Step - THE GRAMMAR part You have to use indirect speech / reported speech if you want to encase the quoted sentence into a sentence In this case there are going to be several changes in the quoted sentence Changes: First, we are going to learn how to quote a sentence in the present In these cases you don’t have to go back a tense, but there are other necessary changes you have to Let’s look at these first A) Look at the table below which contains the adverbs of time and place that you have to change in reported speech At the end of the list there are two verbs that can be changed Direct speech Reported speech this / these that / those here there now then, at that time today that day tonight that night yesterday the day before, the previous day tomorrow the next day, the following day the day after tomorrow in two days’ time the day yesterday two days before before this (week) that (week) last (month) the (month) before, the previous (month) next (year) the next (year), the following (year) two days ago two days before ago before come go bring take B) Change the pronouns: X says to Y In reported speech you have to change I, me, my, mine, myself, / we, us, our, ours, ourselves if X isn’t I or we YOU HAVE TO CONFORM I OR WE TO X Let’s see two examples: I am a studen t We are friends Mary says to Peter she is a student Mary says to Peter they are friends In reported speech you have to change you, your, yours, yourself and yourselves if Y isn’t you YOU HAVE TO CONFORM YOU TO Y Let’s see an example: You are a teacher Mary says to Peter he is a teacher C) The order of the reported statements When you encase the quoted sentence, you have to use the following order: D) The order of the reported question Subject + Predicate (modal verb if necessary + verb) + Object + Adverbs (place, time …) whether /if + Subject + Predicate (modal verb if necessary + verb) + Object + Adverbs (place, time) Let’s see two examples: • Yesterday I went to the shop Mary says to Peter she went to the shop the day before • Now I am drawing a flower into my notebook Mary says to Peter she is drawing a flower into her notebook then Yes-no question: Let’s see two examples: • Do you like chocolate? Mary asks Peter whether/if he likes chocolate • Have you ever been to Scotland? Mary asks Peter whether/if he has ever been to Scotland Wh-question: E) The order of the reported commands / suggestions / requests You have to change the verb into TO+INFINITIVE If it is a negative command you have to change it into NOT+ TO+INFINITIVE Let’s see two examples: • Go to your room Mary tells the children to go to their room • Don’t watch late night films Mary tells the children not to watch late night films Wh-question pronoun + Subject + Predicate (modal verb if necessary + verb) + Object + Adverbs (place, time) Let’s see two examples: • Where you usually buy food? Mary asks Peter where he usually buys food • Why have you bought this camera? Mary asks Peter why he has bought that camera BE CAREFUL! You have to leave out “do”, “does” and “did” if there isn’t negation in the sentence The most common used verb to introduce a reported command is ‘tell’ If there is ‘please’ in the direct command, you have If the person is mentioned in to use ‘ask’ and leave out ‘please the direct command, you have to write it into the introduction e.g.: Please, don’t give up e.g.: Children, drink your juice He asks me not to give up Mother tells the children to drink their juice