Chapter1
Reported Speech
1.1
Quoting Statements from Related Works - Principles
In most situations, where you would like to quote some other works (related papers or previous works) to create a background for your research or to discuss some details, the use of Reported Speech is very convenient.
Some selected rules of Reported Speech are presented below.
Video 1. The use of Reported Speech.
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1. Reported Speech - Summary.
Fig. 1. Reported Speech - Summary.
Interesting
Exceptions:
  • The activity still lasts:
Charles: I'm nervous.
Charles said that he is nervous.
  • Generally accepted laws, truths, rules:
Copernicus: The Earth goes around the Sun.
Copernicus said (that) the Earth goes around the Sun.
  • If the information is introduced in the Present Simple, the Present Perfect or the Future Simple
Peter: I love Angelina Jolie.
Peter says that he loves Angelina Jolie.
She has said she will clean up.
He will tell him I will wait there.
Let’s practise
Please, don’t forget that sometimes obeying the rules summarised in some tables can be very deceitful. Please, note that interrogative sentences (questions) should be treated in a different way. Moreover, some questions should be treated as offers or suggestions. Then, adjusting time relations (English Tenses) works in a different way. Use your intuition! Look at some examples.
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2. Reported Speech - questions.
Fig. 2. Reported Speech - questions.
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3. Reported Speech – making suggestions.
Fig. 3. Reported Speech – making suggestions.
Interesting
Note that when the introductory phrase in Reported Speech is expressed in a present tense, (Present Simple or Present Continuous”, for example “she says”, “he is telling me”, etc., you don’t change the tenses.
  • I am a ticket inspector. He says that he is a ticket inspector.
However, different pronouns are possibly used so in third person you should use –s ending.
  • I drink a lot of water. He says that I drink he drinks a lot of water.
The use of auxiliary verbs in questions will be affected, too.
  • Do you agree with me? He is asking me if I do agree with him.
  • Did you go to school? He wants to know it now if I did go / had gone / went to school.