Learn English Grammar: INDIRECT SPEECH (REPORTED SPEECH)

Summary

In this educational video, Emma and her sister Audra explore the concept of reported speech, also known as indirect speech. They demonstrate how to convert direct speech into reported speech by altering verb tenses and sentence structures. Through various examples, they highlight the importance of changing present tenses to past and 'will' to 'would' in reported speech. Emma encourages viewers to practice this skill and offers additional learning resources on her channel.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ Direct speech is when we use someone's exact words, enclosed in quotation marks.
• 📣 Reported or indirect speech is used to convey what someone said to others, often changing the tense and structure of the original statement.
• 🕒 When reporting speech, present tenses usually shift to past tenses to reflect the reporting action.
• 🔄 The auxiliary verbs in direct speech (like 'am', 'is', 'are') become past tense ('was', 'were') in reported speech.
• 👉 The present perfect tense 'have/has + past participle' changes to 'had + past participle' in reported speech.
• 📉 The simple past tense in direct speech becomes the past perfect ('had + past participle') when reported.
• 🔮 Future tense with 'will' in direct speech is converted to 'would' in reported speech to indicate a past intention or future in the past.
• 📚 The video provides examples and practice for changing various verb tenses from direct to reported speech.
• 💡 It's advised to practice with verb tenses you are comfortable with before moving on to more complex ones.
• 📝 The video concludes with a recommendation to practice reported speech using quizzes and subscribing to the channel for more learning resources.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video script?

The main topic of the video script is reported speech, also known as indirect speech, which is a way of conveying someone else's spoken words.

Who are the two main speakers in the script?

The two main speakers in the script are Emma, who is teaching about reported speech, and her sister Audra, who helps demonstrate the concept.

What is the difference between direct speech and reported speech?

Direct speech is the exact words someone says, enclosed in quotation marks, while reported speech is a way to convey what someone said to others, using past tense and changing the sentence structure accordingly.

Can you provide an example of direct speech from the script?

An example of direct speech from the script is when Audra says, 'My name is Audra.'

How does Emma demonstrate the conversion from direct speech to reported speech?

Emma demonstrates the conversion by changing Audra's direct speech, 'My name is Audra,' to reported speech as, 'She told me her name was Audra.'

Why do verb tenses change when converting from direct speech to reported speech?

Verb tenses change to reflect the fact that the reporting of the speech is happening after the original speech, thus making the original present tense shift to the past tense.

What happens to the present perfect tense when it is converted to reported speech?

The present perfect tense changes to the past perfect tense in reported speech. For example, 'I have been' becomes 'She had been.'

How does Emma suggest practicing reported speech?

Emma suggests practicing by first learning the verb tenses you already know and focusing on changing those sentences into reported speech.

What is the advice given for dealing with complex tenses in reported speech?

Emma advises to ignore complex tenses like the present perfect if you're not familiar with them, and focus on simpler tenses first.

What resource does Emma recommend for further practice on reported speech?

Emma recommends trying a quiz at www.engvid.com for further practice on reported speech.

How does Emma conclude the lesson on reported speech?

Emma concludes the lesson by thanking the viewers for watching, encouraging them to practice and subscribe to her channel for more learning resources, and promising more content in future videos.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Introduction to Reported Speech

Emma introduces the concept of reported speech with the help of her sister Audra. She explains that direct speech is the exact words someone says, enclosed in quotation marks. Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is when you tell others what someone said, requiring a change in sentence structure. Emma demonstrates this by converting Audra's direct speech, 'My name is Audra,' into reported speech: 'She told me her name was Audra.' The paragraph emphasizes the necessity of changing the verb tense from present to past when converting direct to reported speech.

05:02

📚 Direct vs. Reported Speech Examples

The paragraph delves deeper into the difference between direct and reported speech through various examples. Emma instructs Audra to say different statements, which are then converted from direct to reported speech, highlighting the tense changes. For instance, Audra's direct speech 'I'm happy' becomes 'She said she was happy' in reported speech. The paragraph also touches on the casual nature of responses and the importance of adjusting the verb form to fit the context of reported speech.

10:05

📈 Grammar Tense Shifts in Speech Reporting

This section focuses on how different grammar tenses shift when moving from direct to reported speech. Emma and Audra demonstrate the conversion of simple present, present progressive, present perfect, simple past, and future tense sentences. The key takeaway is that present tenses change to past tenses in reported speech, reflecting the past nature of the reporting act. The paragraph also advises learners to practice with tenses they are familiar with before tackling more complex ones.

15:08

🎓 Practical Application of Reported Speech

The final paragraph applies the learned concepts of reported speech in practical scenarios. Audra makes statements, and the viewer is guided to convert them into reported speech, reinforcing the tense changes. The examples include converting present, past, and future tenses, as well as the present perfect tense. The paragraph concludes with a prompt for viewers to practice more with a quiz on the website and to subscribe to Emma's channel for further learning resources.

