Reported Verbs

Reported Speech (2)

Dragana Filipović

Commands…

• When we report requests, orders or commands, or other kinds of persuasion, we often use the pattern:

ask / tell somebody to do something

IMPERATIVE to + INFINITIVE

Commands…

“Wake me up early, Dad!” Michael said.becomes:

Michael told his dad to wake him up early.

“Please let me watch the match, Mum,” Anne said.

becomes:Anne begged her mum to let her watch the

match.

Commands…

• Here are common verbs which use this pattern (ask / tell somebody to do something):

advise – ask – beg – command – forbid –instruct – invite – order – persuade – remind- teach – tell – urge - warn

Negative orders, requests etc.

NOT goes before to + infinitive“Please, don’t do it,” she said to him.

becomes:She begged him not to do it.

“Don’t tell lies,” he said.becomes:

He taught us not to tell lies.

Reporting offers, refusals, etc.

• We often use a verb which describes the speaker’s intention.

• (Offer) “Can I help you?” She offered to help me.

• (Refusal) “I won’t do it.” He refused to do it.

• Verbs in this group: agree – promise – swear – threaten

Suggestions

When we report suggestions, we can use suggest + noun clause with or without that.

“Why not postpone the meeting?” He suggested (that) we postpone the

meeting. He suggested (that) we should

postpone the meeting.

Complete the sentences in reported speech

Example:• “Let me help you.”• My friend offered ________.• My friend offered to help me.

• “Why don’t we go for a walk?”• She suggested ___________• She suggested (that) we (should) go for

a walk.

• “I wasn’t anywhere near the scene of the crime.”

• The accused claimed _________• The accused claimed (that) he hadn’t

been anywhere near the scene of the crime.

• “This spot is the best place for a picnic.”• My father said ______________• My father said (that) that spot was the best

place for a picnic.

• “Can you answer the phone? I’m having a shower.”

• He asked his son ______________• He asked his son if he could answer (OR:

to answer) the phone because he was having a shower.

• “I gave you my homework last week.”• The boy insisted _____________• The boy insisted (that) he had given me

his homework the week before.

• “If I were you, I wouldn’t drink so much.”• He advised his friend _____________• He advised his friend not to drink so much.

• “I won’t help you because you didn’t help me.”

• A) Joan said ____________• B) Joan refused ___________

• A) Joan said (that) she wouldn’t help me because I hadn’t helped her.

• B) Joan refused to help me because I hadn’t helped her.

• “I’ll bring it back tomorrow.”• (A) He said _____________• (B) He promised ____________

• (A) He said (that) he would bring it back the next day.

• (B) He promised to bring it back the next day.

Reported Speech: Questions

• When we report questions, we do not follow the normal question order. Instead, we use the word order of a statement.

“Can I leave the room?” becomes:I asked if I could leave the room.“Where are you from?” becomes:She asked where I was from.

Yes/No Questions

• We use if or whether + noun clause“Are you happy here?” she asked. – becomes:She asked me if / whether I was happy there.“Does he live in a large flat?” she wondered. –

becomes: She wondered if / whether he lived in a large

flat.

• We must use whether (not if) when we are asking someone to make a choice:

• “Do you want coffee or tea?” they asked.• They asked me whether I wanted coffee

or tea.• We must use whether with the phrase or

not. (whether … or not)• “Are you going to tell me the answer or

not?” she said.• She asked him whether he was going to

tell her the answer or not.

Wh-Questions

• When we report these questions we use the wh-word: who, where, why, what, when, which or how, how far, how long, how much, how many…

• “Who built that castle?” she wanted to know.

She wanted to know who had built that castle.

Wh-Questions

• “Where did you go this summer?” He inquired where we had gone that

summer.• “How is Johnny getting on at school?” she

asked. She asked how Johnny was getting on at

school.

Change into indirect questions

• “Can I have some more pocket money?”• The boy asked ______• The boy asked if /whether/ he could have

some more pocket money.

• “Where were you born?”• She asked him _________• She asked him where he had been born.

• “How far is the stadium?”• He wanted to know __________• He wanted to know how far the stadium

was / how far it was to the stadium.

• “Are you still living in London?”• She asked ________• She asked (me) if /whether/ I was still

living in London.

• “Do you work in the central branch or in the provinces?”

• She asked him __________• She asked him whether he worked in the

central branch or in the provinces.

• “Are you going to give me the money or not?”

• She wanted to know ______________• She wanted to know whether I was going

to give her the money or not.

• “Who bought the Picasso painting?”• He wondered _________• He wondered who had bought the Picasso

painting.

• “Did he bring the book back or not?”• I didn’t know __________• I didn’t know whether he had brought the

book back or not.

or The End