Movies
"I'll be back." – Terminator (said)
He said that he would be back.
"We will, we will rock you!" – Queen (said)
They said that they would rock us.
Change the sentence to reported speech: "I am reading a book right now."
He/She said that he was reading a book at that moment.
What happens to the tense in reported speech when reporting something in the past simple?
It changes to past perfect.
"The Force will be with you. Always." – Obi-Wan Kenobi (promised)
Obi-Wan Kenobi promised Luke that the Force would always be with him.
"I can't get no satisfaction." – The Rolling Stones (admitted)
He admitted that he couldn’t get any satisfaction
Change the sentence to reported speech: "I will call you tomorrow."
She/He promised that she would call me the next day.
What reporting verb is commonly used when giving advice?
Advise (e.g., "He advised me to take the job.")
"I am your father." – Darth Vader (claimed)
Darth Vader claimed that he was Luke’s father.
Being able to say goodbye is to grow - Gustavo Cerati (said)
He said that being able to say goodbye is to grow.
Change the sentence to reported speech: "Did you see the movie?"
He/She asked if I had seen the movie.
How do you report a yes/no question?
We use "if" or "whether" (e.g., "She asked if I wanted coffee.")
"With great power comes great responsibility." – Uncle Ben, Spider-Man (advised)
Uncle Ben advised that with great power came great responsibility.
If I fall, I get back up; I don't give up. - from Tal Vez by Paulo Londra (mentioned)
He mentioned that if he falls, he gets back up and doesn’t give up.
Change the sentence to reported speech: "Where did you find this?"
She/He asked me where I had found that.
Which structure follows the verb: refuse
Verb + to infinitive (He refused to go to the concert.)
"To infinity and beyond!" – Buzz Lightyear (exclaimed)
Buzz Lightyear exclaimed that they would go to infinity and beyond.
"Don't stop believin'." – Journey (encouraged)
They encouraged us not to stop believing.
Change the sentence to reported speech: "You must finish the project by Friday", the teacher insisted.
The teacher insisted that I/we had to finish the project by Friday.
In which two situations does the tense of the verb not change in reported speech?
When the reported information is still true and when the reporting verb is in the present, future, or present perfect tense.
Examples:
She says, "I am tired." → She says that she is tired.
He said, "The earth revolves around the sun." → He said that the earth revolves around the sun.