Can you use REPORTED SPEECH? Grammar Lesson + Examples

Summary

Emma from mmmEnglish presents a comprehensive lesson on reported speech, a crucial tool for storytelling and confirming information in English. She outlines the concept, explaining the difference between direct and indirect speech, and provides a step-by-step guide to mastering reported speech. The lesson covers adding reporting verbs, adjusting pronouns, modifying time and place words, and tense backshifting. Emma also offers a free workbook for practice and includes tips on reporting questions and exceptions to tense backshifting. The video aims to enhance learners' English fluency and accuracy through practical examples and exercises.

Takeaways

• 📚 Reported speech is used to convey what others have said or what we have said in the past, also known as indirect speech.
• 🗣️ Direct speech requires the use of quotation marks to indicate the exact words spoken, whereas reported speech involves changes in verb tense and pronouns.
• 📝 To report speech, four steps are followed: adding a reporting verb, changing pronouns, adjusting time and place words, and backshifting the tense.
• 🔑 Common reporting verbs include 'say' and 'tell', with 'tell' being transitive and requiring an object, unlike 'say'.
• 🕰️ Time and place words must be altered in reported speech to reflect the passage of time, such as changing 'next week' to 'the following week'.
• 🔄 Tense backshifting is a key aspect of reported speech, where the present simple becomes past simple and present continuous becomes past continuous.
• 🚫 Exceptions to tense backshifting occur when the information reported is current, ongoing, or very recent, maintaining the original tense.
• 🤔 Reported speech is not only for statements but also for questions, which are structured differently with a reporting clause and statement word order.
• 📈 Additional structures exist for reporting advice, instructions, requests, and promises, often using infinitives with verbs like 'advise' and 'instruct'.
• 📘 A workbook is provided to assist learners with explanations, tips, and practice questions to master reported speech.
• 💬 The script encourages practice and provides an interactive way to engage with the material, such as reporting a statement made during the lesson.

Q & A

What is the main topic of today's English lesson?

The main topic of today's lesson is reported speech, which is used to convey what someone else has said or what we ourselves have said in the past.

What is the difference between direct speech and reported speech?

Direct speech involves quoting the exact words someone said using quotation marks, while reported speech, also known as indirect speech, requires changes in verb tense and pronouns to indicate that the speech is being recounted after the fact.

What are the four steps to follow when reporting someone else's speech?

The four steps are: 1) Add a reporting verb, 2) Change the pronouns, 3) Change the time and place words, and 4) Backshift the tense.

Can you provide an example of a reporting verb and how it's used in reported speech?

A common reporting verb is 'say'. For example, in reported speech, 'She said that she had woken up late that morning.'

How do pronouns change when shifting from direct speech to reported speech?

Pronouns change to reflect the person who is speaking. For instance, 'my' becomes 'his' or 'her', and 'we' becomes 'they'.

Why do we need to change time and place words in reported speech?

Changing time and place words helps to create a sense of distance or time passed since the original speech occurred. For example, 'next week' becomes 'the following week'.

What does 'backshift the tense' mean in the context of reported speech?

'Backshift the tense' means to shift the verb tense back by one degree, for example, changing the present simple to the past simple.

Are there any exceptions to the rule of backshifting the tense in reported speech?

Yes, we do not backshift the tense when the information being reported is current, ongoing, or has happened very recently.

How can reported speech be used to convey questions?

Reported speech can convey questions by using a reporting clause with a question word and maintaining the statement word order, such as 'He asked where we were going on holiday.'

What additional structures are discussed in the script for reporting advice, instructions, requests, and promises?

The script discusses using verbs like 'advise', 'instruct', 'ask', 'tell', 'offer', and 'promise' with an infinitive structure to report advice, instructions, requests, and promises.

What resource is provided by the instructor to help learners practice reported speech?

The instructor has created a workbook with explanations, tips, and practice questions to help learners practice and understand reported speech.