Write two dialogues / conversations or jokes and then report them in your own words following the rules
of Reported Speech.
Answers
Answer:
Reported speech is also known as indirect speech and is commonly used in spoken conversations to report what others have said. A keen grasp of correct tense usage, as well as the ability to correctly shift pronouns and time expressions, is essential when using reported speech.
The use of reported speech is especially important at higher English levels. Students are fine-tuning their communication skills to include expressing the ideas of others, as well as their own opinions. Students usually need to focus not only on the grammar involved but also on production skills. Reported speech includes some rather tricky transformations that need to be practiced repeatedly before students feel comfortable using reported speech in everyday conversations.
Finally, make sure to point out that reported speech is generally used with the verbs 'say' and 'tell' in the past.
"He'll help him with the homework." -> She told me he would help me with my homework.
However, if the reporting verb is conjugated in the present tense, no reported speech changes are necessary.
"I'm going to Seattle next week." -> Peter says he's going to Seattle next week.
Lesson Outline
Aim: Developing reported speech grammar and productions skills
Activity: Introduction and written reporting activity, followed by spoken practice in the form of a questionnaire
Level: Upper-intermediate
Outline:
Introduce/review reported speech by making simple statements and asking students to report what you have said. Make sure to emphasize reporting in the past (i.e., "the teacher said", NOT "the teacher says")
Provide review sheet of principle reported speech transitions (included in lesson printout pages)
Have students get into pairs and convert the reported speech paragraph into the direct speech form.
Correct worksheet as a class.
Ask students to divide up into new pairs and ask each other questions from the questionnaire. Remind them to take notes on what their partners say.
Have students divide into new pairs and ask them to report what they have learned about the other students to their new partner (i.e., John said he had lived in Breubach for two years).
Follow-up with class conversation focusing on problematic tense transformations.
Reported Speech
Study the following chart carefully. Notice how reported speech is one step back into the past from direct speech.
Tense Quote Reported Speech
present simple "I play tennis on Fridays." He said he played tennis on Fridays.
present continuous "They're watching TV." She said they were watching TV.
present perfect "She's lived in Portland for ten years." He told me she had lived in Portland for ten years.
present perfect continuous "I've been working for two hours." He told me he had been working for two hours.
past simple "I visited my parents in New York." She told me she had visited her parents in New York.
past continuous "They were preparing dinner at 8 o'clock." He told me they had been preparing dinner at 8 o'clock.
past perfect "I had finished in time." He told me he had finished in time.
past perfect continuous "She had been waiting for two hours." She said she had been waiting for two hours.
future with 'will' "I'll see them tomorrow." He said he would see them the next day.
future with 'going to' "We're going to fly to Chicago." He told me they were going to fly to Chicago.
Reported Speech Reference
Time Expression Changes
Time expressions such as 'at the moment' are also changed when using reported speech. Here are some of the most common changes:
at the moment / right now / now -> at that moment / at that time
"We're watching TV right now." -> She told me they were watching TV at that time.
yesterday -> the previous day / the day before
"I bought some groceries yesterday." -> He told me he had bought some groceries the previous day.
tomorrow -> the following day / the next day
"She'll be at the party tomorrow." -> She told me she would be at the party the next day.
Explanation: