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GUIDE 5TH PERIOD

REPORTED SPEECH

We use reported speech when we report what someone said or thought in the past and the
tenses used by the speaker usually change. To do this, we can use direct speech or indirect
speech. This process is called backshifting. (Day J., National Geographic Book, 2022)

Direct speech Reported Speech

present simple past simple

“He enjoys teaching” she said She said he enjoyed teaching

present continuous past continuous

“She is studying maths” he said He said she was studying maths

present perfect simple past perfect simple

“They have passed their exams” she said She said they had passed their exams

present perfect continuous past perfect continuous

“They have been looking for books” she She said they had been looking for books
said”

past simple past perfect simple

“She attended a seminar” he said He said she had attended a seminar

past continuous past perfect simple

“He was revising for his exams” she said She said he had been revising for his
exams

can could

“He can speak three languages” she said She said he could speak three languages

may might

“He may be late” she said She said he might be late

must had to

“He must pay attention in class” she said She said he had to pay attention in class

will would
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“They will go on a school trip” she said She said they would go on a school trip

Notes
-​ We often use the verbs say and tell in reported speech
-​ We can leave out that
-​ We use the normal order of words in reported questions: subject + verb. We don’t
use an auxiliary verb like do or did.
-​ When we report an order or instruction, we use the form ask or tell someone to do
something.
-​ We don't use backshifting when the reporting verb is in a present tense, including
present perfect

Changes in time and place

When we report, we often change the word that show time and places

Direct speech Reported speech

now then

today that day

yesterday the previous day / the day before

last week / month the previous week / month / the week /

month before

tomorrow the next day / the following day

here there

Reported questions

When we report questions, changes in tenses, pronouns. possessive adjectives, time and
place are the same as in reported statements. In reported questions, the verb follows the
subject as in ordinary statements and we do not use question marks.

When a direct question has a question word, we use this word in the reported question.

Examples :

-​ 'When did you decide to become a doctor?' he asked.

-​ He asked me when I had decided to become a doctor.
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When a direct question does not have a question word, we use if or whether in the reported
question.

Examples:

-​ 'Is your school close to home?' he asked.

-​ He asked if / whether my school was close to home.

Exercises

1 Use backshifting (if possible) to report these statements.

1.​ “ I'm sure I'm going to fail my exam.'

Diana said she sail was sure she was going to fall her exam

2.​ “ We might play a game if there's enough time”

The teacher said we might play a game if there was enough time

3.​ “I've been learning languages since I was a child.”

Vernon said he had been learning languages since he was a child.

4.​ “ You must write your answers with a pencil, otherwise they won't be marked.'

She told us that we had to write our answers with a pencil, otherwise the wouldn`t be
marked

2 Complete the reported statements using the correct form of the words in brackets.

1.​ The teacher asked me why I hadn't been at the previous lesson. (why / l / not / be)
2.​ I asked the teacher if we wont receive our test results soon. (we / receive)
3.​ The teacher told the students to take out their books. (take out)
4.​ The teacher told us not to worry too much about grammar mistakes. (not / worry)
5.​ The teacher asked how long we in the rain (how long / we / wait)

REPORTING VERBS

Reporting verbs help you introduce the ideas or words of others as paraphrases or
quotations from scholarly literature. Always accompanied by a reference, they indicate
where you’re drawing on other people’s work to build your own argument. They also indicate
your stance (agree, disagree, etc) on the scholarship you’re describing, highlighting your
critical contribution. There are lots of reporting verbs to choose from and, depending on the
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context, they might be used to convey more than one stance, so you’ll notice that some
appear in more than one category.
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Images 1. Illustrative table of reporting verbs

Exercises

1 Match the sets of reporting verbs (1-6) with the structure that usually follows them (a-f).

1 admit, deny, suggest

2 announce, complain, demand

3 advise, remind, order, persuade, warn

4 agree, decide, offer

5 apologise, complain, congratulate, insist

6 enquire, question, wonder

a that clause 2

b preposition + -ing form 5

c indirect question 6

d to + infinitive 4

e someone or something + to + infinitive 3

f -ing form 1

2 Complete the reported speech sentences

1.​ You took my laptop without asking!

He accused me of taking his laptop without asking

2.​ You should eat more fruit and vegetables

The doctor advised me to eat more fruit and vegetables

3.​ Do I really need to wake up so early?

The child apologised for damaging the bike

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PARTICIPLE CLAUSES

Participle clauses are very similar to reduced relative clauses, but we use them for different
purposes. They can start with a present participle (verb + -ing) or a past participle (verb +
-ed or irregular form).

We can use participle clauses to make sentences shorter.

They can replace the subject and the verb in a sentence if the subject of both clauses is the
same. We use a present participle if the verb is active and a past participle if the verb is
passive. Participle clauses can replace full clauses with a range of conjunctions, including
because, after, when and if.

Wanting to make a good impression, Jim bought a good suit. (= Because he wanted ...)

Asked for her opinion, Natalie said the company should hire more staff. (= After/When she
was asked ...)

Given the chance, l'd work there again. (= If I were given ...)

Because the reader or listener has to work harder to understand the missing information,
you should only use participle clauses when the meaning is clear.

We can make a participle clause negative by adding not at the beginning.

Not knowing what to do, I asked my supervisor for help.

Exercises

1 Look at the first sentence in each pair. Complete the second sentence so that it has the
same meaning.
1.​ Lionel didn't know about the news because he hadn't listened to the presentation.
Not having listened, Lionel didn't know about the news.
2.​ Tom was not able to provide references, so he wasn't hired.
Not being able to provide references, so Tom wasn't hired.
3.​ The man was employed by the school as a cleaner and worked long hours.
Employed by the school as a cleaner, the man worked long hours
4.​ When she was asked for her opinion, the woman made some excellent points.
Asked for her opinion, the woman made excellent points
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RELATIVE CLAUSES

Relative clauses give more information about a person, thing, place, etc. in a sentence.

The person who got the job was the boss's daughter.
The interview question which I found hardest was the one about my weaknesses.
The person whose desk is next to mine has been fired.
Please call back on Tuesday, when the manager will be back at work.
I work in an open-plan office, where it can get really noisy.
Robert never explained why he handed in his notice.

Defining relative clauses

This type of relative clause gives us information that we need in order to understand who or
what the speaker is talking about. We do not use commas to separate it from the rest of the
sentence. We can use that instead of who and which in defining relative clauses.
This is the building where I work.
We met some people who / that were very nice.
We often omit the relative pronoun from defining relative clauses, especially in informal
English. But we can't omit it when it's the subject of the relative clause, and we never omit
whose.
He is the employee (who) they decided to promote.
(Subject = they)
A language certificate is the only qualification (which) you need for the job. (Subject =
you)
The person who interviewed me was very friendly.
(Subject = who)

Exercise

1.​ The girl ___ won the contest is my cousin.​

a) which​
b) who​
c) where​
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2.​ That’s the restaurant ___ we had dinner last night.​

a) who​
b) where​
c) whose​

3.​ I saw a movie ___ was really interesting.​

a) which​
b) whose​
c) where​

4.​ Do you know the boy ___ mother is a doctor?​

a) who​
b) which​
c) whose​

5.​ This is the book ___ I told you about.​

a) which​
b) who​
c) where