Reported speech examples

Reported Speech With Examples What is Reported Speech? Reported speech is used when we want to report back what somebody said. That is to say, to tell someone what you have been told. We usually use reporting verbs like “say” or “tell” in the sentence. To do this, we use direct speech or indirect speech. Example • Direct speech: ‘I like to learn new languages,’ said Daniel. • Indirect speech: Daniel says (that) he likes to learn new languages. In this example, the present tense verb (like) stays the same, except for the change of the subject from “I” to “he”. We have the option of adding the word “that” in reported speech, which doesn’t change the meaning. In indirect speech, usually, we use a tense which is further back in the past rather than the original one from direct speech. This is called backshift. However, when we are reporting general truth or facts, we don’t need to change the tense in indirect speech. More Examples: • Direct speech: ‘I go to the gym next to your house.’ • Indirect speech: My friend told me that she goes to the gym next to my house. • Direct speech: ‘I travel a lot in my job,’ he said. • Indirect speech: He said (that) he traveled a lot in his job. • • Direct speech: ‘We lived in France for five years.’ • Indirect speech: She told me they had lived in Paris for five years. As you can see, the tense backshifts one step to the past in indirect speech example. To help you understand this better, we are going to cover every tense with examples. Tens...

• Introduce/review reported speech by making simple statements and asking students to report what you have said. Make sure to emphasize reporting in the past (i.e., "the teacher said", NOT "the teacher says") • Provide review sheet of principle reported speech transitions (included in lesson printout pages) • Have students get into pairs and convert the reported speech paragraph into the direct speech form. • Correct worksheet as a class. • Ask students to divide up into new pairs and ask each other questions from the questionnaire. Remind them to take notes on what their partners say. • Have students divide into new pairs and ask them to report what they have learned about the other students to their new partner (i.e., John said he had lived in Breubach for two years). • Follow-up with class conversation focusing on problematic tense transformations. Tense Quote Reported Speech present simple "I play tennis on Fridays." He said he played tennis on Fridays. present continuous "They're watching TV." She said they were watching TV. present perfect "She's lived in Portland for ten years." He told me she had lived in Portland for ten years. present perfect continuous "I've been working for two hours." He told me he had been working for two hours. past simple "I visited my parents in New York." She told me she had visited her parents in New York. past continuous "They were preparing dinner at 8 o'clock." He told me they had been preparing dinner at 8 o'clock. past perfect "I ha...

Watch the video, read the lesson, and do the exercises: In English, there are two different ways to say what someone else said: direct speech and reported speech . Direct speech means to say exactly what someone else said by using quotation marks around their words. Examples: • “ We will be arriving at 2:00,” the pilot said. • The teacher said, “You may begin your quiz now.” Reported speech (also called indirect speech ) is when we tell someone what a person, newspaper, book, or something else said without using their exact words. Examples: • Direct Speech: “The meeting is tomorrow,” he said. • Reported Speech: He said that the meeting is tomorrow. • Direct Speech: “The weather was beautiful,” she stated. • Reported Speech: She told me that the weather was beautiful. • Direct Speech: She said, “I worked there on Mondays.” • Reported speech: She said she had worked there on Mondays. • Direct Speech: “I am sorry,” he cried. • Reported Speech: He said he was sorry. In reported speech , we often change the tense of the verbs. This is called backshifting. Learn more about Direct and Reported Speech in English with this workbook: Direct Speech and Reported Speech . This series is also included in the Best Deal: Full Package of All Store Products + Bonuses . Backshifting Verbs in Reported Speech When you quote someone in direct speech, you do not need to change any words. You simply put the exact statement between quotation marks. But when you report a statement in reported speec...

Subject Explanations: Exercises/Practice: Also See: Reported Speech Examples 1 1. "Don't play with matches," his mother said. 1. His mother told him not to play with matches. 2. "I've forgotten to bring my lunch with me," he said. 2. He said that he'd forgotten to bring his lunch with him. 3. "Will you be home soon?" she asked her husband. 3. She asked her husband if he would be home soon. 4. "Go to bed!" father said to the children. 4. Father told the children to go to bed. 5. "I'll clean the car tomorrow," Tim said to his father. 5. Tim told his father that he would dean the car the following day. 6. "Where have you been?" Gary asked his wife. 6. Gary asked his wife where she had been. 7. "I've been working for the same company since 1960," he said to me. 7. He told me that he had been working for the same company since 1960. 8. "Do you know Garfield?" she asked me. 8. She asked me if I knew Garfield. 9. "How shall I tell Tom the bad news?" she said. 9. She asked how she should tell Tom the bad news. 10. "You must try my home-made wine," he said. 10. He said that I had to try his home-made wine. 11. "Can I go home now?" he asked her. 11. He asked her if he could go home then. 12. "May I call you by your first name?" he asked. 12. He asked if he might call me by my first name. 13. "She must try harder if she wants to succeed," he said. 13. He said that she had to try harder if she wanted to succeed. 14. "My father will be angry with me if he finds out," she said.> 14. She...