• Indirect speeches are complex
• Eray told me that hhe was learning IT. sentence.
• Students said to me that they must review their vocabulary sets. • Dependent clause is always a
noun clause.

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Indirect Speech: use
• In many instances, we merely paraphrase (or restate) what someone said, rather than directly quoting them. This is
known as reported or indirect speech.

• In reported speech, we do not use quotation marks.

Example: No quotation marks

The boss said in the meeting that he would promote you and me.

• However, we must shift the paraphrased information one degree

into the past. This is known as ‘backshifting’.

• This is because we usually put the reporting verb in the past

tense (I asked, she said, they told us, he suggested, etc.), so the
speech that is being reported must shift back as well.
The boss said: ‘’I will promote Jane and Leila’’.

The boss said he would promote you (Jane) and me (Leila).

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Indirect Speech: backshifting (always one tense back…)
Try to understand how backshifting works focusing on direct and then indirect speech.

direct sentence Verb Shift Indirect speech

I live in Germany. From present to past Tom said that he lived in Germany.
She’s learning Java. From present cont to past cont Jill said (that) she was learning Java.
I have been to the UK many times. From present perfect to past perf. Tom said he had been to the UK…
I was a teacher before I was an SDET. From past to past perf. John said he had been a teacher before he was an SDET.
I lived in the UK. From past to past perf. Mary told us that she had lived in the UK.
She was studying. From past cont to past perf cont Caol said that Jill had been stydying.
The lesson had ended when you came Past perfect remains the same!! Joe said the lesson had ended when she came.
We will start IT soon. will/can into would/could Roger and Joe said they would start…
You must be on time. Modals remain the same. Mark said that I must be on time.
I could/would create a framework. Modals remain the same Mik said he could/would create …

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Indirect Speech:
These are the things Kazban said in direct speech. Can you tell them to another friend?

• Jane is taking an IT course.

• Jill has bought a new mobile.
• Tom is unemployed.
• The Browns will move to NY.
• The Marks sold their car.

• Kazban said (that)Jane was taking an IT course.

• Kazban told me (that) Jill had bought a new cell phone.
• Kazban said (that) Tom was unemployed.

• Kazban said (that) the Browns would move to NY.

• Kazban said (that) the Marks had sold their car. 7
Indirect Speech: say or tell?
• The most common so-called “reporting verbs” are say and tell. When we use tell, we need to use another person’s
name, or a personal pronoun representing him or her, as an indirect object.

For example:
• Say : The students said that reported speech was easy.

• Say to + smb: The students said to the teacher that they understood reported speech very well.

• Tell smb : The students told me that I might extend the quiz time.

Are the following sentences correct or incorrect?

• She said me she was late for the appointment yesterday.

• She said she was late for the appointment yesterday.

• She told she was late for the appointment yesterday.

• She told me she was late for the appointment yesterday.

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Indirect Speech: say or tell?
Complete the sentences with the correct form of say or tell.

Did you say

1 _____________(you) your brother the truth about that money?
did you say
2 What _____________ (you) to Wendy last night? She looks terribly upset this morning.
3 Is something wrong? Can you _____________
tell me about it?
to tell
4 My English teacher keeps asking me _____________ the class a joke from my country, but I can’t think of any suitable ones!
5 If I asked you to marry me, what _____________
would you say (you)?
to say
6 I never know what _____________ to people when they pay me a compliment.
told
7 Don’t worry, I’m sure the boys are fine. Anyway, I _____________ them to call me if they had any problems.
told
8 I’ll never speak to him again after all the lies he _____________ me last weekend.
wouldn’t you say
9 If I were you, I _______________(not) anything about your problems now.
won’t say
10 Promise you _____________ (not) anything to my colleague. She’ll be furious if she finds out what I’ve done.
11 I ‘ve already told
_____________(already) you, I don’t know where your phone is.
tell me
12 Please _____________ if you’ll forgive me. I’m really sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused.
tell
13 I’m ready to serve the meal. Can you _____________ the children to go and wash their hands, please? 9
Indirect Speech: say or tell?
• Other reporting verbs include ask, complain, instruct, explain, mention, suggest, claim, inform etc.

For example:
• He asked if I could come in early tomorrow.
• She explained that she was only joking.
• I suggested that we should go home early.

