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Reported speech
( Đặng Văn Dương - Trường THCS Đại Tự - Yên lạc - Vĩnh Phúc)
1. Tenses:
a, Changes: Verbs used in direct speech often change their tense in reported speech, especially when the" reporting" verb in the past
( Back one tense)
Eg: " I`ll put the letters in the post", said he
=> He said he would put the letters in the post.
b, No changes:
Some verbs tenses used in direct speech do not change in reported speech. The" reporting" verb is often in the present tense.
- Reporting a present state of affairs
Eg: " The cost of living here is high"
=> The reporter says /said that the cost of living here is high.
- Reporting things which are always true
Eg: " It`s always cold at this time of year"
=> He says it`s always cold at this time of year.
- Reporting something which we believe/ someone believes will happen.
- They are the modal structures: Would, could, might, ought to, should,
Eg: She said," You might be mistaken"
=> She said that he might be mistaken
- Conditional type 2,
- Structures: Would rather, as time, as if, as though, it`s time
Eg: "I wish he were here now"
=> She wished he were there then.
" I`d rather we ate out"
=> She`d rather they ate out.
2. Reporting statements:
a, Verb ( + that)
( say, claim, admit, explain, insist, agree, complain, deny, reply, etc)
Eg: " I`m an art student"
=> He said ( that) he was an art student.
b, Verb + pronoun/ noun + (that)
Eg: " I am a teacher"
=> She told him ( that) she was a teacher
c, Verb + To-infinitive
( offer, refuse, agree, promise, ect)
Eg: " I`ll take you to the dance"
=> He offered to take her to the dance
d, Verb + for + V-ing
( apologize, thank, etc)
Eg: " I`m sorry I broke this vase"
=> My child apologized for breaking that vase.
3. Reporting requests and orders:
Eg1: " Close the door, please"
=> He asked me to close the door.
Eg2: " Don`t move"
=> The policeman ordered the burglar not to move
Eg3: " Attack"
=> The Captain ordered his soldiers to attack.
4. Reporting questions:
a, Have question words: what where, who,ect
Eg: How much money do you have?"
=> My girl friend asked how much money I had.
b, No question words, we use IF or WHETHER
Eg1: " Are you tired?"
=> My mother asked if I were tired.
Eg2: " Do you want the car or not?"
=> My elder brother wondered whether I wanted the car or not
5. Reporting suggestions:
Suggest + V-ing
+ that + S + should + V(bare)
+ that + S + V (bare)

Eg: " Let`s go home"
=> He suggested going home
that they should go home
that they go home
6. Exclamation:
What + Noun/ noun phrase!
How + Adj/ adv + clause!

Eg1: " What an intelligent boy!"
=> She exclaimed that he was such an intelligent boy.
E2: " How beautiful she is!"
=> He exclaimed that she was so/ very beautiful.
Eg3: " How quickly he runs!"
=> They exclaimed that he ran very quickly.
7. Some points to notice about reported speech:
- The pronoun often changes: you => I, she, he/ we => they.....
- Words like: "please" and" now" disappear.
8. Other forms:
a, advised - advice:
- Had better
- Should
- Why don`t you => advised smb to do smt
- if I were you
- Ought to
- If I were in your place/ situation/ position
b, Suggested - suggestion:
- How about
- What about => suggested that smb should do smt
- Why don`t we doing smt
- Let`s do smt
c, offer:
- Shall I do smt for you
- Let`s me do smt for you => offered to do smt
- Would you like me to do smt for you
- I will do smt for you if you like
d, Asking for permission:
- Do you mind if I do smt
- Would you mind If I did smt => asked smb for permission to do smt