Reported speech

Englisch · Klasse 9/10 · mittel

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1Backshift: Write the past form.

was, were, had, would, could, did

  1. a)am / is
  2. b)are
  3. c)have / has
  4. d)will
  5. e)can
  6. f)do / does

2Change the pronoun.

I → he/she, we → they, my → his/her

  1. a)„I am tired," she said. → She said … was tired.
  2. b)„We are late," they said. → They said … were late.
  3. c)„My dog is ill," he said. → He said … dog was ill.

3Report the sentence. Start with „He said (that) …".

He said that he was hungry.

  1. a)„I am hungry."
  2. b)„I like football."
  3. c)„I will come."
  4. d)„I can swim."

4Change the time words.

that day, the next day, the day before, then

  1. a)today →
  2. b)tomorrow →
  3. c)yesterday →
  4. d)now →

1Backshift: Write the past form.

was, were, had, would, could, did

  1. a)am / iswas
  2. b)arewere
  3. c)have / hashad
  4. d)willwould
  5. e)cancould
  6. f)do / doesdid

2Change the pronoun.

I → he/she, we → they, my → his/her

  1. a)„I am tired," she said. → She said … was tired.she
  2. b)„We are late," they said. → They said … were late.they
  3. c)„My dog is ill," he said. → He said … dog was ill.his

3Report the sentence. Start with „He said (that) …".

He said that he was hungry.

  1. a)„I am hungry."He said that he was hungry.
  2. b)„I like football."He said that he liked football.
  3. c)„I will come."He said that he would come.
  4. d)„I can swim."He said that he could swim.

4Change the time words.

that day, the next day, the day before, then

  1. a)today →that day
  2. b)tomorrow →the next day
  3. c)yesterday →the day before
  4. d)now →then

1Report the statements. Start with „She said (that) …".

Backshift: present → past, past / present perfect → past perfect, will → would, can → could. Change pronouns (I → she) and time words (tomorrow → the next day, last week → the week before).

  1. a)„I am tired."
  2. b)„We live in Hamburg."
  3. c)„I have finished my homework."
  4. d)„I will call you tomorrow."
  5. e)„I can't come to the party."
  6. f)„My parents bought a new car last week."

2Report the questions.

Questions become statements: no do/does, subject before verb, no question mark. Yes/no questions: if or whether.

  1. a)„Where do you live?" — He asked me …
  2. b)„Are you hungry?" — She wanted to know …
  3. c)„What time does the train leave?" — They asked …
  4. d)„Have you seen my keys?" — Dad asked …

3Report the commands and requests.

tell/ask + person + (not) to + verb

  1. a)„Sit down!" — The teacher told us …
  2. b)„Please help me." — She asked him …
  3. c)„Don't touch that!" — Mum told me …

4Turn the dialogue into a short report (five to six sentences).

Amira told Jonas that … and asked him if … Jonas replied that … She said she would … and told him not to …

  1. a)Amira: „I'm going to the cinema tonight. Do you want to come?" — Jonas: „I can't. I have to finish my project." — Amira: „Then I'll ask Lena. Don't work too late!"

1Report the statements. Start with „She said (that) …".

Backshift: present → past, past / present perfect → past perfect, will → would, can → could. Change pronouns (I → she) and time words (tomorrow → the next day, last week → the week before).

  1. a)„I am tired."She said (that) she was tired.
  2. b)„We live in Hamburg."She said (that) they lived in Hamburg.
  3. c)„I have finished my homework."She said (that) she had finished her homework.
  4. d)„I will call you tomorrow."She said (that) she would call me the next day.
  5. e)„I can't come to the party."She said (that) she couldn't come to the party.
  6. f)„My parents bought a new car last week."She said (that) her parents had bought a new car the week before.

2Report the questions.

Questions become statements: no do/does, subject before verb, no question mark. Yes/no questions: if or whether.

  1. a)„Where do you live?" — He asked me …He asked me where I lived.
  2. b)„Are you hungry?" — She wanted to know …She wanted to know if I was hungry.
  3. c)„What time does the train leave?" — They asked …They asked what time the train left.
  4. d)„Have you seen my keys?" — Dad asked …Dad asked if I had seen his keys.

3Report the commands and requests.

tell/ask + person + (not) to + verb

  1. a)„Sit down!" — The teacher told us …The teacher told us to sit down.
  2. b)„Please help me." — She asked him …She asked him to help her.
  3. c)„Don't touch that!" — Mum told me …Mum told me not to touch that.

4Turn the dialogue into a short report (five to six sentences).

Amira told Jonas that … and asked him if … Jonas replied that … She said she would … and told him not to …

  1. a)Amira: „I'm going to the cinema tonight. Do you want to come?" — Jonas: „I can't. I have to finish my project." — Amira: „Then I'll ask Lena. Don't work too late!"(dialogue)

1Correct the mistakes.

Backshift. No question word order. tell needs a person, say does not. not to + verb.

  1. a)She said that she is tired.
  2. b)He asked me where did I live.
  3. c)They told that they would come.
  4. d)She asked if I can help her.
  5. e)Mum told me to not be late.
  6. f)He said me he had finished.

2Report the dialogue. Six sentences.

asked why, explained that, told her to, told her not to, promised that

  1. a)Teacher: „Why are you late again?" — Kasia: „The bus didn't come. I have been waiting for twenty minutes." — Teacher: „Sit down and open your book. Don't let it happen again." — Kasia: „I'll leave earlier tomorrow."

3No backshift: Explain why the reported version does not change the tense.

General truths; reporting verb in the present; the statement is still true or still in the future.

  1. a)„Water boils at 100 degrees." → The teacher said that water boils at 100 degrees.
  2. b)„I am ill." → (five minutes later) She says she is ill.
  3. c)„I'll be there at six." → (still before six) He said he will be there at six.

4A witness statement: Turn the interview into a formal report in reported speech (six to eight sentences).

The witness stated that … When asked …, she said … She added that … She admitted that …

  1. a)Police: „What did you see?" — Witness: „A red van stopped in front of the bank at about nine. Two men got out. They were wearing masks. I called the police immediately. I can't remember the number plate."

1Correct the mistakes.

Backshift. No question word order. tell needs a person, say does not. not to + verb.

  1. a)She said that she is tired.She said that she was tired.
  2. b)He asked me where did I live.He asked me where I lived.
  3. c)They told that they would come.They said that they would come. / They told me that …
  4. d)She asked if I can help her.She asked if I could help her.
  5. e)Mum told me to not be late.Mum told me not to be late.
  6. f)He said me he had finished.He told me he had finished. / He said he had finished.

2Report the dialogue. Six sentences.

asked why, explained that, told her to, told her not to, promised that

  1. a)Teacher: „Why are you late again?" — Kasia: „The bus didn't come. I have been waiting for twenty minutes." — Teacher: „Sit down and open your book. Don't let it happen again." — Kasia: „I'll leave earlier tomorrow."(dialogue)

3No backshift: Explain why the reported version does not change the tense.

General truths; reporting verb in the present; the statement is still true or still in the future.

  1. a)„Water boils at 100 degrees." → The teacher said that water boils at 100 degrees.A general truth stays in the present.
  2. b)„I am ill." → (five minutes later) She says she is ill.The reporting verb (says) is in the present, so nothing shifts.
  3. c)„I'll be there at six." → (still before six) He said he will be there at six.The event is still in the future when it is reported; both will and would are possible.

4A witness statement: Turn the interview into a formal report in reported speech (six to eight sentences).

The witness stated that … When asked …, she said … She added that … She admitted that …

  1. a)Police: „What did you see?" — Witness: „A red van stopped in front of the bank at about nine. Two men got out. They were wearing masks. I called the police immediately. I can't remember the number plate."(interview)

Backshift

When the reporting verb is in the past (said, told, asked), the tense moves one step back: present → past, past and present perfect → past perfect, will → would, can → could, must → had to.

„I am tired." → She said she was tired.„I saw him." → She said she had seen him.

Pronouns and time words

I → he/she, we → they, my → his/her. today → that day, tomorrow → the next day, yesterday → the day before, now → then, here → there.

Questions and commands

Questions become statements: no do/does, subject before verb, no question mark; yes/no questions with if or whether. Commands: tell/ask + person + (not) to + verb.

„Where do you live?" → He asked where I lived.„Don't touch that!" → She told me not to touch that.

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