Reported Speech

Let’s master the art of reporting speech, especially with questions, requests, commands, and more:

Introduction:

Welcome back, word wizards! Today, we’re going to become masters of reported speech. This is when we tell others what someone else said, asked, commanded, or requested. It’s like being an echo, but with a twist! We’ll practice changing verb tenses and pronouns to accurately report what was said.

Part 1: Reporting Statements (A Review)

• Direct Speech: The exact words someone said (in quotation marks).
  • Example: “I love ice cream,” said Sarah.
• Reported Speech: The meaning of what someone said, but not the exact words.
  • Example: Sarah said (that) she loved ice cream.
• Remember, in reported speech, we often change the verb tense and pronouns.
  • Present Simple -> Past Simple
  • Present Continuous -> Past Continuous
  • Present Perfect -> Past Perfect
  • Will -> Would
  • Can -> Could

Activity: Report the News

• I’ll give you some sentences in direct speech.
• Rewrite them in reported speech.

Examples:

1. “I am going to the park,” said John.
2. “She has finished her homework,” said Mary.
3. “We will watch a movie tonight,” they said.

Part 2: Reporting Questions

• When reporting questions, we use the same word order as a statement.
• We use “if” or “whether” for yes/no questions.
• We use “who,” “what,” “where,” etc. for wh-questions.

Examples:

• “Are you hungry?” she asked. -> She asked if I was hungry.
• “What is your name?” he asked. -> He asked what my name was.

Activity: Question Transformation

• Change the following questions into reported speech:

1. “Do you like pizza?” she asked.
2. “Where are you going?” he asked.

Part 3: Reporting Requests and Commands

• We use verbs like “ask,” “tell,” “order,” etc. to report requests and commands.
• We use an infinitive form (“to + verb”) to report the requested or commanded action.

Examples:

• “Please close the door,” she asked. -> She asked me to close the door.
• “Don’t be late!” he said. -> He told me not to be late.

Activity: Commanding Attention

• Imagine you are a teacher giving instructions.
• Your partner will report your commands to the class.

Part 4: Other Types of Reported Speech

• We can also report exclamations, suggestions, offers, and other types of speech.
• The structure and verb choice will vary depending on the type of speech being reported.

Examples:

• “What a beautiful day!” she exclaimed. -> She exclaimed that it was a beautiful day.
• “Let’s go to the movies,” he suggested. -> He suggested that we go to the movies.

Activity: Variety Show

• Write down different types of speech (exclamation, suggestion, offer, etc.).
• Your partner will report them to the class.

Wrap-up:

• Reported speech is a powerful tool for conveying information and sharing stories.
• Remember to change verb tenses and pronouns when reporting what someone said.
• Practice different types of reported speech to become a master storyteller!

Homework:

• Find a short conversation online or in a book.
• Rewrite the conversation in reported speech.
• Share your rewritten conversation with a partner.

Additional Tips for Teachers:

• Use dialogues and role-plays to practice reported speech in context.
• Provide clear explanations and examples for each type of reported speech.
• Encourage students to identify examples of reported speech in books, movies, and news articles.