Grammar: Reported Speech.

GRAMMAR: REPORTED SPEECH

FORM/USE: CITATION, PRESENT SIMPLE

Can use the present simple form of the reporting verb to report information from a written source and a present tense verb in the reported clause.

Corrected Learner Examples

First of all, your advertisement says that you have got two great nights in a hotel for us.

It says you are asking for people to help in a summer camp for foreign school children.

Firstly, your advertisement tells us that hotel has two great nights in a wonderful 3-star hotel

The guidebook says that we can get there by train from London.

FORM/USE: REPORTING VERBS, PAST CONTINUOUS

Can use the past continuous of the reporting verb to report mental processes, with a finite or

non-finite 'wh-'clause in the reported clause.

Corrected Learner Examples

I was wondering why I failed.

So, he was wondering why we didn't have our letters.

I was thinking which of the two would be more interesting, and I prefer to go to "Can Animals Speak", since I love them and I have two. So, I want to know how tO communicate with them.

We were wondering what had happened for a few minutes but then we realised that there had been a power cut.

While he was thinking how to reply, Jenny took his hand and led him to the school.

 Comments

 

The development at C levels is to do with lexical growth rather than grammatical complexity.

'Say' and 'tell' dominate reported speech use in CLC at all levels. Complementation patterns

after reporting verbs are covered in Verbs.

FORM/USE: TEMPORAL SHIFTS, PAST

Can report speech about events in the past with backshifts for tenses and words relating to

time.

Corrected Learner Examples

She had told me the previous day that she had something important to tell me.

We met Daisy at school on the following day and we told her that the previous day we had been at her house; her grandfather had told us that unluckily she wasn't at home.

My boss had told me the previous day that an important customer was going to visit the

company in the morning.

I had told my friends the day before that I expected to get an A!

FORM: DIRECT SPEECH, REPORTING CLAUSE, INVERTED SUBJECT

Can report speech directly inverting the subject and verb in the reporting clause where the

subject is a proper noun or noun phrase.

Corrected Learner Examples

"I was astonished when I saw them standing there", said John.

"Who are you?" asked Peter.

"Would you mind lending me a part of your newspaper?" said a whispering voice.

What do you think about this? said the Inspector to the policeman.

Comments

This is a low frequency form in the CLC. There are examples of verb + subject ('said Maria',

'said Lisa') at B1 too but they are very task skewed.

FORM: DIRECT SPEECH, REPORTING CLAUSE, MID POSITION

Can report speech and thought directly using the reporting verb in the mid position of the

reported clause.

Corrected Learner Examples

"No problem", I thought, "there is only one person".

"We have come together", this man said, "to celebrate our annual meeting and to call our master's ghost tonight!?

"No problem", I thought, "there is only one person".

"Forgive me, sweetheart", he said, "I will never leave you alone again.?

Comments

There is increased accuracy of punctuation use at B2. Note that punctuation conventions vary in British English and American English.

 

FORM: MODIFICATION, REPORTING VERB + ADVERB

Can modify the reporting verb with an adverb.

Corrected Learner Examples

"So this is a real cow, mom?" she asked doubtfully.

"A hundred dollars for one day. Is that a deal?" her husband said forcefully.

"Come on, what's wrong?" Bella asked curiously.

"Put that light out!" I shouted calmly.

Comments

Note that when the reporting verb is modified by an adverb, it typically comes after the direct

speech. This is also the case in expert speaker data in the CEC, where the reporting verb +

adverb most commonly occurs in the middle or after the reported clause. It is far less common before the clause.

 

FORM: REPORTED REQUESTS AND COMMANDS, NEGATIVE

Can report requests and commands with 'ask' or 'tell' + direct object + 'not' + 'to-'infinitive.

Corrected Learner Examples

Meanwhile, she told me not to be scared but the place was very... old.

I told him not to climb the wall but he was so interested in doing movements that he did not listen to me.

Arriving there, my father told me not to go far and to stay near him.

I asked Pat not to tell anyone, and she promised me she wouldn't.

REFERENCES:

“GRAMMAR REQUIREMENTS FOR LEVEL B2.” n. pag. Print. http://www.toe.gr/pluginfile.php?file=%2F2154%2Fmod_resource%2Fcontent%2F1%2FLevel%20B2%20Grammar%20List.pdf