ERGÄNZUNGSSTUDIUM TECHNISCHES ENGLISCH

Lecturer: Doris Storrer

Reported (indirect) Speech

In reported speech, the tenses change as follows:

Direct Speech                     Reported Speech                                 

future                     to     conditional                                     

future continuous          to     conditional continuous                          

simple present             to     simple past                                     

present continuous         to     past continuous                                 

present perfect            to     past perfect                                    

present perfect            to     past perfect continuous                         
continuous                                                                        

Examples:

He said: "Anne will be in Paris on Monday".

He said that Anne would be in Paris on Monday.

He said: "I'll be using the car myself on the 24th."

He said that he would be using the car himself on the 24th.

"I never eat any meat", he explained to her.

He explained that he never ate any meat.

He said: "I loved her once".

He said that he had loved her once.

Note that should, ought to, had better, might, used to and could do not normally change!

Example:

He said: "You should better not go there". He said that I should better not go there.

this usually becomes that

these usually become those

here usually becomes there

Adverbs and adverbial phrases of time change as follows:

Direct Speech              Reported Speech            

today                      that day                   

yesterday                  the day before             

tomorrow                   the next day/the           
                           following day              

the day after tomorrow     in two days time           

next year/week/month       the following year/week    
                           etc.                       

last year                  the previous year          

You have just received a telephone call. Report the conversation to a colleague:

1. Good morning. I'm sorry to ring you like this, but what 1 want to know is the following:
2. Have you received our shipment of tyres?
3. When did it arrive?
4. Are all things you ordered included?
5. Did you get the invoice, too?
6. Have you paid the invoice for the last shipment, yet?
7. Because I haven't got a record of the payment.
8. Does the amount on the invoice correspond to what you ordered?
9. If it doesn't, we can give you a credit note to cover the difference.
10. Will you be paying the new invoice immediately?
11. Please try and send the cheque before the end of the month, because our accounts department is considering changing the conditions of payment for future orders otherwise.
12. I hope we can continue working together.
13. And we hope to keep you as a regular customer despite any troubles you may be having.

Put the following Direct Speech statements or questions into Reported Speech

1. I wish I could find this photography.
2. We must put an end to this nonsense as soon as possible.
3. Take a seat, please!
4. Don't be ridiculous!
5. She was just jealous when she acted like this last night.
6. What time did you leave the office yesterday?
7. Nothing grows in my garden. It never gets any sun.
8. From one of the windows of my apartment I can see the Eiffel tower.
9. I'll come with you as soon as 1 have finished my work.
10. What shall I do with your mail while you're away?
11. Shall I ask her to wait?
12. Get out of my way!
13. Wash the shirt in lukewarm water.
14. Don't argue with your father!
15. Don't go near the water, children!
16. Don't make a mountain out of a molehill!
17. I must be at the doctor's at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning.
18. Must you make such a noise in the middle of the night?
19. I must go to see my dentist the day after tomorrow and I'm so scared of it.
20. I wish I could send somebody else there.