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Reported Speech (Click here)
Reported Speech I- Statements
Hello again! This time we are going to explore the backshift of tenses in Reported Speech.
Reported Speech means reporting somebody's words. I am sure you know this. The only thing you need to remember is that you change the tenses of the verbs by going back in time when you start with "He/She said" or "He/She told me". This is called backshifting. In addition, you change the pronouns (I, you, he, etc.) and the time words (now, today, tomorrow, yesterday, etc.).
Watch the following video and then click on the links below to practice using the Reported Speech when you report statements.
Reported Speech II- Questions
So now you have learned how to make reported speech from positive and negative sentences. But how about questions?
- Where do you live?
- Do you like strawberries?
- Have you ever been to England?
How can we make the reported speech here?
Click here to watch this video on Questions in Reported Speech and notice that in reporting questions we still use the backshift of tenses but we DON'T invert the auxiliary verb and the subject.
Then you can click on the links below to practice.
Make reported questions. Start your answer with 'she asked me'. You don't need to change the time expressions.
Make reported questions. Start each answer with 'she asked me'. You don't need to change the time expressions.
Reported Speech III- Requests and commands
There's more! What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:
- Close the window, please
- Or: Could you close the window please?
- Or: Would you mind closing the window please?
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 'ask me + to + infinitive':
- Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.
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. |
To report a negative request, use 'not':
- Direct speech: Please don't be late.
- Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.
And finally, how about if someone doesn't ask so politely? We can call this an 'order' or 'command' in English, when someone tells you very directly to do something. For example:
- Direct speech: Sit down!
In fact, we make this into reported speech in the same way as a request. We just use 'tell' instead of 'ask':
- Reported speech: She told me to sit down.
Here are some more examples:
| 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. |
Now lick here to watch the video on reporting requests and commands.
Then click on the links below to practice.
Let's do something enjoyable and educational. Watch the scene from "Dead Poets Society" Film (1989) and listen carefully what the characters say. Then click here, download the exercise, complete the sentences with the right form of the verb (gerund or infinitive) and send it back to me. Good Luck!