Keywords

💡Reported Speech

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a grammatical structure used to convey someone else's spoken words. In the video, Emma explains that when we want to tell others what someone said, we need to change the direct speech into reported speech, which involves altering the verb tenses and sometimes the sentence structure. For example, if Audra says 'I am happy,' Emma would report this as 'Audra said she was happy,' changing the present tense to past tense.

💡Direct Speech

Direct speech refers to the exact words someone uses, quoted directly as they were spoken. In the script, Emma demonstrates direct speech by having Audra say, 'My name is Audra,' which is then placed within quotation marks to show it is a direct quote. Direct speech is contrasted with reported speech to highlight the differences in how we convey messages.

💡Tense Shift

Tense shift is the process of changing verb tenses when moving from direct to reported speech. The video emphasizes that present tenses in direct speech are usually shifted to past tenses in reported speech. For instance, when Audra says 'I am going,' Emma reports it as 'Audra said she was going,' illustrating the shift from present continuous to past continuous tense.

💡Verb Conjugation

Verb conjugation is the adjustment of verb forms based on person and number in a sentence. The script uses verb conjugation to demonstrate how verbs change in reported speech. Emma shows that 'I will do it' becomes 'Audra said she would do it,' highlighting the change from 'will' to 'would' to match the past tense context of reported speech.

💡Present Perfect

The present perfect tense is used to describe actions that have been completed at an unspecified time before now. In the video, when Audra says 'I have been to England,' Emma explains that in reported speech, this would become 'Audra said she had been to England,' changing to the past perfect tense to reflect the reported action.

💡Past Perfect

The past perfect tense is used to indicate an action that was completed before another action in the past. Emma demonstrates this by changing Audra's 'I went' to 'She had gone' in reported speech, showing the shift from simple past to past perfect to denote the sequence of past events.

💡Simple Present

The simple present tense is used to describe habitual actions or general truths. In the script, Emma instructs Audra to say 'I am,' which is in the simple present tense. When reporting this, Emma changes it to 'Audra said she was,' illustrating the conversion to the simple past tense in reported speech.

💡Present Progressive

The present progressive tense is used to describe ongoing actions at the moment of speaking. Audra's statement 'I am going' is an example of present progressive. Emma shows how this changes to 'Audra said she was going' in reported speech, converting it to the past progressive tense.

💡Future Tense

The future tense is used to talk about actions that will happen later. In the video, when Audra says 'I will go to the mall,' Emma changes this to 'Audra said she would go to the mall' in reported speech, changing 'will' to 'would' to reflect the past perspective of reporting future actions.

💡Quotation Marks

Quotation marks are punctuation marks used to indicate direct speech. In the script, Emma uses quotation marks around Audra's exact words to show they are being quoted directly. This visual cue is crucial for understanding the difference between what is being said and what is being reported.

Highlights

Definition of reported speech and its contrast with direct speech.

Demonstration of converting direct speech to reported speech using a speech bubble and a dialogue.

Explanation of the need to change sentence structure and verb tenses when moving from direct to reported speech.

Example of changing present tense to past tense in reported speech.

Clarification on the interchangeable use of 'said' and 'told me' in reported speech.

Illustration of adjusting verb tenses from present to past in various reported speech scenarios.

Advice on practicing reported speech by starting with familiar verb tenses.

Discussion on the change of future tense 'will' to 'would' in reported speech.

Explanation of the past perfect tense used in reported speech when the original statement was in the simple past tense.

Practical exercise where the audience is invited to convert direct speech to reported speech.

Guidance on how to handle present perfect tense in reported speech, changing it to past perfect tense.

Encouragement to practice and perfect the use of reported speech through quizzes and exercises.

Invitation to subscribe to the channel for more educational content on language learning.

Summary of the key points covered in the lesson on reported speech.

Thank you note to the viewers and the sister who assisted in the lesson.

Closing remarks and sign-off with a reminder to practice and subscribe.

Transcripts

Hello. My name is Emma, and today I am going to teach you about reported speech. I have

my sister here who is going to help me teach this lesson today. So, what is reported speech?

Well, I'm going to use my sister to show you. So, I have here a speech bubble. Tell me...

Or tell them, what is your name?

My name is Audra.

Okay. So, this is what Audra said. I have it in quotations. These are her exact words.

We call this direct speech. It's exactly what Audra said. Now, imagine I want to tell someone

else what Audra said. What do I have to do? Well, I actually will have to change her sentence.

So, Audra said, "My name is Audra", which is direct speech. I need to change this to

reported speech. We can also call this indirect speech. And this is what I've done down here.

