Reported speech

Unit 4: Your time to shine

Telling what other people told (Reported Speech)

Welcome Spring... (and allergies)

Lesson Objective: Identify and use reported speech statements and context, by analizing examples and changes in determined situations.

Analise the following sentences and their intention.

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1. My best friend Beto asked me if I wanted to learn to play the guitar.

2. My mother told me that she always baked a cake for herself.

3. The people of the orphanage said that I could celebrate my birthday with them.

​We could see they talk about what happened to another person. (not me directly.)

​Look at this example. In this case, the sentence pronounced by the boy is the REPORTED SPEECH FORM.

​The reported speech or "estilo indirecto" in Spanish, is a type of structure that is very common in legal aspects and in the news.

The criminal: ´´I am innocent´´! (direct sentence)

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​--> reported sentence: The criminal said he was innocent. (indirect or reported speech)

​As you saw in the previous example, the reported sentences (REPORTED SPEECH) is used to say or tell something that happened to another person. That means the situation is lived by another person, not me directly

​Example: John: "I watch action movies." (direct situation, direct speech)

​ John said HE WATCHED action movies. ( I repeat what happened to John, reported or indirect speech.

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​To use the Reported speech correctly, we have to consider:

• ​We have to change the verb tense, one tense back in the past.

• ​We have to change the pronouns if it is necessary

• ​We have to change (if necessary) time and place references.

VERB TENSES CHANGE:

​Direct Speech

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​PRESENT SIMPLE

​Ciselle: "I practice hockey on Sundays."

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​Modal Verb "can"

​Alex: "I can play football very well."

​Reported Speech

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​PAST SIMPLE

​Giselle told me she practiced hockey

on Sundays."

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Modal Verb "Could"

​ Alex told me he could play football very well.

​PRONOUN CHANGES

​When we have pronouns like "I" (first person singular) or "we" (first person plural) , we have to change them to pronouns that show the information is not direct. "I" can change to "he or she" and "we" can change to "you" (ustedes) or "they"

​Time and place references.

​ Direct Speech

​Here

​now

​this

​these

​Yesterday

​today

​tonight

​tomorrow

​next week

​last week

​Reported speech.

​There

​at that time/moment

​that

​those

​the previous day/the day before

​that day

​that night

​the next/following day

the next/following week​

the week before / the revious week following day

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​When you start the reported speech sentence, you have to use verbs that announce the sentence of the indirect event.

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​Say or said in past, it is used if you express the idea only. Tell or told in past, is used when you include the person you give the indirect information to.

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​I said John was helping my mom with the housecleaning.

​I told my sister John was helping my mom with the house cleaning

​Use of SAY and TELL