Reported speech

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El estilo indirecto (reported speech) se usa para contar lo que alguien ha dicho sin citar exactamente sus palabras.

Podemos contar en presente lo que alguien acaba de decir, para lo cual basta Con quitar las comillas y cambiar el pronombre sujeto y la persona del verbo.

“ I am tired” He says that he is tired

Pero lo normal es que el verbo que introduce la subordinada en estilo indirecto(say o tell, normalmente) vaya en pasado, y entonces el cambio más importantees que el verbo de la subordinada da un salto atrás ( de present simple a Past simple, de éste a past perfect, etc)

“I like noodles” He said that he liked noodles

Además de suprimir las comillas y cambiar los tiempos verbales, tambiénes necesario que hagamos algunos cambios en los pronombres y en las expresiones de tiempo y de lugar.

La oración subordinada va introducida por “ that” , aunque en inglés habladose suele omitir.

Cuando la frase enuncia una verdad general no hay cambio en los tiemposverbales.

“Crime is punished by the law”, she said

She said that crime is punished by the law

Cambios en los tiempos verbales

Tense Direct Speech Tense Indirect Speech

Present simple “He works as an editor” Past simple He said that he worked as an editor

Present continuous “He is working as an editor”

Past continuous

He said that he was working as an editor

Past simple “He worked as an editor” Past perfect He said that he had worked as an editor

Past continuous “He was working as an editor”

Past perfect continuous

He said that he had been working as an editor

Present perfect simple

“He has worked as an editor”

Past perfect He said that he had worked as an editor

Present perfect continuous

“He has been working as an editor”

Present perfect continuous

He said that he had been working as an editor

Past perfect simple

“He had worked as an editor”

Past perfect simple

He said that he had worked as an editor

Past perfect continuous

“He had been working as an editor”

Past perfect continuous

He said that he had been working as an editor

Future simple “He will work as an editor” Would + infin. He said that he would work as an editor

Cambios en los modales

Can

May

Must / have to

Will

Could

Might

Must / had to

Would

Cambios en otras palabrasNow Then

Today That day

Tonight That night

Yesterday The previous day / the day before

Last week The previous week / the week before

A month ago The previous month / the month before

Tomorrow The following day / the next day / the day after

Next week The following week / the week after

Here There

This That

These Those

Reported questionsHay dos tipos de preguntas:

LAS YES / NO QUESTIONS son las que se contestan con un “si” o un “no”.

para ponerlas en estilo indirecto utilizamos el verbo ask, y a continuación if o whether.

Entonces la pregunta deja de serlo y se convierte en una frase afirmativa, ya no hay

inversión sujeto-verbo(A+S+V), ni signo de interrogación, ni comillas.

“Did you speak to John last night?” She asked

She asked if / whether I had spoken to John last night

aux suj verb

LAS WH-QUESTIONS son las que empiezan por una palabra interrogativa (Wh- word)

Al pasarlas al estilo indirecto ponemos dicha palabra (wh-) y luego el sujeto + verbo.

►Who told you that story? She asked

She asked who had told us that story

► Where did you go last summer? He asked me

He asked me where I had gone the previous summer

Sujeto → no aux

suj

suj

Who are you writing to? She asked

She asked who I was writing to

Reported orders

Para poner una orden en estilo indirecto cambiamos el imperativo por un infinitivo con to.

Pero antes del infinitivo debemos poner un verbo que exprese mandato, como

Tell u order , seguido del complemento indirecto.

Hay otros verbos que siguen esta estructura aunque no expresen orden.

Ask o beg para peticiones.

Warn para advertir a alguien de algo.

Advise para dar consejo

Invite para hacer una invitación.

“Stop driving so fast”. My mother ordered me to stop driving so fast.

Si la oración es negativa , ponemos not delante de to.

“Don´t tell anybody” He begged me not to tell anybody

Reported suggestions

Primero ponemos el sujeto y el verbo suggest en pasado y después lo que se sugirió.

Las sugerencias se pueden pasar a estilo indirecto de dos formas:

usando una oración introducida por that, con su sujeto y el verbo en la forma base.

(El verbo demand, que expresa mandato, también sigue esta estructura)

“Let´s watch the news” Tom suggested

Tom suggested that we watch the news

Usando el gerundio, sin especificar ningún sujeto.

“ Let´s phone the police inmediately”

He suggested phoning the police inmediately

Reported verbs

+ Admit Agree Answer Apologise Boast (presumir, alardear)Claim

ComplainDeclareDenyExplainInformInsist

MentionOfferPromiseRefuseRemindReply

? Enquire Request

Want to knowWonder

orders DemandOrder

ShoutWarn

requests Beg

Suggestions AdviseInvite

SuggestRecommend

1. Frank promised that he will take / would take photographs on the trip.

2. The shop claimed that they have / had no more Harry Potter books.

3. Bob explained that he couldn’t / can’t come that evening.

4. Dad mentioned that he was going / is going to the dentist.

5. Laura admitted that she doesn’t know / didn’t know the answer.

Choose the correct answer

Choose the correct continuation.

1. I wondered … .

a. if Mike was still angry b. if Mike still loves me

2. Reporters asked eyewitnesses … .

a. what had they seen b. if they had seen anyone leave the building

3. My parents wanted to know … .

a. which film I was going to b. what time I will get home

4. Joe asked the doctor … .

a. when could he go back to work b. if he could go back to work

1.“My parents are reading the paper.”