She told me her name was Audra. So, if I'm telling somebody Audra's words, this is what

I would say. "Oh, Audra told me her name was Audra." And again, this is what we would call

indirect or reported speech.

So, now let's look at more examples of this. Okay. So, I'm going to teach you more about

direct speech and indirect or reported speech. "Audra, you are going to say things. You are

going to say things, and this is going to be direct speech." This means these are Audra's

actual words. I'm going to take Audra's words, and I'm going to pretend I tell them to someone

else. So, I'm going to change her words to reported speech, or we can also call this

indirect speech. Reported and indirect speech have the same meaning.

Okay. So, Audra, let's get started. "How are you?" "I'm happy." Okay. So, "She said she

was happy." So, this is what I would tell someone if they wanted to know what Audra

said. "Oh, Audra told me she was happy." Now, I want to bring attention, and we will talk

about this in a moment, to the fact that I changed the verb Audra used. "Audra, what

did you say again?" "I said I'm happy." So, Audra said, "I am happy" or "I'm happy." So,

that's in the present tense. You'll notice when I changed Audra's words to reported speech,

I had to use the past tense. So, the present tense became the past tense. "She said she

was happy." Although, just to interrupt for a moment here, if you asked me how I was,

I probably wouldn't respond with "I'm happy." That would be a bit odd. I would more likely

say, "I'm fine, thank you. How are you?" or something more along that casual line. So,

Audra just said a lot of words, and I'm too lazy to write down everything she said, so

I'm just going to change "happy" to "fine". It's less work this way. So, let's pretend

Audra just said, "I'm fine." So, I changed that to, "She said she was fine." I can also

change the verb here to "told me". "Audra told me she was fine." So, "said" or "told

me" can both work in this situation. Okay. So, Audra, next question. "Who is the world's

best sister?" "Emma is the best sister." Oh, thank you, Audra. Okay, so there you hear...

There you heard it. You heard it from Audra. "Audra said I was the best sister." And so,

imagine I tell people this, "Oh, guess what my sister, Audra, said? She said I was the

best." So, this is how I would change it. "Audra said I was the best sister." And again,

you'll notice I had to change the verb. So, "Audra said"... Audra, say what you said again.

I like to hear it. Let me read what you wrote. "Emma is the best sister." So, Audra said Emma

is the best sister. I changed the "is" in her direct speech, I changed it to "was" in

the reported speech. And again, we'll talk a little bit more about this after we go through

some examples.

All right, Audra, ask me a question.

"How are you?"

So, now I want to report the question Audra asked me, so I can say, "Audra asked me how

I was." Her actual question was, "How are you?", which is in the present. I had to change the

verb to the past. She asked me how I was.

All right, let's look at another example. Tell me, Audra, what's the weather like tomorrow?

It will snow.

Okay, so, "Audra said it will snow." Those are her exact words, so direct speech. When

I change it, I put, "Audra told me that it would snow." So, you'll notice I changed the

verb from "will" to "would", and I'll explain that in a moment.

Let's look at one more example, and the main point I want you to realize here is that the

verbs change from Audra's speech to reported speech. Okay, Audra, have you ever been to

England?

I have been to England.

Okay, so, Audra said, "I have been to England." She's using the present perfect tense. So,

when I report what Audra said, I have to change the tense. Audra said she had... So, not "have",

"had been to England." So, if I'm telling somebody else, I would change the verb here.

So, let's find out how we change the verbs and why we change the verbs.

Okay, so I just wanted to show you how different grammar tenses change from direct speech,

which is the speech that somebody actually says, to indirect or reported speech, which

is the speech we use when we're telling somebody else someone's words. So, Audra is going to

say the direct speech, and then I'm going to change it into indirect speech, and we're

going to pay close attention to the grammar and the verb changes.

So, Audra, first we're going to look at the simple present. Can you say this sentence?

I am. So, "I am" is the simple present tense. If I want to tell somebody what Audra just

said, I change the simple present tense to the simple past. So, I can say, "Audra said

she was."

Now, let's look at another example. The present progressive or the present continuous is when

we have our auxiliary here, like "am", "are", "is", and we have our verb with "ing".

Audra, can you say the present progressive sentence here?

Sure. I am going.

Okay. Audra said she was going. So, you'll notice that this "am", when we're reporting

what Audra said, it becomes the past progressive tense, so we use "she was going". Let's look

at another tense and see how it changes in reported speech. Oh, the present perfect,

the tense that many students have trouble with. So, let's see what happens to the present

perfect when we change it from direct to indirect. Audra, tell us this present perfect sentence.

I have been.

Okay? So, "I have been" is an example of the present perfect. What does it become? It becomes

the past perfect. We can say, "She had been." So, you might be noticing a pattern by now.

