BACHILLERATO

When we use reported speech, we are usually talking abou the past, so verbs change.

CHANGES IN VERBAL TENSES VERBAL TENSE

DIRECT SPEECH

INDIRECT SPEECH

SIMPLE PRESENT

WORK WORKED

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

IS/ARE WORKING

WAS/WERE WORKING

SIMPLE PAST WORKED HAD WORKED

PRESENT PERFECT

HAS/HAVE WORKED

HAD WORKED

PAST PERFECT HAD WORKED HAD WORKED

FUTURE WILL WORK WOULD WORK

FUTURE BE GOING TO

IS/ARE GOING TO WORK

WAS/WERE GOIMG TO WORK

CONDITIONAL WOULD WORK WOULD WORK

Statements are affirmative and negative sentences. The verb which is going to introduce the subordinate sentence is “ SAY” in the past

tense (SAID). The link we are going to use to introduce the subordinate sentence will be “ THAT”, look at the example:

Direct speech: “ Mary works in my office”, my sister said. Indirect speech: My sister said that Mary worked in her office You have to consider not only the neccessary changes in verbal tenses but also other

possible changes in possessive adjectives, pronouns, etc. Changes in time or place expressions:

DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH

HERE THERE

TODAY THAT DAY

YESTERDAY THE PREVIOUS DAY/ THE DAY BEFORE

TOMORROW THE NEXT / FOLLOWING DAY

AGO BEFORE

“ I ´m sorry but I didn´t write to you, but I have been quite busy.” He said to her. “ We are going to have lunch at this new restaurant; it is really nice and comfortable.”, she said to me.  .` I´ve never lied you and never will.´ She said to us `We have seen her at the theatre this morning .´ Peter said. ´I think I will go to Madrid tomorrow because my father gave me some money yesterday.´ Sue said “I´m not happy here because my room is too small for me and all the waiters always serve me the last´. He

said. “ I haven´t seen Billy for years” , Natalie said “ I am thinking of going to Canada and if you want you can come with me” He told me yesterday.

We can report a question by using verbs like ask, wonder, want to know We have to make here a distinction between wh-questions and yes/no questions

WH_QUESTIONS Wh-questions are introduced by question words like when, what, how, where or

which. “ Where do you live” he asked me. The structure changes in indirect speech in this way: He asked me where I lived………….. We introduce the subordinate sentence with the same question word of the sentence

in direct speech , then the subject and at last the verb in the correct verbal tense following the table of verbal changes

YES/NO QUESTIONS We follow the same scheme but using if or whether as the introductory link instead of

the question word: “ Do you live here” He asked me…………………DIRECT SPEECH He asked me If I lived there…………………………INDIRECT SPEECH

`How much did the car cost?´. He asked her `Where do you want to go this evening? ´she asked him. ´Did you sleep well yesterday night? ´. She asked Roger. `Do you know that the shoes you are wearing aren´t a pair?´. I asked him. “ How long have you been back? Jerry asked. “ have you ever used a computer?” asked my teacher “ Yes. I learnt to use computers a year ago”. I said. “ Do people still play croquet?” She asked them “when did the boss decide to fire the workers?” He asked. “ Where are you going to study next year?” Peter said to Rob.

-Commands are sentences in which an imperative is the verb.

-Commands can be affirmative or negative.

- The verbs used to report commands are : tell, order. warn, beg ……..depending on the sense we want to give to the sentence. After the introductory verb we have to use the verb in infinitive preceded by “to”

- AFFIRMATIVE COMMANDS:

“ Shut the door now” He told me……………………….direct speech

He told me to shut the door then…………………………indirect speech

- NEGATIVE COMMANDS:

“ Don´t go outside” She told me……………………….direct speech

He told me NOT to go outside……………………………indirect speech

“ Don´t be late tomorrow” My boss said to me. “Don´t smoke in my house” our neighbour said. “ Shut the door but don´t lock it.” The doctor said. `Leave the key under the mat if you go out.´ She said. “ Don´t worry. I´ll collect the tickets for you”. She said to him “Leave me alone and, please, forget the question´. She said to her brother `Don´t forget to take your coat when you leave, Steve.´ She said. `Don´t run in the house. You can break something´. She told them. “ Don´t smoke in my office. I´ve got a terrible cough.” She said to me.  

SUGGESTIONS You can suggest something to someone by using different structures, such as: “ How about going to the cinema?” “What about going to the cinema?” “ Let´s go to the cinema?” OR “ Why don´t we go to the cinema?”

All these sentences are reported in the same way: We have to use the verb “ suggest” to introduce the reported sentence and then we have to write what you

suggest in GERUND: SUGGESTED+GERUND ; let´s see the example:

“Why don´t we go to the cinema?” He suggested me………………….direct speech He suggested me going to the cinema……………………………………..indirect speech And, remember , all the suggestions above are reported in the same way

INVITATIONS To invite someone you usually say: “ Would you like some coffee?” Although invitations can be reported as a normal question, we can also use invite+to-infinitive to do it:

“ Would you like some cooffee?” He said to me……………..direct speech He invited me to have some coffee…………………………….indirect speech

If you are invited to have “ a noun” you can also use the verb “OFFER” to report the invitation,

“ Would you like an apple?” he said to me ………………………..direct speech He offered me an apple………………………………………………..indirect speech

“Let´s go over to John´s house” Denise said. “Would you like to have lunch with me on Sunday?´. He said to me. `No, thanks. Why don´t we go to the beach?´I answered.  `What about going to a round-the- world cruise?´ suggested Mrs. Smith “ Let´s have lunch at this new restaurant; it is really nice and comfortable.”, she said to me. “ Let´s go to the theatre if you like.” She daid. “ Would you like to come with me to the party?” I asked her