Reported Speech Application of Grammar

Marathwada Mitra

Mandal’s Polytechnic

Dr. Sandeep Patil General Science & Humanities Department

DIRECT SPEECH

When you want to say what other person said before, you can use that person's own words: Tom: "It's cold now". Tom said: "It's cold now".

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

INDIRECT SPEECH

Or you can use indirect speech "reporting" what the other person said: Tom: "It's cold now". Tom said that it was cold.

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

TELL OR SAY?

We use tell if we want to mention the hearer, and this verb always need an Indirect Object. He told her that he couldn't go.

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

TELL OR SAY?

We use say when we do not mention the hearer: He said he wouldn't go.

We can mention the hearer adding "to": He said to her that...

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

TELL OR SAY?

We don't have to add "that" after "tell" or "say" if we don't want to. In formal texts it's better to keep it.

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

OTHER REPORTING VERBS

We can sue a clause with that with admit, advise,

agree, insist, promise, remind, suggest and warn.

They are used like say and tell.

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

CHANGES

When we report someone's words, some changes take place: Person Time/place Verbs tenses

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

CHANGES of PERSON

I ➪ he/she

my ➪ his/her

we ➪ they

ours ➪ theirs

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

CHANGES of TIME

here ➪ there

now ➪ then

today ➪ that day

yesterday ➪ the day before

the previous day

tomorrow ➪ the next day

the following day

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

CHANGES of TIME

this week ➪ that week

last week ➪ the previous week

a year ago ➪ the year before

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

TENSE CHANGES

present simple ➪ past simple

He is tired ➪ He was tired

Present perfect ➪ Past perfect

He has eaten ➪ He had eaten

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

TENSE CHANGES

present continuous ➪ past continuous

He is playing ➪ He was playing

Future simple ➪ Conditional

He will go ➪ He would go

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

TENSE CHANGES

Can ➪ could

He can play ➪ He could play

Must ➪ had to

He must go ➪ He had to go

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

TENSE CHANGES

past simple ➪ past perfect

➪ past simple

He went ➪ he went

➪ he had gone

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

TENSE CHANGES

These modal verbs do not change:

• could

• should

• might

• ought to

• would

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

TENSE CHANGES

We don't have to change the tense if the sentence

refers to something general or that is still true:

I love playing cards; She said that she loves playing

cards.

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

REPORTED QUESTIONS

We do not use auxiliaries in reported questions: He wanted to know if I was coming with them.

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

REPORTED QUESTIONS

WORD ORDER: The word order in reported questions is the same as in a positive sentence: He asked me if I had some money.

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

WH- QUESTIONS

We can report questions with verbs like ask, wonder or want to know. What's the time? He wanted to know ➪ He asked ➪ what the time was. He wondered ➪

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

YES/NO QUESTIONS

They are introduced by if or whether. Are you happy? She wanted to know if/whether I was happy.

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

ASKING FOR INFORMATION

To ask politely for information we can use a

phrase like:

• Could you tell me...?

• Do you know...?

• Have you any idea...?

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

REQUESTS AND ORDERS

We can use the structure tell/ask someone ot do something. Go inside: She asked me to go inside. She told me to go inside.

Don't go inside: She asked me not to go inside. She told me not to go inside.

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

OFFERS, SUGGESTIONS AND MORE

We can use agreee, offer, promise, refuse and

threaten with a to-infinitive:

I'll open the windows.

He offered to open the windows.

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

OFFERS, SUGGESTIONS AND MORE

We can also use an object + to-infinitive after

advise, invite, remind and warn.

Don't forget to bring the toys.

He reminded me to bring the toys.

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

OFFERS, SUGGESTIONS AND MORE

We can use admit, apologize for, insist on and

suggest followed by an -ing form.

You should play cards with us.

He insisted on playing cards.

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH

Thank You…!

Dr Sandeep Patil

Asst. Professor,

General Science & Humanities Department

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

Mob. +91 99609 44322

Email patilsh@mmpolytechnic.com

Dr. Sandeep Patil

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Polytechnic

ENGLISH