2. 'You can use a cable car', said Paco
Solved exercise
Watch the following video about direct and indirect speech and then answer the questions below:
Do the following statements refer to direct (quoted) or indirect (reported) speech?
- uses the exact words of the speaker
- does not use the exact words
- uses quotation marks
- does not use quotation marks
- the original words can be stated at the beginning or at the end
- we can name the speaker at the beginning or at the end
- we use 'that' after the reporting verb
- if the name of the speaker is at the end, we can switch around the reporting verb and the speaker (Jennifer said - said Jennifer)
- with a pronoun, we have to say 'she said' (not 'said she')
Self-Assessment activity
Important
Remember that in reported speech we need to make some changes so that the statement makes sense. For example, the subject must always agree with the verb.
The most important changes are:
- Verb tense: one step back.
| Direct | Indirect |
| present simple |
past simple |
| present continuous | past continuous |
| past continuous |
past continuous |
| past simple |
past perfect |
| present perfect |
past perfect |
| past perfect |
past perfect |
| will |
would |
| can |
could |
| may |
might |
- Personal pronouns.
| Direct | Indirect |
| I |
me |
| you |
you |
| he |
him |
| she |
her |
| it |
it |
| we |
us |
| you |
you |
| they |
them |
- References to time or place.
| Direct | Indirect |
| this | that |
| these |
those |
| here |
there |
| today |
that day |
| tonight |
that night |
| tomorrow |
the following day |
| yesterday |
the day before |
| next week |
the following week |
| last week |
the week before |
| two weeks ago |
two weeks before |
Self-Assessment activity
| DIRECT SPEECH | REPORTED SPEECH |
|
this these here today tonight tomorrow yesterday next week last week two weeks ago |
|
Further knowledge
Consolidate reported statements and all the necessary changes by having a look at the video: