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Unit 2: Reported speech in 90 seconds!
Move the tense back

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  1. 1Go beyond intermediate with our new video course
  2. 2Reported speech in 90 seconds!
  3. 3If or whether?
  4. 45 ways to use 'would'
  5. 5Let and allow
  6. 6Passive voice
  7. 7Unless
  8. 8Mixed conditionals
  9. 9The zero article - in 90 seconds
  10. 10The indefinite article - in 90 seconds
  11. 11The. That's right - the! Learn all about it in 90 seconds
  12. 12The continuous passive
  13. 13Future perfect
  14. 14Need + verb-ing
  15. 15Have something done
  16. 16Wish
  17. 17Word stress
  18. 18Different ways of saying 'if'
  19. 19Passive reporting structures
  20. 20The subjunctive
  21. 21When and if
  22. 22Inversion
  23. 23Phrasal verbs
  24. 24The future
  25. 25Modals in the past
  26. 26Narrative tenses
  27. 27Phrasal verb myths
  28. 28Conditionals review
  29. 29Used to - review
  30. 30Linking words of contrast

Session 1

Do you have 90 seconds? Do you want to learn something useful about reported speech? Then join Finn as he attempts to give you one useful tip against the clock!

ክፍለ-ስራሓት ናይዚ ምዕራፍ

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ድምር ነጥቢ ናይዚ ክፍለ-ስራሓት 1

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    Activity 1
  1. Activity 1

Activity 1

BBC English Class: Reported speech

Welcome to another BBC English Class video. This is the programme where one of our presenters tries to give you a top grammar tip in just 90 seconds.

This time Finn looks at reported speech. But can he do it in time?

ነቲ ቪድዮ ብምዕዛብ ነቲ ስራሕ ዕመምዎ

ነቲ ቅዳሕ ጽሑፍ ኣርእይዎ ነቲ ቅዳሕ ጽሑፍ ሕብእዎ

You are a busy person. I'm a busy person. English grammar takes a long time to learn.

Today we're going to look at reported speech. But we're not going to go through a whole book. We're not going to learn everything. We're going to learn one point that you need to remember when you forget everything else. This is the one most important thing. And we're going to do it in 90 seconds because I know how busy you are.

This clock is going to start now.

Reported speech - what's the tip? What is the secret? Just four words: Move the tense back.

Now what does that mean? That means, for example:

We're at a party, we're having a great time. You come and ask me, "Finn would you like a cigarette?" And I say, "No, I don't want a cigarette, in fact, I've never smoked a cigarette in my life." Wow, that's quite interesting, you think. I'm going to tell my friend. Right, OK, there's your friend. How do you tell them? You use reported speech.

OK, so if I said, "I've never smoked a cigarette in my life," what tense is that? I've never smoked is present perfect. Right, if you want to tell your friend what do you do? Using reported speech? You move the tense back.

So you say: Finn said he had never smoked a cigarette in his life.

There it is. I've still got 20 seconds... what about that? We moved the tense back.

So if the sentence is in the present simple, move it to the past simple. Easy.

Remember that, you won't go far wrong in life. We're really busy, but hey - six seconds to go, you're looking great - remember my point - move the tense back. See you.

The main point

  • So - what was Finn's tip? Simple: Move the tense back.

What do we mean by that? Well, if the original statement was in the present perfect tense, the reported statement goes one tense back in time - to the past perfect tense, like this:

Finn: I have never smoked a cigarette in my life.

Reported speech: Finn said he had never smoked a cigarette in his life.

And if the original statement was in the present continuous, the reported statement would be in the... past continuous.

Finn: I am writing a novel.

Reported speech: Finn said he was writing a novel.

Check it!

Which tense should this sentence change to in reported speech?

Kim: I'm planning to meet Jin in Berlin.

The answer is past continuous:

Reported speech: Kim said she was planning to meet Jin in Berlin.

Take note

There are a few exceptions to this rule. For more information, check out our Grammar Reference.

To do

Now - time for a quick test to see if you've understood this point.

Finn said it was easy...

5 Questions

So, how confident do you feel at moving the tense back? Test yourself with this quiz! Each question has a statement - you have to change it into reported speech by moving the tense back.

ኣገናዕ፡ ፈተናኹም ዛዚምኩም
Excellent!Great job!ሕማቕ ዕድል!ዘመዝገብኩምዎ ነጥቢ ...:
x / y

End of Session 1

That's the end of our BBC English Class activity. Next, join us as we explore the language of the news, in News Review.

ናይ ስዋስው ክፍሊ

  • Reported speech

    One thing to remember: Move the tense back!

    1)   Present simple -> past simple

    "I know you." -> She said she knew him.

    2)   Present continuous -> past continuous

    "I am having coffee" -> He said he was having coffee.

    3)   Present perfect -> past perfect

    "I have finished my homework" -> He said he had finished his homework.

    4)   Present perfect continuous -> past perfect continuous

    "I have been studying Chinese" -> She said she had been studying Chinese.

    5)   Is going to - > was going to

    "I am going to go home" -> She said she was going to go home.

    6)   Future simple - > would

    "I will go to the bank later" -> He said he would go to the bank later.

     

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