Use say or tell:

• Jill: I’m anxious about the interview.
• James ______ that you were there.
told said a) Jill told that she was anxious about the interview.
b) Jill told me that she was anxious about the interview.
c) Jill said me that she was anxious about the interview.
• Francis: I'm going to the store.
d) Jill said to that she was anxious about the interview.
a. Francis said me that he was going to the store.
b. Francis told to me that he was going to the store. • James ______ me that you were there.
c. Francis said that he was going to the store. told said
d. Francis said to he was going to the store.
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Indirect Speech: say or tell?
• Roger: I'll be right back.
• Jack : If we can't live together, we're going to die alone.
a. Roger said he would be right back. a. Jack said everybody that if they couldn't live together, they
b. Roger said me he would be right back. were going to die alone.
b. Jack told everybody that if they couldn't live together, they
c. Roger told he would be right back. were going to die alone.
d. Roger told to me that he would be right back. c. Jack told to everybody that if they couldn't live together, they
were going to die alone.

• Beth: Dinner's at 9 o'clock. • Mahatma Ghandi: An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
a. Beth said me dinner was at 9 o'clock.
a. Ghandi said that an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
b. Beth told to me dinner was at 9 o'clock. b. Ghandi told that an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
c. Beth told me dinner was at 9 o'clock. c. Ghandi told me that an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
d. Ghandi said me that an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
d. Beth said that to me dinner was at 9 o'clock.

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Indirect Speech: imperatives, requests, and advice
When we report orders, requests, or advice, we can use the infinitive form of the verbs that the other person
has said.

Imperatives (orders)

Direct speech: Stand up straight!

Reported speech: The teacher said to stand up straight.

Requests
Direct speech: Can you take me to the airport, please?
Reported speech: He asked me to take him to the airport.

Advice
Direct speech: You should study a bit harder next time.
Reported speech: She advised me to study a bit harder.

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Indirect Speech: imperatives, requests, and advice
Use reported speech for the following sentences:

• ‘Drink plenty of water’, the doctor said to me.

• The doctor told me to dirnk plenty of water.

• ‘Don’t work too hard’, I said to my colleague.

• I told my colleague not to work too hardç

• ‘Can you help me please?’, Clara asked me.

• Clara asked me to help her.

• ‘Be quiet!’ the man said to the boy.

• The man told the boy to be quiet.

• ‘Do not drive fast please’ the woman said to the man.
• The woman asked the man not to drive fast.
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Indirect Speech: imperatives, requests, and advice
Use the verbs in the parantheses to report the statements:

I reminded John to phone Sally.

The teacher told the children to wash their hands.

Jane tried to persuade Tom to play the guitar.

Paul asked Mary to lend him her bicycle pump.

She warned the children to stay away from the water.

The policeman advised Mark to see a lawyer.

She told Alan to have a shower immediately.

I reminded Sally to take an umbrella.

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Indirect Speech: imperatives, requests, and advice
Rewrite the sentence using an object + to infinitve

Jane to do homewrok soon.

Ann to buy a map.

Mrs Clark to see a doctor.

Bill to keep all the Windows closed.

Paul to go home.

Bob to stay for supper.

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Indirect Speech: questions
Questions (Yes/No): use if/whether

• The man asked: ‘Are you a student of CYDEO?’

• The man asked me if/whether I was a student of CYDEO.

• The boss asked employers: ‘Will you attend the meeting?’

• The boss wanted to learn if/whether the employers attend the meeting.

Questions (wh): who – what- when – where – why- how

• The man asked: ‘Where do you live?’

• The man asked me where I lived.

• The boss asked me: ‘Why can’t you work on Mondays?’

• The boss asked me why I couldn’t work on Mondays.
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Indirect Speech: questions
Rewrite the sentences beginning in the way shown.
1 ‘Where are you going?’ asked Tom.
___________________________________________________________
Tom asked (me) where I was going .
2 ‘Where are you going to spend the holiday?’ asked Mike.
(me) where I was going to spend the holiday
Mike asked ___________________________________________________________.
3 ‘What will you do when you leave school?’ asked Jennifer.
Jennifer asked ___________________________________________________________
(me) what I would do when I left school .
4 ‘How did you know my name?’ the journalist asked the security guard.
The journalist wanted to know _______________________________________________________
how the security guard knew his/her name .
5 ‘Do you have an appointment?’ asked the clerk.
The clerk asked ___________________________________________________________
(me) if/whether I had an appointment .
6 ‘Have you seen the blue memory stick?’ Bernie asked his wife.
whether/if his wife had seen the blue memory stick
Bernie wondered ___________________________________________________________.
7 ‘Why didn’t Isobel phone me?’ asked her brother.
why she hadn’t phoned him
Isobel’s brother wanted to know ___________________________________________________________ .
8 ‘Will you carry my laptop for me please, Rosie?’ Richard asked.
Rosie whether/if she would carry his laptop for him
Richard asked ___________________________________________________________ .
9 ‘When can I see the doctor?’ Charles asked the receptionist.
the receptionist when he could see the doctor
Charles asked ___________________________________________________________ .
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Indirect Speech: an exception
• We do not always change the verb in reported speech. If the situation is still the same, it is not
necessary to change the verb to the past. For example:

