Câu tường thuật (Reported Speech)

1. Khái niệm
Reported speech là gì? Câu tường thuật hay còn gọi là câu gián tiếp là câu dùng để thuật lại lời
nói trực tiếp của một ai đó.
Ví dụ: Giang said, “I am hungry”.
Câu tường thuật là câu thuật lại lời nói của người thứ nhất mà không làm thay đổi ý nghĩa câu.
Trong câu tường thuật, thông tin đi từ người thứ nhất qua người thứ hai đến với người thứ ba.
Lúc này, ngữ pháp trong câu sẽ có sự biến đổi.
Ví dụ: Giang said she was hungry là câu thuật lại lời nói của Giang. Đây là câu tường thuật.
2. Quy tắc chuyển câu trực tiếp sang câu tường thuật
Để biến một câu trực tiếp thành câu tường thuật cần:
Thay đổi chủ ngữ và đại từ nhân xưng cho phù hợp theo quy tắc dưới đây:

Câu trực tiếp (direct speech) Câu tường thuật (reported speech)

I / me She, he / Her, him

We / our They / them

You / you I, we / me, us

Trong trường hợp động từ tường thuật (reporting verb) ở thì hiện tại, thì giữ nguyên thì của động
từ chính.
Ví dụ: He says “I’ll see you on Tuesday.”
→ He says he will see me on Tuesday.
Trong trường hợp động từ tường thuật ở thì quá khứ, thì lùi thì của động từ chính xuống một cấp
về quá khứ so với câu trực tiếp.
Nguyên tắc lùi thì động từ chính trong câu tường thuật

Câu trực tiếp (direct speech) Câu tường thuật (reported speech)

Simple present (hiện tại đơn) Simple past (quá khứ đơn)

Present progressive (hiện tại tiếp diễn) Past progressive (quá khứ tiếp diễn)
 Present perfect (Progressive) – Hiện tại hoàn Past perfect (Progressive) – Quá khứ hoàn
thành (tiếp diễn) thành (tiếp diễn)

Simple past/Past perfect (Quá khứ đơn/ Quá

Past perfect (Quá khứ hoàn thành)
khứ hoàn thành)

Will/Shall Would/ Should

Can/May Could/ Might

Biến đổi các đại từ chỉ định hoặc trạng từ chỉ thời gian và địa điểm theo bảng quy định.
Nguyên tắc đổi các đại từ chỉ định, trạng từ chỉ thời gian và địa điểm

Câu trực tiếp (direct speech) Câu tường thuật (reported speech)

