¡Descarga Understanding Backshift and Changing Verb Tenses in Reported Speech y más Apuntes en PDF de Inglés solo en Docsity! RKeporied Speech When reporting speech, the tense usually changes. This is because when we use reported speech, we are usually talking about a time in the past (because obviously the person who spoke originally spoke in the past). The verbs, therefore, usually have to be in the past too. The tenses of the reported clause are usually moved back. This moving back of tenses is called BACKSHIFT Examples: Direct speech Indirect speech Present simple She said, "It's cold.* Present continuous She said, "I'm teaching English online." Present perfect She said, "I've been on the web since 1999." Past simple She said it was cold. Past continuous She said she was teaching English online. Past perfect She said she had been on the web since 1999. Direct speech Indirect speech Past simple She said, "l taught online yesterday.” Past continuous She said, "l was teaching earlier.” Past perfect She said, "The lesson had already started when he arrived." Modals “| can/will/might see later”, he said Past perfect She said she had taught online yesterday. Past perfect continuous She said she had been teaching earlier. Past perfect NO CHANGE Modals He said he could/would/might see me later. * Changing pronouns, personal and possessive. * Pronouns change (or not) depending on the view of the Direct him/ | his/ | me my he / she her her We us ours they | them | their Direct Speech John said, “Il am coming.” Indirect Speech John said that he was coming. CONDITIONAL STATEMENTS Type 1 conditional statements are reported as follows: 'Ifyou pass your test, I'Il buy you a car' he said. He said that if | passed my test he would buy me a car. Type 2 conditional statements are reported as follows: 'If you passed your test | would buy you a car' he said. He said that ¡if | passed my test he would buy me a car. Type 3 conditional statements are reported as follows: "MF£ von (Y) naccad vor Fact Vd hava houvaht von a EXCLAMATIONS Note the word order in reported exclamations: 'What a silly boy you are' she exclaimed She told him what a silly boy he was. She told him that he was a silly boy. Indirect statements with mixed tense sequences Form of indirect statements with mixed tense sequences actual spoken statement l've read Tony's book and | don't understand i¡t' indirect statements with mixed tense sequences Jim says he's read Tony's book and didn't understand it. Jim said he's read Tony's book and doesn't understand it. Jim said he'd read Tony's book and doesn't understand it. Jim said he'd read Tony's book and didn't understand it. actual spoken questions Indirect questions Be: 'Are you ready?" He asked (me) ¡f/whether | am/was ready Have: 'Have you finished” He asked (me) ¡if/whether I (have)/had finished. Do 'Do you play chess? He asked (me) ¡if/whether I play/played chess . Modals: 'Can I have it? He asked (me) if/whether he can/could have it. Indirect question-word questions * In the question using Question Word (QU) * To form indirect speech the question is firstly changed to be statement e QW: what, when, where, which, why, who, whom, etc. are used as conjunction actual spoken questions indirect questions Be: Where are you going? He asked (me) where lI was going. Have: 'Why haven't you finished? He wanted to know why I (haven't)/hadn't finished. Do: What do you think of it? He wanted to know what Il (think) /thought of it. Modals: 'When must I be there? He asked (me) when he must be/had to be there reported speech Look at the girl on the right. We would turn the statement into the reported speech by changing: Il love my > the verb from the present simple to the past : new dress. simple Semthe.- personal. pronoun |. to. sh > the possessive pronoun my to her The sentence would then be: The girl said she loved her new dress. reported speech There are several reporting verbs we can use: > The most commonly used one is to say. She said she was studying. > When the person who we are talking to is referred, we can use to tell. You told me you liked your new dress. > We may report something that was said without keeping to the original words, the reporting verb itself may contain that idea or intention. The verbs here can be: to admit, to advise, to agree, to remind, to suggest, to encourage, to insist, to persuade, to warn, to refuse, to urge, among others. = Jliiadmit 1:33. IAS She admitted she did it. reported speech Time to practise! Look at the images that will appear and change what the characters say into the reported speech. Take in consideration all the changes that must occur: in the verbs, the pronouns and the expressions of time and place. reported speech is being very interesting! reported speech The woman said her book was bein teresting. very in is being very interesting! reported speech l was so tired | passed out on the middle of the street. lt has been ears since l've had this much fun! reported speech The woman said it had been years since she had had that much fun. reported speech | will catch a fish today! reported speech The girl said she would catch a fish that day. | will catch a fish today!
