GIANG VO SECONDARY SCHOOL REPORTED SPEECH

School year: 2021-2022

A- THEORY:
*/ When do we use reported speech? Sometimes someone says a sentence. Later, maybe we want to tell someone else
what the first person said.
I. Reported Statements: *We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or “tell”
1. If this verb is in the present tense, we just put 'she says' and then the sentence:
EG.: Direct speech: I like ice cream.
Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.
- We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I' to 'she'.
- We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your'.
-> Form: S1 + say (s) + (that) + S2 + V2 (s/es) + O
2. If the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported speech
-> Form: S1 + said/ told + (that) + S2 + V2 (moves one tense) + O

N0 Tenses Change tense

1. Present Simple - V(s/es)  Past Simple - Ved
2. Present Continuous - am /is/are + Ving  Past Continuous - was/were + Ving
3. Present Perfect - have/has + Vp2  Past Perfect - had + Vp2
4. Past Simple - Ved  Past Perfect/ Past Simple - had + Vp2/Ved
5. Past Continuous - was/were + Ving  Past Perfect Continuous - had been+ Ving
6. Past Perfect - had + Vp2  Past Perfect - had + Vp2
7. Will/ shall  Would
8. Can  could
9. May  Might
10. Must /have to  Had to
11. Am/is/ are  Was/ were
12. Could/ should/ ought to  Could/ should/ ought to
E.g: Direct speech: I like ice cream. Reported speech: She said (that) she liked ice cream
* Time Expressions with Reported Speech
Sometimes when we change direct speech into reported speech we have to change time expressions, too. We don't always
have to do this, however. It depends on when we heard the direct speech and when we say the reported speech.
now then / at that time

today that day

Yesterday/ago the day before yesterday / the day (..) before / the last day

last night the night before/ the last night

last week the week before / the previous week/ the last week

tomorrow the next day / the following day

This  That
These  Those
here  there
II. Reported Questions
 1. Wh. Question
*/ In fact, it's not so different from reported statements. The tense changes are the same, and we keep the question
word. The very important thing though is that, once we tell the question to someone else, it isn't a question any more. So
we need to change the grammar to a normal positive sentence.
Form: S1 + asked (sbd) + Wh-q + S2 + V2 (moves one tense) + O
Eg.1: Direct speech: Where do you live? -> Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.
Eg.2: Direct speech: Where is Julie? -> Reported speech: She asked me where Julie was
2. Yes/ No Question
Form: S1 + asked (sbd) + if/ whether + S2 + V2 (moves one tense) + O
Eg.:
Direct Question Reported Question

Do you love me? He asked me if/whether I loved him.

Have you ever been to Mexico? She asked me if I had ever been to Mexico.

Are you living here? She asked me if I was living there.

III. Questions words before to-infinitive

1. We can use question words who, what, where, when, how before a to-inf to express a situation that is difficult or
uncertain.
Eg: We don’t know who we should contact. -> We don’t know who to contact.
Form: S1 + don’t know/ have no idea ...+ Wh - q + To + V(inf.) + O
- Question words before to –infinitives can be used to report questions about something that should be done
Eg.: What should I do? – she said -> She wondered what to do
- The question words ‘why’ cannot be used before a to-inf.
S1+ ask, wonder, (not) be sure, have no idea, (not) know, (not) decide, (not) tell + Wh.q + To + V(inf.)
Eg: I have no idea where to get this information.
2.To report Yes/ No questions we use whether before to – infinitive. Remember if can not be used in this case.
* S1 + ask, wonder, (not) be sure, have no idea, (not) know, (not) decide, (not) tell + Wh - q + To + V(inf.)
Eg.: “Should I call her now?” he asked -> He was not sure whether to call her
IV. Reported Requests
- All of these requests mean the same thing, so we don't need to report every word when we tell another person about it.
We simply use 'S+ ask +sb+(not ) to + infinitive'
- Here are a few more examples:
Direct Request Reported Request

Please help me. She asked me to help her.

Please don't smoke. She asked me not to smoke.

Could you bring my book tonight? She asked me to bring her book that night.

Could you pass the milk, please? She asked me to pass the milk.

Would you mind coming early tomorrow? She asked me to come early the next day.

V. Reported Orders
- If someone doesn't ask so politely? We can call this an 'order' in English, when someone tells you very directly to do
something.
Eg. : Sit down! -> She told me to sit down Form: S + told sb + (not) to + V
Direct Order Reported Order

Go to bed! He told the child to go to bed.

Don't worry! He told her not to worry.

Be on time! He told me to be on time.

Don't smoke! He told us not to smoke.

VI. OTHER REPORTING VERBS
*/ Other reporting verbs describe how the speaker feels or what the speaker does.
- advise, agree, apologize for, ask, congratulate on , decide, deny, invite, offer, promise, refuse, remind, suggest...
1. Verb + to do sth -> agree/ decide/ offer/ promise/ refuse + to do sth
2. Verb + Object + to do sth -> advise/ ask/ invite/ remind + Object + to do sth
3. Verb + V-ing -> deny/ suggest + V-ing
4. Verb + preposition + V-ing -> apologize for/ congratulate on + V-ing