Today That day

Yesterday The day before

The day before yesterday Two days before

Tomorrow The next/ the following day

The day after tomorrow In two days’ time

Next + Time The following + Time

Last + Time The previous + Time

Time + ago Time + before

This, these That, those

Here, Over here There, Overthere

 3. Các cấu trúc câu tường thuật thường gặp:
a. Dạng câu trần thuật/câu kể:
S + say(s) / said + (that) + S + V
Lưu ý: says / say / said to + O chuyển thành tells/tell/told + O
Ví dụ:
He said to me, “I ate a pizza last night”.
→ He told me he had eaten a pizza the previous night.
b. Dạng câu hỏi
Yes/no question: S + asked / wanted to know / wondered + if / whether + S + V
Ví dụ:
John asked, “Do you remember?”
=> John asked me if I remembered.
Wh-question: S + asked (+O) / wanted to know / wondered + Wh-words + S + V
Ví dụ:
John asked, “Where are you going?”
→ John asked me where I was going.
c. Dạng câu mệnh lệnh
Câu khẳng định: S + told + O + To – V infinitive
Ví dụ:
“Close the door!”
=> He told me to close the door.
Câu phủ định: S + told + O + not To – V infinitive
Ví dụ:
The thief said, “Don’t move!”
→ The thief told people not to move.
Bài tập:
Exercise 1: Chuyển các câu sau về dạng câu trần thuật
1. “If the weather is fine, I will go on a picnic with my friends,” she said.
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2. “What would you do if you had three days off ?” I asked him.
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3. “I would have come to see you if I had known your address, Jim” she said.
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4. “I’m sure she will help you if you ask her.” , he told me.
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5. “If Today were Sunday, we wouldn’t go to school.” They said to me.
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6. She said to me, “If I were you, I wouldn’t tell her about this.”
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7. “There would not be enough seats if a lot of guests came.”, they said.
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8. “You will be surprised if you meet him.” , Peter said to Linda.
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9.The boy said : “I won’t be strong if I don’t swim everyday.”
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10. “What would you do if you saw a snake ?” Nam asked Nga.
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11. “We’ll have lunch outside in the garden if it’s not cold.” ,Mr John said.
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12. “Tom would win more races if he trained hard.” , The man said.
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13. “If you feel like a chat, phone me tonight.” David said to me.
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14. “If you isn’t eating so much junk food, you would be a lot fitter.” Mother said.
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15. “I will be surprised if Mary doesn’t pass the exam.” , our teacher said.
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16. “If I knew her hobbies, I could let you know.” He said to me.
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17. “If I won the lottery, I would buy a new car.” , the man said.
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18. “If you had listened to my advice, you wouldn’t have made such a big mistakes.”
Julia said to LiLi.
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Exercise 2: Chọn đáp án đúng nhất.
1. Jack asked me _____.
A. where do you come from? B. where I came from
C. where I came from D. where did I come from?
2. She asked me _____ I liked pop music.
A.when B.what
C.if D.x
3. The doctor ____ him to take more exercise.
A.told B.tell C. have
told D. are telling
4. I wanted to know_____ return home.
A. when would she B. when will she C. when she will D. when she
would
5. Claire told me that her father____ a race horse.
A. owned B. owns C. owning D. A and B
6. What did that man say ______?
A. at you B. for you C. to you D. you
7. I rang my friend in Australia yesterday, and she said it _______ raining there.
A. is B. were C. has been D. was
8. The builders have ______ that everything will be ready on time.
A. promised B. promise C. promises D. promising
9. The doctor _______ him to take more exercise.
A. told B. tell C. have told D. are telling
10. The last time I saw Linda, she looked very relaxed. She explained she’d been on holiday the
______ week.
A. ago B. following C. next D. previous
11. Yesterday, Laura ______ him to put some shelves up.
A. asked B. is asking C. ask D. was asked
12. Tom has ______ this story wasn’t completely true.
A. admitting that B. was admitted that C. admitted that D. admit that
13. When I rang Tessa some time last week, she said she was busy ______ day.
A. that B. the C. then D. this
14. I wonder _____ the tickets are on sale yet.
A. what B. when C. where D. whether
15. Mathew _____ Emma that her train was about to leave.
A. has reminded B. has reminded that C. reminded D. reminded that
16. Hello, Jim. I didn’t expect to see you today. Sophie said you _____ ill.
A. are B. were C. was D. should be
17. Ann ______ and left.
A. said goodbye to me B. says goodbye to me C. tell me goodbye D. told me goodbye
18. I told you ______ switch off the computer, didn’t I ?
A. don’t B. not C. not to D. to not
19. Bill was slow, so I ________ hurry up.
A. tell him B. told him for C. told to D. told him to
20. Sarah was driving to fast, so I ______ to slow down.
A. asked her B. asked C. ask D.have asked her
21. Someone ______ me there’s been an accident on the motorway.
A. asked B. said C. spoke D. told
22. Sue was very pessimistic about the situation. I advised her _____.
A. no worry B. not worry C. no to worry D. not to worry
23. I couldn’t move the piano alone, so I asked Tom_______.
A. giving a hand B. gave a hand C. to give a hand D. give a hand
24. Tom said that New York _______ more lively than London.
A. is B. be C. was D. were
25. When he was at Oliver’s flat yesterday, Martin asked if he ______ use the phone.
A. can B. could C. may D. must
26. George couldn’t help me. He ______ me to ask Kate.
A. tell B. said C. told D. say
27. Judy ______ going for a walk, but no one else wanted to.
A. admitted B.offered C.promised D.suggested
28. I said that I had met her ______ .
A. yesterday B. the previous day C. the day D. the before day.
29. The man asked the boys ______ .
A. why did they fight B. why they were fighting
C. why they fight D.why were they fighting
30. “______the door”, he said.
A. please open B. open pleased C. please to open D. please, opening
31. I wanted to know ______ return home.
A. when would she B. when will she C. when she will D. when she would
32. The woman wonders _______ doing well at school.
A. whether her children are B. if her children were
B. whether her children were D. her children are if
33. Peter said he was leaving for Paris ______.
A. next week B. the week previous C. following week D. the following week
34. “I don’t usually drink milk when ______ ” Mrs. Pike said.
A. she was hungry B. I was hungry C. I am hungry D. I will
be
35. They said that their house had been broken into ______.
A. the two days before B. two days ago C. two days before D. since two days