Mike said his parents ……………………… (read) the paper.

2.“David will arrive soon.”

Bill mentioned that David ……………………… (arrive) soon.

3.“John forgot my birthday!”

Tessa complained that John ……………………… (forget) her birthday.

4.”I’m not waiting for you.”

Simon said that he ……………………… (wait) for us.

5.“Were you speaking to the publisher?”

He wanted to know if I ……………………… (speak) to the publisher.

6. “Barbara can meet us later.”

She mentioned that Barbara ……………………… (meet) us later.

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

were reading

would arrive

had forgotten

wasn’t waiting

had been speaking

could meet

1. The boys claimed that they ……………………… (not break) the window.

2. Rita promised that she ……………………… (take) me to the party.

3. The salesgirl asked Jenny which sweater she ……………………… (prefer).

4. Ingrid admitted that she ……………………… (cannot understand) the maths.

5. The student wanted to know if the class ……………………… (have) a test

the following week.

6. Sandra wondered who ……………………… (call) her when she was out.

7. The policeman warned Alex that he ……………………… (give) him a ticket if he caught

him speeding again.

8. Jack said that he ……………………… (clean) his room when his mother had

come home the previous day.

9. Mr Roberts said that he ……………………… (use) the computer at that moment.

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

hadn’t broken

would take

preferred

couldn’t understand

would have / was having

had called

would give

had been cleaning

was using

Write sentences using the words below.

1. they / had / the / museum / that / been / all / Sandra / working / week /

said / at

2.whether / raining / children / was / asked / the / it

3.told / mum / clean / house / my / me / to / the

4.that / playing / Brian / friends / his / basketball / said / were

5.pizza / dinner / night / suggested / a / that / David / ordering / for

They said that Sandra had been working at the museum all week

Sandra said that they had been working at the museum all week.

The children asked whether it was raining.

My mum told me to clean the house

Brian said that his friends were playing basketball.

David suggested ordering a pizza for dinner that night.

1. “Let’s invite the neighbours for coffee tomorrow,” said Mrs Thomas.

Mrs Thomas suggested.. .

2. “Don’t walk on the grass,” said the park keeper to the children.

The park keeper told .

3. “Why do I have to go to the dentist today?” asked the little boy.

The little boy asked .

4. “I’ll never hit Johnny again,” Daniel said.

Daniel promised .

5. “We are watching the news on TV now,” her parents said.

Her parents told us .

Complete the sentences according to the meaning of the original sentences.

..inviting / that we invite the neighbors for coffee the next / the following day

the children not to walk on the grass

why he had to go to the dentist that day

that he would never hit Johnny again / never to hit Johnny again

that they were watching the news on TV then

1. “Let’s go to lunch next week.”

She suggested going to lunch … .

a. the following week b. next week c. that week

2. “I am going to buy a new computer tomorrow.”

He said he was going to buy a new computer … .

a. the day before b. the next day c. tomorrow

3. “We are eating now.”

She said they were eating … .

a. now b. later c. then

4. “Did you call me last night?”

He asked whether I had called him … .

a. the night before b. yesterday c.last night

Choose the correct time expression.

1.“I have an important meeting with the editor.”

Victor said .

2.“Steve, don’t be late for the press conference.”

The secretary reminded .

3. “I went to the doctor yesterday.”

Linda said .. .

4.“Dad will be working late tonight.”

Mum said

Complete the following sentences using reported speech. Make all necessary changes.

(that) he had an important meeting with the editor

Steve not to be late for the press conference

…(that) she had been / had gone to the doctor the day before / the previous day

(that) Dad would be working late that night

Complete the sentences. Use reported speech.

1. “Stop making so much noise,” the teacher told the students.The teacher told the students

2. “Don’t turn on the television,” Tim’s mother said.Tim’s mother told him

3. “Let’s meet at the café after work,” Anne suggested.Anne suggested that

The teacher told the students to stop making so much noise.

Tim’s mother told him not to turn on the television.

Anne suggested that we meet at the café after work

Write the sentences in direct speech.

1. I asked Regina where she was going for her holiday.

2.Everyone asked Susan what she had done the day before.

3.They said that they wouldn’t go to the party unless Sam invited them.

4.The manager ordered Gina to finish typing those letters by five o’clock.

5.Albert told us that he had finished the last Harry Potter book the week

before.

6.Tina suggested that we make Lucy a surprise party.

“Where are you going for your holiday?” I asked Regina.

“What did you do yesterday?” everyone asked Susan.

“We won’t go to the party unless Sam invites us,” they said.

“Finish typing these letters by five o’clock!” the manager ordered Gina

I finished the last Harry Potter book last week,” Albert said.

“Let’s make Lucy a surprise party,” Tina suggested.

Choose the correct verb in brackets. Then rewrite the sentences in

reported speech.

1. Anne: “My parents won’t allow me to work after school.”

(complain / suggest)

2.Shop manager: “We are closing the shop early today.” (order / explain)

3.Teacher: “If you complete the assignment by next week, you’ll get extra

marks.” (enquire / promise)

4.Tim: “Don’t forget the party next week, Sam.” (remind / suggest)

Anne complained that her parents wouldn’t allow her to work after school

The shop manager explained that they were closing the shop early that day

The teacher promised that if we / they completed the assignment by the following week / the week after, we / they would get extra marks.

Tim reminded Sam not to forget the party the following week / the week after.