Class 11 English Unit 18: Grammar: Reported Speech Language Development Section

 

Grammar: Reported speech (Page 168)

A.   Look at the pictures and read the expressions. 

 

B.    Study the following.

Direct speech	Indirect speech
a.      'I love the Toy Story films,' she said.	i.       She said she loved the Toy Story films.
b.     'I worked as a waiter before becoming a chef,' he said.	ii.      He said he'd worked as a waiter before becoming a chef.
c.      'I'll phone you tomorrow,' he said.	iii.       He said he'd phone me the next day.
d.     She asked, "What do you want?"	iv.      She asked (me) what I wanted.
e.      He said to me, "Do you live near here?"	v.      He asked me if/whether I lived near there.
f.       "Don't be late," I said to Joe.	vi.     I told Joe not to be late.
g.     She said, "Don't the children like ice cream?"	vii.     She was surprised that the children didn't like ice cream.

 

In indirect speech, we often use a tense which is 'further back in the past (e.g. worked) than the tense originally used (e.g. work). This is called 'backshift'. We may also need to change other words that were used, for example, pronouns.

Tips while changing from Direct Speech into Indirect Speech:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW3pdeTYFZc&t=159s

ü Change the reporting verb(said/said to) according to reported speech(types of sentence).

ü Put an appropriate conjunction after removing the inverted comma (usually based on the type of sentence in reported speech).

ü Change the subject( person change) according to the subject or object.

ü Change the tense if the case is possible.

ü Change the time adverbials according to the rule.

ü Follow the rule to change possessive cases.

Quiz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ehC3x4mpLA 

C.         Change the following into indirect speech.

a.      She said, "While I was having dinner, the phone rang."

She said that the phone had rung while she had been having dinner.

b.     My friend said, "Where are they staying?"

My friend asked where they were staying.

c.      Jamila said, "I travel a lot in my job."

Jamila said that she travelled a lot in her job.

d.     She said to me, "We lived in China for five years."

She told me that they had lived in China for five years.

e.      He said to me, "Do you like ice cream?"

He asked me if I liked ice cream.

f.       They said, "Hurray! We've won the match."

They exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.

g.     He said, "I'd tried everything without success, but this new medicine is great."  He said that he’d tried everything without success, but that new medicine was great.

h.     Sony said, "I go to the gym next to your house."

Sony said that she went to the gym next to my house.

i.       He said, "Be quiet after 10 o'clock."

He told me to be quiet after 10 o’clock.

j.       He said, "I don't want to go to the party unless he invites me."

He said that he did not want to go to the party unless he invited him.

k.     He said to me, "I will see you tomorrow if you meet me."

He told me that he would see me the next day if I met him.

l.       She said, "If I were you, I would give up the work."

She said that she would give up the work if she had been me.

She suggested me to give up the work. 

Quiz Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quBOgSe5c5U

Note: simple past and past progressive are generally not changed of If sentence and time clause.

D.         Report the following using the verbs from the list. The subject of the reporting clause has been given at the end.

 admit            explain        assure          deny            point out

insist              accuse         claim           warn

a.      There will be no delay. (He)

He claimed that there would be no delay.

b.     Don't mention it again. (She)

She warned not to mention it again.

c.      I've taken the money. (My brother)

My brother admitted that he had taken the money.

d.     You took my money. (Neha)

Neha accused me that I had taken her money.

e.      You should have dinner with me. (She)

She insisted that I had to dine with her.

f.       No, I haven't stolen anyone's bag. (He)

He denied that he had not stolen anyone’s bag.

g.     I have closed the door. I can remember it. (She)

She explained that she had closed the door. She could remember it.

h.     The doctor is out to lunch. (The receptionist)

The receptionist pointed out that the doctor was out to launch.

i.       This van has been in the car park all day. (The guard)

The guard assured that that van had been in the car park all day.

 Quiz Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh1fQ1nhvpA&t=124s

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