REPORTED SPEECH

When people are on TV, they sometimes say something they don’t really mean. Being in the spotlight is not an easy task. You can see this in the unfortunate contributions

'We are unable to report the weather this evening, because we depend on weather reports from the airport, which is closed due to the bad weather. We don't know whether we will be able to give you a weather report tomorrow, it depends on the weather’ TV weather forecaster

'Smoking kills - if you're killed you've lost a very important part of your life’ Anti-smoking campaigner

Underline the differences between the direct and reported versions. 1. The weather forecaster told viewers that they were unable to report on the weather, because they

depended on weather reports from the airport, which was closed due to bad weather. He said they did not know whether they would be able to give a weather report the following , as it depended on the weather.

2. The antismoker campaigner said that smoking kills, and that if you were killed, you had lost an important part of your life.

Analyze the examples and answer these questions

What generally happens to verb tenses in reported speech? After an introductory/reporting verb in

past, they are all changed into the past. This is called backshifting.

Which verbs are used to introduce reported speech? Which conjunctions follow the reporting

verbs? SAY and TELL, both followed by ‘that’.

What is the difference in the use of ‘say’ and ‘tell’? ‘to say something (to someone)’, ‘to tell

someone something’

What happens to pronouns and time words in reported speech? They are adjusted to the time in

which the words are reported.

Yesterday you ran into a friend of yours, Helen. She told you a lot of things. Here are some

of the things she said to you. But the following day, you told another friend what Helen

said. Be careful, in this case there are some questions and some commands.

1. I'm thinking of going to live in France. She said/told me that she was thinking of going to live in

France.

2. Don’t tell Bill I’m going to break up with him.

She asked/told me not to tell Bill she was going to break up with him.

3. I haven't seen Bill for a while. She said/told me that she hadn’t seen Bill for a while

4. Have you been playing tennis lately? She asked (me) if I had been playing tennis lately.

5. I don't know what Fred is doing She said/told me that she didn’t know what Fred was doing.

6. I hardly ever go out these days. She said/told me that she hardly ever went out those days.

7. What are you going to tell Sarah? She asked (me) what I was going to tell Sarah.

8. I’ll tell my mom you send your regards. She said/told me that she would tell her mom I sent my

regards.

9. You can come and stay with me if you are ever in Toronto.

She said/told me that I could go and stay with her if I was ever in Toronto.

VERBS THAT SUMMARISE WHAT PEOPLE SAY

Read the following quotes which were given to the press. Who do you think said them:

a film star the manager of a sports team a politician

a. ‘Yes, you’re right. It was a disappointing game, but I’m fairly happy with the result’ Manager

b. ‘The minister is lying down, he has lied in the past, and he will continue to lie in the future.’

Politician

c. ‘No, I won’t answer any questions about my relationship with Shana Lane. I want to make that

absolutely clear.’

d. ‘Speak up, please. All that shouting I did in the second half has made me a little bit deaf.’ Manager

e. ‘Why don’t you stop criticising the government and write about its achievements?’ Politician

f. ‘I’m sorry I hit the photographer at the ceremony. He was only doing his job, I guess.’ Film star

g. ‘No, I did not swear at the referee. I was only giving him a little advice.’ Manager

h. ‘Despite what has been written about my future, I’m very happy here and have no intention of

leaving the club.’ Manager

Look at the way the first three quotes are reported below. The manager admitted that it had been a disappointing game, though he was happy with the

result. The politician accused the minister of constantly lying The film star completely refused to answer any questions about his relationship.

The verb in bold summarizes what the person is saying, without repeating every world. Pay attention to the construction used after each verb. Once you’ve done that, match the following verbs to the other quotes: apologize deny insist suggest tell

d. The manager told the journalist to speak up.

e. The politician suggested the journalist not criticising the government /stopping criticising the

government.

f. The film star apologized for hitting the photographer at the ceremony.

g. The manager denied swearing at the referee.

h. The manager insisted on being happy at the club/ not having any intention of leaving the club.