Reported speech

and questions

Direct Sp

eech vs

Indirect Sp

eech What are the differences?

When Obama

addresses the

public he uses

Direct Speech

When Anderson

Cooper reports

what Obama

said he uses

Indirect Speech

“I will create more jobs”

“I am working for my country”

He said that he would create more jobs

He said that he was working for his country

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Anderson Cooper

Anderson Cooper

Examples

Direct Speech Reported Speech

Present “I live in Boston, MA”

He She

They

said that…

Simple Past …she lived in Boston, MA

Present Perfect “I have been to China”

Past Perfect …he had been to China

Simple Past “I went when I was 28”

Past Perfect …he had gone when he was 28

Present Progressive “We’re going to study law”

Past Progressive …they were going to study Law

Past Progressive “I was working in New York”

Past Perfect Progressive …she had been working in New York

Modal “Can’t” “I can’t fail this class”

Modal “Couldn’t” …she couldn’t fail that class

Future “We will help you with your

homework”

Conditional …they would help me with my homework

*Imperative “Clean your room!”

*Indirect Order with Infinitive She told me to clean my room

Other parts that change Reporting Verbs

•  say, tell, admit, express, claim, explain, insist, reply, etc.

Pronouns

•  Pronouns and possessives change depending of logic

Expressions of time and place

•  Time and place expressions referring to the here and the now change to express more distance.

Questions

•  Order changes: “Who are you?” He asked who I was •  Yes/No questions use if/whether: “Do you want to go to the movies?”

She asked if/whether I wanted to go to the movies

Exercises

Can you rewrite them in reported speech? Choose a couple and write your sentences in the comment box below.

Russell Brand •  “I was wondering how did it get in

here” •  “We need that to be in the sky for

nighttime” •  “People won't appreciate it” •  “For a moment I just pretended that it

was really happening” •  “I went to his house once” •  “It was out of control crazy”

Conan •  “Don't be distracted by that thing, it's

fake” •  “It can move from side to side” •  “I don't know if this is going to work” •  “Look! It is crashing into the sea!” •  “There is a story that you have been

taking Charlie Sheen to yoga” •  “Are you taking Charlie Sheen to

yoga?”

Watch the video of Russell Brand at CONAN.