Hmm. Whenever there's the present here, we go back one past. So, this is usually in the

present, and this is the past. And the reason this is happening is because Audra, when she

talks, she's saying something in the present tense. When I report what Audra said, I'm

actually reporting on something that already happened. So, this might be a little bit confusing.

That's okay. The main thing to remember is the present becomes the past in reported speech.

So, let's look at the simple past. Uh-oh. So, what happens when we have Audra say something

in the past tense? What does that become? Let's find out. Can you say this?

Sure. I went.

Okay, so now if I want to change Audra's past tense sentence to reported speech, it becomes

the past perfect as well. "She had gone", because this is more in the past. All right,

so she said she had gone. What about if we're talking about the future, and Audra says something

using "will"? Audra, can you say this?

Sure. I will do it.

Thank you, Audra. What happens to "will"? What does "will" become? Well, "will" becomes

"would". That's right. "Would" is more of the past, so "will" turns to "would", and it becomes

Audra said she would do it. So, this might be confusing to you. It might look a bit difficult,

but the more you practice, the easier this gets. My advice to you is first learn the

verb tenses you already know. So, if you don't know the present perfect, just ignore it.

Focus on simple present, or present progressive, or simple past, and learn how to change those

sentences into reported speech first.

We're now going to look at a couple more examples of reported speech and how we make these sentences.

Okay, so let's now practice what we learned. Audra is going to say some things, and you

are going to change the verb to make it reported speech or also called indirect speech. So,

Audra, you can say your first sentence. "This is actually true. I have tattoos." Okay? So,

Audra said... What did Audra say? Let's change this. "She... She said she _____ tattoos."

So the verb Audra used... Audra, can you say it again? "Sure thing. I have tattoos." Okay,

so you'll notice the verb she used was "have", which is in the simple present tense, so what

does that become? Well, if you said "had", you are correct. The simple present turns

to the simple past in reported speech. All right, let's go for our next sentence. "I

like books." Okay? So, what did Audra say? Imagine we want to tell somebody what Audra

said. We could say, "She said she _____ books." Audra, say it one more time. "I like books."

Okay, so the verb Audra used was "like", that's in the present tense, so we need to change

the verb to the past tense. So we can change this to "She said she liked books", and notice

"ed" because it's the past tense. Okay. Audra, third sentence. Tell us something else. "All

right. According to this paper, I'm filming." Okay, so what is Audra doing right now? She

just said it. Audra, say it again. "I'm filming." Okay. So, "She said she _____ filming." So

this is an example of a present continuous sentence Audra said. Audra said, "I am filming"

or "I'm filming", so present continuous becomes past continuous, or we can call this present

progressive. They're the same thing; we have two different grammar words for them. Present

progressive becomes past progressive. So, "She was filming." Okay. Number four. This

one is also true. "I moved to the US." Okay, and can you say that again one more time and

really pronounce "move" with the "ed"? Wink, wink. "I moved" wink, wink, "to the US." Okay,

so Audra said "moved", so that means it's a past tense word. So, what happens? What

does the past tense become when we change it to reported speech? "She said she had moved."

Sorry, can't fit it on. So, it actually becomes the past perfect. "She had moved." Audra said

she had moved to the US.

All right, number five, Audra. What will you do tomorrow? "I will go to the mall." Okay,

so Audra said she will go to the mall. So, what does "will" become when we're reporting

her speech to someone else? I'll give you a hint, it starts with a "w" as well. "She

said she would go to the mall." So, Audra said... Oh, go ahead.

I was going to say, "This one is not true. I would not go to the mall so close to Canadian

Boxing Day."

Okay. Well, so now let's go for question number six.

Okay.

Audra, what did you study?

I have studied English literature.

Okay, so say that one more time. "I have studied English literature." So, Audra just used the

present perfect tense. She said, "I have studied English literature." Is that true, Audra?

That is actually true. I spent four years studying English literature and reading books.

Okay, so now imagine we want to tell somebody what Audra just said. We can say, "She said

she", so we turn the present perfect tense into the past perfect tense. "She had studied

English literature."

All right, so let's look at one more thing. All right, Audra, tell us the last sentence.

"Thanks for watching." "Thanks for watching," said Audra, so we can say, "She said thanks."

I'm going to just cut it out a little bit. So, Audra said thanks, and I want to say the

same thing. Thank you so much for watching. I know we covered a lot, and I know reported

speech and direct speech can be a little confusing, so I recommend you come and try our quiz at

www.engvid.com to practice what you learned today. Remember, practice makes perfect. And

I also want to... I'd like you to subscribe to my channel because I know that there's

so many great resources where you can learn things about pronunciation, grammar, reading,

writing, all sorts of different videos on many topics. So, thanks again for watching,

and thank you for helping us today. And until next time, take care.