Look at the chart below and notice how the words change from the present to the past to the more distant past:

Going one step back in time is very useful when reporting what someone said. Look at the example below. The doctor is talking to Anthony:

The doctor said to Anthony, “You need more exercise.” However, when Anthony told his girlfriend what the doctor said, he went one step back in time saying, “She said that I needed more exercise.” This is called reported speech - reporting what someone said by going one step back in time. No-tice that ‘you’ became ‘I’. Pronouns often change in reported speech.

1.

The doctor said that I needed more exercise.

the more distant past ← the past ← the present

had been able to ← could / was able to ← can / are able to

X would ← will

had been ← was / were ← am / is / are

had been (working) ← was/were (working) ← am/is/are (working)

had (waited) / hadn’t (waited)

← (waited) / didn’t (wait)

← (wait) / don’t (wait)

had been ← have been

1. Friday - at the doctor’s office:

(You) need more exercise.

2. Saturday - at the beach:

What did the doctor

say?

She said that (I) needed more

exercise.

Look at the conversation below between Anthony and his girlfriend, Sheena. Change all the sentences into reported speech (He said... / She said...) You not only have to go one step back in time, but also change all the pronouns. Follow examples 1a, 1b, 2a, and 2b.

2.

“(I) am worried about (you).”

She said that (she) waswaswaswas worried

about (him).

“(I) feel O.K.”

He said that (he) feltfeltfeltfelt O.K.

“(You) have to take better care of (your) health.”

She said that (he) hadhadhadhad to take

better care of (his) health.

“(I) will .”

He said that (he) wouldwouldwouldwould.

“(I) don’t want anything to happen to (you). ” She said that...

“Nothing is going to happen to (me)...” He said that...

“As a child, (I) always wanted to live near the beach.”

“(I) have been thinking about (us) buying a house by the sea.”

“That sounds great but I don’t think we can afford it.”

“We can do it if we really want to.”

“I remember when we first met in school.”

“You were carrying a yellow umbrella that day.”

“I never thought we would end up together.”

“I can’t imagine my life without you.”

“I feel the same.”

“I am starting to feel hungry.”

1a.

2a.

3a.

4a.

5a.

6a.

7a.

8a.

1b.

2b.

3b.

4b.

5b.

6b.

7b.

8b.

What did she say? She said

that...

What did he say? He said that...

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Next, let’s learn how to make questions for reported speech. Take a look at the two job interview questions below and how they change in reported speech:

3a. Question 1 is a “Yes / No” question: 1. Are you good with computers? Yes, I am. / No, I’m not. Once again, fill the chart below like in ex. 1:

When changing “Yes / No” questions into reported speech, use ‘if / whether’: Are (you) good with computers? She asked me if/whether (I) was good with computers. Notice that (you) becomes (I) and ‘are’ goes one step back to ‘was’. Also, since we are reporting a question, we can use the verb ‘asked’ rather than ‘said’.

1. Are (you)

good with

computers?

2. Where

do (you)

live?

← ← am...

← did... ←

← can...

had... ←

______ _________

X

the more distant past ← the past ← the present

Questions that start with “What / When / Where / Who / How” are called “WH questions”. Question 2 on the last page is a “WH” question: 2. Where do you live? “WH” questions can be changed to reported speech like this: Where do (you) live? She asked me where (I) lived. As before, the pronouns change and the verbs go one step back in time.

4a.

Practice converting these “Yes / No” interview questions to reported speech. Start your new sentences with, “She asked me if/whether...” 1. Are (you) a team player? She asked me if ( __ ) w_____ ___ _______ _________ 2. Can (you) work on weekends? _____________________ ( __ ) c______ w______ ___ ____________ 3. Did you have any problems in your last job? _____________________ __ h____ h____ _____________________ __________________________________________________________ 4. Have you ever been fired? _____________________ __ h_____ e_______ ________ __________ 5. Do you have any questions for me? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

3b.

Next, practice changing the WH questions below to reported speech. 6. Where did (you) go to university? She asked me where ( __ ) h____ g______ ____ _________________ 7. How long did (you) work at (your) last company? ____________________________ ( __ ) h____ w_______ ____ _____ ________ ________________ 8. Who can we contact for references? ______________________________ t_____ c_______ c___________ ______ ______________ 9. What do you know about our company? ___________________________ ___ ________ ________ ________ _______________ 10. When can you start? _________________________________________________________

4b.

