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Statements in Reported Speech

• In reported speech, you often have to change the pronoun/adjective depending on who says what.

• Example:– She says, “My mum doesn’t have time today.”– She says that her mum doesn’t have time

today.

Pronouns/Adjectives

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• No backshift• Do not change the tense if the introductory clause is in

Simple Present (e. g. He says). Note, however, that you might have to change the form of the present tense verb (3rd person singular).

Example:– He says, “I speak English.” – He says that he speaks English.

• Backshift• You must change the tense if the introductory clause is

in Simple Past (e. g. He said). This is called backshift.• Example

– He said, “I am happy.” – He said that he was happy.

Tenses

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Backshift

Direct Speech Reported Speech

Simple Present Simple Past

Present Progressive Past Progressive

Simple Past

Past Perfect SimplePresent Perfect Simple

Past Perfect Simple

Past Progressive

Past Perfect ProgressivePresent Perfect Progressive

Past Perfect Progressive

Future I (going to) was / were going to

Future I (will)Conditional I (would)

Conditional I (would)

The verbs could, should, would, might, (must), needn’t, ought to, used to do not normally change.

Example: He said, “She might be right.” – He said that she might be right.

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DIRECT STATEMENT REPORTED STATEMENT

Can ► couldmay ► mightmust ► had towill ► would

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DOS ASPECTOS A TENER EN CUENTA

• 1) Los verbos que se encuentran en Past Perfect en la voz directa no cambian cuando pasan a la voz indirecta. "I had driven a van before this", said Ian Lewis.("Yo había conducido una camioneta antes", dijo Ian Lewis)

Ian Lewis said that he had driven a van before that.(Ian Lewis dijo que el había conducido una camioneta antes)

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• 2) Otros verbos modales -could, might, ought to, should, would - normalmente no cambian. En determinadas situaciones, incluso must puede permanecer sin cambios."I might drive a van if I wanted to do it", said Ian Lewis.("Yo podría conducir una camioneta si quisiera hacerlo", dijo Ian Lewis)Ian Lewis said that he might drive a van if he wanted to do it.(Ian Lewis dijo que él podría conducir una camioneta si quisiera hacerlo)

"Young people ought to drive more carefully", said the policeman.(Los jóvenes deberían conducir con más cuidado", dijo el agente de policía)The policeman said that young people ought to drive more carefully.(El agente de policía dijo que los jóvenes deberían conducir con más cuidado)

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Place and Time expressions

For place and time expressions you have to check whether place and time are the same in direct and reported speech or not. Check out the following example:

It is Friday and you meet James at a restaurant. James tells you that he saw Caroline in this restaurant today. (“I saw Caroline here today.”) A few minutes later, Helen joins you and you want to report what James has told you. Place (here) and time (today) are the same and you can say:

→ James said that he had seen Caroline here today.

One day later, you meet Mary at the same restaurant. Again, you want to report to her what James has told you. The place is the same, but not the time (it happened yesterday). So you would say:

→ James said that he had seen Caroline here yesterday.

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Still a few days later, Tom rings you at home. Again, you want to report to him what James has told you. However, now you are not at the restaurant (but at home) and a few days have passed since then. So you would say:

→ James said that he had seen Caroline at the restaurant on Friday.

Or

→ I met James in a restaurant on Friday and he said that he had seen Caroline there that day.

Therefore you always have to think which place and time expressions are logical in a certain situation.

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DIRECT STATEMENT REPORTED STATEMENT

now (ahora) ► at that time / then (en ese momento)this morning (esta mañana) ► that morning (esa mañana)today (hoy) ► that day (ese día)yesterday (ayer) ► the day before (el día anterior)…days ago (hace __ días) ► …days before ( __ días antes)last week (la semana pasada) ► the week before (la semana anterior)tomorrow (mañana) ► the day after (el día siguiente)

the next day / the following daynext week (la semana próxima)► the following week (la semana siguiente)last year (el año pasado) ► the year before (el año anterior)here (aquí) ► there (allí)this (este) ► that (ese, aquel)these (estos) ► those (esos, aquellos)come (venir) ► go (ir)

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Reported speech.Statements-1

1. John: "Mandy is at home.“ John said that Mandy was at home. 2. Max: "I often read a book.“

Max told me that he often read a book. 3. Susan: "I'm watching TV."

Susan said that she was watching TV. 4. Simon: "David was ill."

Simon said that David had been ill. 5. Stephen and Claire: "We have cleaned the windows."

Stephen and Claire told me that they had cleaned the windows. 6. Charles: "I didn't have time to do my homework.“

Charles remarked that he hadn't had time to do his homework. 7. Mr Jones: "My mother will be 50 years old."

Mr Jones told me that his mother would be 50 years old. 8. Jean: "The boss must sign the letter.

Jean said that the boss had to sign the letter.

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Reported speech.Statements-2

9. Emily: "My teacher will go to Leipzig tomorrow.Emily said that her teacher would go to Leipzig the next day.

10.Helen: "I was writing a letter yesterday.“Helen told me that she had been writing a letter the day before.

11. Robert: "My father flew to Dallas last year.“Robert said that his father had flown to Dallas the year before.

12. Michael: "I'm going to read a book this week." Michael told me that he was going to read a book that week.

13. Jason: "I'll do my best in the exams tomorrow." Jason told me that he would do his best in the exams the next day.

14. Andrew: "We didn't eat fish two days ago." Andrew said to me that they hadn't eaten fish two days before.

15. Alice: "I spent all my pocket money last Monday." Alice complained that she had spent all her pocket money the Monday before.

16. David: "John had already gone at six.David said that John had already gone at six.