B- PRACTICE:
I. Choose the best answer to fill in the blank. (20q)
1. He still doesn’t know ________ his budget when living alone in the city.
A. what to manage B. when to manage C. how to manage D. where to manage
2. Nam didn’t know ________ to find more information about the course.
A. while B. where C. what D. why
3. Julia said that she ___________ there at noon.
A. is going to be B. will be going C. was going to be D. can be
4. My parents reminded me ________ the flowers.
A. to plant B. plant C. planted D. planting
5. The rules didn't specify ________ to speak to in case of an emergency
A. why B. who C. what D. when
6. Nam wanted to know what time ________.
A. does the movie begin B. did the movie begin C. the movie begins D. the movie began
7. The scientist said the earth ________ the sun.
A. is going around B. went around C. goes around D. was going around
8. Laura said she had worked on the assignment since _______.
A. the next day B. the day before C. yesterday D. two days ago
9. Mi asked what information she ________ that assignment.
A. need to do B. needs to be done C. needed doing D. needed to do
10. I had no idea ________ to write my home paper about.
A. which B. when C. why D. what
11. He asked ________ it was too early to apply for the course.
A. if B. that C. when D. for
12. I didn't know ________ to laugh or cry.
A. which B. whether C. if D. who
13. The guest told the host that _______.
A. I must go now B.he had to go now C.he had to go then D.he must go now
14. I told him _______ the word to Jane somehow that I _______ to reach her during the early hours.
 A. passing / will try B. he will pass/ tries C.to pass/ would try D.he passed/ have tried
15. Peter said that if he ________rich, he _________ a lot.
A.is / will travel B. were/ would travel C.had been/would have travelled D. was/ will travel
16. The woman asked __________get lunch at school.
A. can the children B.if the children can C. whether the children could D. could the children
17. Charlie said, "You can come and stay with me if you are ever in London".
A. He said you could come and stay with him if you were ever in London.
B. He said I could come and stay with him if I were ever in London.
C. He said you can come and stay with him if you are ever in London.
D. He said I can come and stay with him if I am ever in London.
18. "Please don’t tell anyone what happened", Ann said to me.
A. Ann asked me don't tell anyone what happened.
B. Ann told me don't tell anyone what happened.
C. Ann said to me don't tell anyone what happened
D. Ann asked me not to tell anyone what happened.
19. “ You should have finished the report by now” Mr. Hung said to his secretary
A. Mr. Hung reproached his secretary for not having finished the report
B. Mr. Hung said that his secretary had not finished the report
C. Mr. Hung reminded his secretary of finishing the report on time.
D. Mr. Hung scolded his secretary for not having finished the report.
20. “Shall I make you a cup of tea?” the girl said to the lady
A. The girl refused to make a cup of tea for the lady
B. The lady wanted to make a cup of tea for the girl
C. The girl promised to make a cup of tea for the lady
D. The girl offered to make a cup of tea for the lady

II. Identify the mistake in each sentence and correct (10q)

1. Robert told me that his father had flown to Dallas last year.
A B C D
2. She said that she doesn't want to see any of them and asked them to go away.
A B C D
3. The new manager wondered if to adopt a new technology from their partner in the UK.
A B C D
4. He asked his father where to cope with negative emotions.
A B C D
5. Sarah wondered if to attend the life skills workshop that weekend.
A B C D
6. They said the support service will be set up the next month.
A B C D
7. Johnson Nancy Lee asked me if would I like to have dinner with her.
A B C D
8. Hoa asked Lan whether did she like sports or not.
A B C D
9. Ba told to Tuan if he could ride his bicycle to school.
A B C D
10. Phong asked Peter whether he enjoys reading books or not.
A B C D
III. Rewrite the sentences ( 20q)
1. “I’ve missed the bus.” Maria said
-> Maria said that ...................................................................................................
2. “I forgot to do my work”, said Al
-> Al said ................................................................................................................
3. "Where is my umbrella?" she asked.
-> She asked............................................. ...............................................................
4. "How are you?" Martin asked us.
-> Martin asked us................................................ ..................................................
5. He asked, "Do I have to do it?"
-> He asked............................................. ................................................................
6. “You can bring it back if it doesn’t fit”, I said to her.
-> I told... ................................................................................................................
7. “Is it going to be a fine day today?” I asked her.
-> I asked her... .......................................................................................................
8. "Who knows the answer?" the teacher asked.
→ The teacher wanted to know .................................................. ...........................
9. "Why don't you help me?" she asked him.
→ She wanted to know .......................................................................................... .
10. "Stop talking, Joe," the teacher said.
→ The teacher told Joe ......................................................................................... .
11. "Be patient," she said to him.
→ She told him ..................................................................................................... .
12. "Don't forget your bag," she told me.
→ She told me ...................................................................................................... .
13. "Don't eat in the lab," the chemistry teacher said.
→ The chemistry teacher told his students ......................................................... .
14. My daughter says:” I prefer doing homework on computer to doing on paper”
-> My daughter says ..............................................................................................
15. “I’m sorry, Angela,” said Martin, “I’m afraid I’ve damaged your car.
-> Martin apologized.............................................................................................
16. “Breakfast will not be served after 9. 30” said the notice.
-> The notice said that...........................................................................................
17. “Don’t forget to bring your passport with you tomorrow”
-> She reminded me .............................................................................................
18. “Why didn’t I get a computer before?” thought the office manager.
-> The office manager wondered.......................................................................
19. “You damaged my bicycle, John!” said Mary.
-> Mary accused................................................................................................
20.“You had better not lend him any more money, Elizabeth,’’ said John.
-> John advised Elizabeth................................................................................

The end