Page 279 - Oxford_English_Grammar_Course_Basic_2015

tenses and pronouns Bill said was really happy.

l /UrftLL/ HILL 5AlP THA-T
e
VrMfj.j HL WAS RfrFU/f
MrPPY.

When we tell people w ha t s o m e b o d y s a i d o r t ho u g ht , we often use i n d i r e c t s p e e c h .
T e n s e s and pr o no u ns (I, you etc) c h a n g e in indirect speech if the t i m e and s p e a k e r c h a n g e .
For example, present tenses become past; / may become he or she; my may become his or her.
SOMEBODY SAID/THOUGHT INDIRECT SPEECH

'I'm happy.' Bill said that he was happy. (NOT-Bill said that I'm happy.)
7 have a problem.' 1thought that 1 had a problem. (NOT TtheughtThaTi-have-a-preblemi)

'She likes me.' He knew that she liked him.
'My feet are cold.' She said her feet were cold.
We often l e a v e o u t that, especially after common verbs like say, think.
Bill said he was really happy. I thought it was a great party.

Put in the correct pronouns (/ etc) or possessives (my etc).
! 'She likes me.'He knew she liked ..hi’I'I'Jv...

1 'I speak French.' He said.................. spoke French.

2 'I'm sorry.'She said.................. was sorry.
3 'Kate phoned me.'She said Kate had phoned.................
4 'We want our money.'They said.................wanted.................... money.
5 'I'm tired.' He said.................. was tired.
6 'I can't help you.'She told me she couldn't help.................
7 'We're leaving.'They said.................. were leaving.

8 'I've lost my coat.' He said.................. had lost.................. coat.
9 'I like my job.'She told m e.................liked....................job.
10 'Where are our tickets?'They asked where.................tickets were.

Note the difference between say and tell.
Tell must have a p e r s o n a l o b j e c t : we tell somebody something.
She told me I was late.
They told Anna the wrong time.

Say doesn't need a personal object: we say something (to somebody).
She said I was late. (NOT She said me I was-late-)
I said nothing to the police. (NOT / said-t-he-police nothing.)

Circle the correct answer.
1 I said/told the driver I wanted to stop. 5 Ross said/told the waiter he couldn't pay.
2 My mother said/ told there was a letter for me. 6 I didn't say/tell Peter that I was going away.
3 Everybody said/told I looked beautiful. 7 Nobody said/told me that the shop was closed.
4 Why did you say/tell the lessons were expensive? 8 Mia said/told that she would wait at the bus stop.

264 INDIRECT SPEECH