Tom said: “my job is boring” → still thinks so Teacher said: “I live in the UK”
Tom explained that his job is boring. Teacher said that he lives in the UK.

Clara said: “I want to move to Canada next year” → still wants to move
Ali said: “there are 4 OOP principles in Java”
Clara told me that she wants to move to Canada next year.
Ali said that there are 4 OOP principles in Java.

Mahatma Ghandi: ‘An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind’.
Ghandi said that an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

Teacher said: “Java is a programming language”

Teacher said that Java is a programming language.

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Indirect Speech: mini quiz
1. What is the conventional rule for the verb tense of speech 4. Which verb form is uniquely used to reporting
that we report? commands, requests, and advice?
a) It stays the same as the original tense
b) It shifts back one tense in the past a) Infinitive b) past perfect
c) It shifts forward one tense in the future c) future simple d) present participle
d) It is always in the past simple tense
5. Which of these is not a reporting verb?
2. What does the reporting verb tell require that the verb
say does not? a) advise b) say c) suggest d) speak
a) a direct object b) a direct subject
c) an indirect object d) an indirect subject 6. Complete the following sentence with the appropriate
tense according to conventional grammar rules:
3. Which verbs always remain in the same tense when they Direct speech: “I have seen that movie already.”
are reported? Reported speech: “He said he ________ that movie
already.”
a) reporting verbs
b) modal auxiliary verbs a) saw b) has seen c) had seen d) having seen
c) linking verbs
d) action verbs
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Indirect Speech: mini quiz
7. What type of speech is used to indicate an exact quotation by 10. Change back to direct speech:
someone else? Will told me that he enjoyed being a captain.
a) Direct speech b) Reported speech a) Will: "I enjoyed been a captain."
b) Will: "I enjoy being a captain."
c) Will: "I have enjoyed being a captain."
8. What is the conventional rule for conjugating verbs in
reported speech? 11. She said she _____ apple pie for breakfast this
a) Shift the verb one tense into the future morning.
b) Shift the verb one tense into the past a) ate
c) Always use the past simple tense b) eated
d) No verb shift is necessary. c) eat
d) ated

9. Identify the type of speech used in the following sentence:

12. Pat said he ____________ an important essay last
She said she had seen the movie already, but she would go
night.
again if I wanted to see it with her.
a) is writing
a) Direct speech b) Reported speech
b) was write
c) was writing
d) is write 20
Indirect Speech: mini quiz
13. What verb tense does the simple present become in 16.She said she _____ the job this morning.
reported speech? a) leaved
a) Past simple b) leave
b) Present perfect c) leaft
c) Past cont d) left
d) it stays the same

14. What verb tense does the present continuous become in 17. Jill said she ____________ an interview tomorrow.
reported speech? a) had
a) Past simple b) has
b) Present perfect c) would have
c) Past cont d) is having
d) it stays the same

15. What verb tense does the past perfect become in reported 18. "Where is it?" said Mary. She
speech? a) said where it is
a) Past simple b) asked where it was
b) Present perfect c) asked if it was there
c) Past cont
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d) it stays the same
Indirect Speech:
19. Which of these is usually required with reported
YES/NO questions? 23. She always asks me not to burn the cookies. She
always says
a) if b) do c) why
a) "Not to burn the cookies!"
20. Ram asked me where I worked. His original words b) "Please don't burn the cookies."
were c) "Do not burn the cookies."
a) "Do you work there?"
b) "Where do I work?" 24. Which structure is not used for reported orders?
c) "Where do you work?"
a) order somebody to
21. "Don’t shout!" is a b) tell somebody to
c) ask somebody to
a) direct request b) direct order c) reported order

22. "Please wipe your feet." I asked them to wipe

a) your feet nicely b) their feet please c) their feet

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What have we learned today?

❑ Reported speech (indirect)

✓ Backshifting

✓ İmperative, requests, and advice (Reduction)

✓ Questions

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