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Unit 47. Reported speech 1 (He said that...)




Unit 47; Part A

galka.jpgStudy this example situation:
47.1.jpg

Unit 47; Part B

galka.jpgWhen we use reported speech, the main verb of the sentence is usually past (Paul said that ... / I told her that ... etc.). The rest of the sentence is usually past too:

    Paul said that he was feeling ill.
    I told Lisa that I didn't have any money.

You can leave out that. So you can say:

•    Paul said that he was feeling ill.    or   Paul said he was feeling ill.

In general, the present form in direct speech changes to the past form in reported speech:

am/is was    do/does did      will would
are were      have/has had    can could

want/like/know/go etc. wanted/liked/knew/went etc.

Compare direct speech and reported speech:

You met Jenny. Here are some of the
things she said in direct speech:
Later you tell somebody what Jenny said.
You use reported speech:

47.2.jpg

Unit 47; Part C

galka.jpgThe past simple(did/saw/knew etc.) can usually stay the same in reported speech, or you can change it to the past perfect (had done / had seen / had known etc.):

   direct     Paul said: 'I woke up feeling ill, so I didn't go to work.'
reported     Paul said (that) he woke up feeling ill, so he didn't go to work.   or
                  Paul said (that) he had woken up feeling ill, so he hadn't gone to work.



Exercises

flag.jpgYesterday you met a friend of yours, Steve. You hadn't seen him for a long time. Here are some of the things Steve said to you:
Key.2    He said (that) his father wasn't very well.
3    He said (that) Rachel and Mark were getting married next month.
4    He said (that) his sister had had a baby.
5    He said (that) he didn't know what Frank was doing.
6    He said (that) he'd seen / he had seen Helen at a party in Juneand  she'd seemed / she had seemed fine.  or  He said (that) he sawHelen ... and she seemed ...
7    He said (that) he hadn't seen Diane recently.
8    He said (that) he wasn't enjoying his job very much.
9    He said (that) I could come and stay at his place if I was ever in London.
10  He said (that) his car had been stolen a few days ago. or    ... his car was stolen a few days ago.
11  He said (that) he wanted to go on holiday, but (he) couldn't afford it.
12  He said (that) he'd tell / he would tell Chris he'd seen / he had seen  me.    or    ... he saw me.

47.3.jpg
Later that day you tell another friend what Steve said. Use reported speech.
1   Steve said that he was living in London.                     
2  He said that ____________________________________  
3  He _____________________________________________
4   _______________________________________________
5   _______________________________________________
6   _______________________________________________
7   _______________________________________________
8   _______________________________________________
9   _______________________________________________
10  _______________________________________________
11  _______________________________________________
12  _______________________________________________
flag.jpgSomebody says something to you which is the opposite of what they said earlier. Complete the answers.
Key.Example answers:
2    she wasn't coming / ... she was going somewhere else / ... she was staying at home
3    she didn't like him
4    you didn't know anybody
5    she wouldn't be here / ... she would be away / ... she was going away
6    you were staying at home / ... you weren't going out
7    you couldn't speak (any) French
8    you went to the cinema last week / ... you had been /gone to the cinema last week


1    A: That restaurant is expensive.
     B: Is it? I thought you said   it was cheap          
2    A: Sue is coming to the party tonight.
     B: Is she? I thought you said she _________________
3    A: Sarah likes Paul.
     B: Does she? Last week you said _________________
4    A: I know lots of people.
      B:  Do you? I thought you said _________________
5    A: Jane will be here next week.
     B: Will she? But didn't you say _________________
6    A: I'm going out this evening.
     B: Are you? But you said _________________
7    A: I can speak a little French.
     B: Can you? But earlier you said _________________
8    A: I haven't been to the cinema for ages.
     B: Haven't you? I thought you said _________________


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