Make some original “Yes / No” and “WH” questions for your classmates and teacher on any topic. Then, change them to reported speech. Follow examples 1 and 2: 1. “Megumi, do (you) like sweets?” (Yes / No) I asked Megumi if/whether (she) liked sweets. 2. “Miss Kikuchi, where do (you) live?” (WH) I asked Miss Kikuchi where (she) lived. 3. __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 4. __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 5. __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 6. __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

5.

In this last section, we’re going to talk about time clauses, which are very important when using reported speech. First, translate the time clauses from Japanese into English.

6.

All the time clauses above are based on ‘today’ or ‘now’ as the starting point. If today is Monday, then yesterday was Sunday. If this year is 2013, then next year will be 2014. But what happens to these time clauses when they are used together with reported speech? First, write today’s date in the blank below (for example, October 26). Then, look at the two examples below and on the next page:

Today’s date is:

______________

昨日 今日 明日

先週 今週 来週

先月 今月 来月

去年 今年 来年

（２）年前 今 （２）年後

in ( ___ ) _______

昨夜 今夜 明日の夜

1. Last week,

John said: I went camping

yesterday.

2. Last month,

Chieko said: I have

a test tomorrow.

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What did John say last week? He said that he had gone camping yesterday.

the previous day What did Chieko say last month? She said that she had a test tomorrow.

the next day We cannot say ‘yesterday’ or ‘tomorrow’ because these words are based on today as the starting point. Therefore, time clauses used with reported speech are usually changed.

7a. Match the time clauses on the left with those on the right (what they would look like in reported speech).

now

today

this (week)

yesterday

tomorrow

last (month)

next (year)

(2) (years) ago

in (2) (years)

(2) (years) later

the following (year)

the following day

that day

then

the previous day

the previous (month)

(2) (years) before

that (week)

Time clauses with now or today as the starting point

Time clauses in reported speech

Lesson 62 552 │

7b. Finally, fill the time clause blanks for the reported sentences and questions below. However, for a more challenging exercise, go to the next page (ex. 7c) where you have to write not only the time clauses, but also the actual reported sentences or questions. Remember that all the sentences in quota-tions below (or on the next page) were said some time in the past.

1. Jane - “Maybe I will call you tomorrow.”

She said that maybe she would call me the following day. 2. Tina - “Did you e-mail me yesterday?”

She asked if I had e-mailed her the previous day. 3. Ben - “I was working in London last year.”

He said that he had been working in London _____________________ 4. Chieko - “What are you doing tonight?”

She asked what I was doing ___________________________________ 5. Dave - “I have been really busy this week.”

He said that he had been really busy ____________________________ 6. Sally - “Are you going to Tokyo next Tuesday?”

She asked whether I was going to Tokyo ________________________ 7. Joe - “I am playing golf now.”

He said that he was playing golf _______________________________ 8. John - “Why didn’t you tell me 10 minutes ago?”

He asked why I hadn’t told him ______________________________ 9. Sara and Claudia - “We are going to the mall in one hour.”

They said that they were going to the mall _______________________ 10. Peter - “Are you going to be here later today?”

He asked if I was going to be there later _________________________

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1. Jane - “Maybe I will call you tomorrow.”

She said that maybe she would call me the following day.

2. Tina - “Did you e-mail me yesterday?”

She asked if I had e-mailed her the previous day.

3. Ben - “I was working in London last year.”

__________________________________________________________

4. Chieko - “What are you doing tonight?”

__________________________________________________________

5. Dave - “I have been really busy this week.”

__________________________________________________________

6. Sally - “Are you going to Tokyo next Tuesday?”

__________________________________________________________

7. Joe - “I am playing golf now.”

__________________________________________________________

8. John - “Why didn’t you tell me 10 minutes ago?”

__________________________________________________________

9. Sara and Claudia - “We are going to the mall in one hour.”

__________________________________________________________

10. Peter - “Are you going to be here later today?”

__________________________________________________________

7c.

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