Reported speech B 2

Reporting verbs tell smb say to smb /say ask Expressions with tell: to tell the truth, a lie, a secret, a story, the time, one from another, the difference Expressions with say: to say good morning, to say a prayer, something/nothing etc.

In reported statements say to smb → tell smb

Reported statements Report in the present No change in the tense forms. Pay attention on pronouns He says, ‘’I live in Tallinn.’’ He says (that) he lives in Tallinn.

Report in the past Tense shift All present tenses change into past tenses Present simple → past simple Present continuous → past continuous Present perfect → past perfect Present perfect continuous → past perfect continuous

Will → would Can → could /would be able to May → might Must → had to or must

Past simple → past simple or past perfect Past continuous → past continuous, past perfect continuous

Would, could, might, should, had better, used to, mustn’t do not change

Words and time expressions change Now → then Today, tonight → that day, that night Yesterday → the day before, the previous day Ago → before Last month → the month before, the previous month This week → that week Tomorrow → the next/following day

Next month → the month after, the following month Here → there Come → go

Up-to-date reporting and out-of-date reporting We can report someone’s words after a long time after they were said (out-of-date reporting) or a short time after they were said (up-to-date reporting) Out-of-date ‘’I am working,’’ she said (in the morning, now it’s afternoon) She said (that) she was working.

‘’ I live in Tallinn,’’ she said A moment later: What did she say ‘’ I live in Tallinn,’’ she said A moment later: What did she say? – She said (that) she lives in Tallinn.

You do not need to change tenses in case of General truths or laws of nature ‘’The sun rises in the east,’’ the teacher said. The teacher said (that) the sun rises/rose in the east. The second and third conditional sentences. ‘’If I were you, I would tell them,’’ he said. He said (that) if he were me, he would tell them. ‘’ Mary would have done it if she had been here,’’ said Paul. Paul said (that) Mary would have done it if she had been there.

BUT: the tense shift takes place in the first conditional sentences. ‘’If you come with me, I will tell you on the way,’’ he said to me. He told me (that) if I went with him he would tell me on the way.

With I wish strucures ‘’I wish you were here,’’ Peter said to Jane. Peter told Jane (that) he wished she was/were there. ‘’I wish you had told me about this,’’ he said to me. He told me(that) he wished I had told him about that. ‘’I wish the weather would change,’’ he said. He said (that) he wished the weather would change.

Reported questions Present reports Word order changes. After the question word comes the subject. The word order is like in an affirmative sentence. Tenses do not change.

‘’Where do you live. ’’ he asks me. He asks me where I live ‘’Where do you live?’’ he asks me. He asks me where I live. ‘’ Where are you going to stay?’’ she asks him. She asks him where he is going to stay.

General questions Use the word if or whether ‘’Do you live in Tallinn?’’ he asks me. He asks me if I live in Tallinn. ‘’Do you live in Tallinn or Tartu?’’ he asks me. He asks me whether I live in Tallinn or Tartu.

Past reports Word order changes. Tense shift occurs. Change of time expressions and certain words. Pay attention on pronouns. ‘’Where do you live?’’ she asked me. She asked me where I lived.

Report the questions Start with He asked her Where are your parents? ... where her parents were. Why did they come here? ... why they had gone/went there. What have you done? ... what she had done.

Why are you crying? ... why she was crying. Will you help me tomorrow? ... if she would help him the next/following day. When should we tell him? ... when they/we should tell him.