Type Example

direct speech “I speak English.”

reported speech(no backshift) He says that he speaks English.

reported speech(backshift)

QUESTION

Indirect question

He said that he spoke English.

Do you speak English?

He asked me if I spoke English.

• TELL sb She told me I should go• SAY sth (TO sb) She said she was tired• When transforming statements and questions, check whether you have to

change:– pronouns– present tense verbs (3rd person singular)– place and time expressions– tenses (backshift)– Word order for indirect questions

/earlier

Other verbs we can use to report sentences:

• Order • Promise• Apologise• Insist• Persuade• Explain • Refuse • Invite • etc

(1) Don’t move!

(3) I’ll never do it again, mom …

(2) I’m not going to

do that for him!

(5) I’m sorry I’m late.

(5) I’m sorry I’m late.

(4) Would you like to come

with us?

(4) Would you like to come

with us?

Reporting verbs Direct speech Indirect/reported speech

OrderInvite

(someone)Offer PersuadeRemindRefuse

to ‘Stop the car’‘Would you like a drink?’‘Shall I carry your bag?’‘Why don’t we go for a

walk?’‘Don’t forget the letters’‘No, I won’t do it’

He ordered (me) to stop the car.He invited (us) to have a drink.He offered to carry my bag.He persuaded me to have a walk.He reminded me to post the letters.He refused to do it

AdmitApologise forInsist (on)

- ing ‘Yes I stole the money’‘I’m sorry I broke the

glass’

He admitted stealing the money.He apologised for breaking the glass.He insisted on getting off the bus.

ExplainPromise SuggestInsist

(that) ‘I have to think about it...’‘I’ promise I’ll call you’‘ We could visit aunt Lidia’

He explained (that)he had to think about it.

He promised (that) he ‘d call me./He promised to call me.

He suggested that we visited Lidia

• Report some parts of the interview, using SAY, TELL and ASK and also:

• Apologize, insist, persuade, explain, thank, congratulate, …

E.g. Ellen said that Pen hadn’t thanked her…

POSSIBLE ANSWERS:

• Penélope apologized for not having been heard.• Ellen congratulated Penélope on her Oscar.• P. said she was a fan of Sex and the City.• She said she played the part of a banker.• She said she would never get rid of her accent.• Ellen advised her not to get rid of it.• P. told Ellen that she had been warned not to tell anything about

the scene/film.• Ellen insisted that Penélope told her what the scene was about.• Ellen said that she had read that Penélope’s mother had a beauty

salon in Madrid and P. said that she felt that that had been her first acting school, because…

(C)A presentation by Dulce (EOI)