Reading And Use Of English - Reported Speech

Question 1

What is reported speech?

Answer 1

Reported speech is used to report what someone has said or written, often requiring changes to verb tenses, pronouns, and certain words indicating place and time.

Question 2

What happens to verb tenses when using reported speech?

Answer 2

In reported speech, the verb usually ‘moves back’ one tense.

Question 3

How is present simple changed in reported speech?

Answer 3

Present simple changes to past simple.

Example: ‘I work in an office,’ he said. → He said he worked in an office.

Question 4

How is present continuous changed in reported speech?

Answer 4

Present continuous changes to past continuous.

Example: ‘We aren’t going away on holiday,’ she said. → She said they weren’t going away on holiday.

Question 5

How is present perfect changed in reported speech?

Answer 5

Present perfect changes to past perfect.

Example: ‘I’ve known her for a long time,’ he said. → He said he’d known her for a long time.

Question 6

How is past simple changed in reported speech?

Answer 6

Past simple changes to past perfect.

Example: ‘I saw Ben in town,’ he said. → He said he’d seen Ben in town.

Question 7

How is present perfect continuous changed in reported speech?

Answer 7

Present perfect continuous changes to past perfect continuous.

Example: “He’s been playing tennis” she said. → She said he’d been playing teenis.

Question 8

How is past continuous changed in reported speech?

Answer 8

Past continuous changes to past perfect continuous.

“We were trying to help him”, she said. → She said they’d been trying to help him.

Question 9

What happens to ‘must’ when reporting deductions?

Answer 9

‘Must’ does not change when reporting deductions.

She must be tired after such a long flight. ➡️ He said she must be tired after such a long flight.

Question 10

When is the tense change optional in reported speech?

Answer 10

If the statement being reported is still true or if the reporting verb is in the present.

Question 11

What are some examples of time and place words that change in reported speech?

Answer 11

Examples include:
- now → then
- today → that day
- tomorrow → the next day
- yesterday → the day before/ earlier
- next week → the next/following week
- last week → the week before/ the previous week
- two days ago → two days before/ earlier
- here → there
- come → go

Question 12

What does ‘will’ change to in reported speech?

Answer 12

‘would’

Example: ‘I’ll let Tim know.’ → He said he would let Tim know.

Question 13

What does ‘can’ change to in reported speech?

Answer 13

‘could’

Example: ‘I can speak German.’ → She said she could speak German.

Question 14

What does ‘may’ change to in reported speech?

Answer 14

‘might’

Example: ‘We may not go to Lucy’s.’ → They said they might not go to Lucy’s.

Question 15

What change occurs to ‘must’ when reporting obligations?

Answer 15

‘must’ changes to ‘had to’

Example: ‘You must be home by twelve.’ → Dad said we had to be home by twelve.

Question 16

Does ‘mustn’t’ change in reported speech?

Answer 16

No change

Example: ‘You mustn’t tell anyone.’ → She said I mustn’t tell anyone.

Question 17

What happens to verb tense if the direct speech is in the past perfect?

Answer 17

No changes are made

Example: ‘He had never spoken about it before,’ she said. ➡️ She said he had never spoken about it before

Question 18

Which modal verbs do not change in reported speech?

Answer 18

• would
• might
• could
• should
• ought to

Example: ‘You should go to the doctor’s, ‘ he said. ➡️ He said I should go to the doctor’s.

Question 19

What is required when reporting speech involving pronouns?

Answer 19

Pronouns may have to change

Example: ‘I‘ll see you later,’ said Nico. → Nico said he would see me later.

Question 20

Is the tense change mandatory if the reported statement is still true?

Answer 20

No, it is optional

Example: ‘I like fish,’ she said. → She said she likes/liked fish.

Question 21

What happens if the reporting verb is in the present?

Answer 21

No changes to tense

Example: ‘It’s 40 (forty) degrees in Athens at the moment.’ → ‘Jamie says it’s 40 degrees in Athens at the moment.’

Question 22

What do ‘this’, ‘that’, ‘these’, and ‘those’ change to in reported speech?

Answer 22

‘the’

Example: ‘That book you lent me is really boring,’ he said. → He said the book I had lent him was really boring.

Question 23

What must follow the reporting verb ‘tell’?

Answer 23

A direct object

Example: He told his mother that he was getting married.

Question 24

Can ‘say’ and ‘explain’ be used without a direct object?

Answer 24

Yes

Example: She said that she wasn’t feeling well.

Question 25

How do we report questions?

Answer 25

Make changes to verb tenses, pronouns, and place/time indicators

In addition, do, does, and did are omitted; question marks are not used.

Question 26

What is the reported form of ‘What do you want to do?’

Answer 26

He asked me what I wanted to do.

changes to verb tenses, pronouns and words indicating place and time as we do when we report statements. In addition do, does and did are omitted; the word order is the same as that of a statement; question marks are not used.

Question 27

What is used for yes/no questions in reported speech?

Answer 27

If or whether

Example: ‘Does she know Joe?’ → He asked if/whether she knew Joe.

Question 28

What structure can be used when reporting a request?

Answer 28

Ask + object pronoun/noun + infinitive with to

Example: ‘Can you help me, please?’ → He asked (ask) me (obj pron) to help (infin+to) him.