Reported Speech and Conditionnals


REPORTED SPEECH

When you report/say to someone what you or another person said some time ago you must do some changes in the sentence :

Tenses       

Present Simple becomes (>) Past Simple

Present Continuous Past Continuous

Past Simple/Present Perfect Simple > Past Perfect 

Past Continuous/Present Perfect Continuous > Past Perfect continuous

Modals :    

Will/Shall > Would

Can > Could

Must > Had to

                                                                                              

Pronouns and time references logically change too.

If you report a question with an interrogative pronoun, just use the affirmative form instead (where do you... >...where you..., What will she...> ...what she would...)

If you report a "yes" or "no" question, use "if" + affirmative form ( Did you go...> if I went/had been..., Have you finished,,,> ...if I had finished...)

Examples:

    Tom said to Mary : "I want to go to Italy with you next weekend" (Direct Speech)

    Tom said to Mary (that) he wanted to go to Italy with her the weekend after. (Reported Speech)                            ( "I" becomes "he" and "you" becomes "her") ("next weekend" becomes "the weekend after")

    

    He added : "I booked the plane tickets this morning" (Direct Speech)

    He added (that) he'd (had) booked the plane tickets that morning." (Reported Speech) ("this" becomes "that")

    

    Tom asked Mary ; "Do you want to come with me? (Direct Speech)

    Tom asked Mary If she wanted to come with him. (Reported Speech)

    Mary asked Tom : " Where will we go in Italy?" (Direct Speech)

    Mary asked Tom where they would go in Italy. ( Reported Speech)


Requests and Orders 

    For requests, use "...asked (me) to + infinitive

        "Please, hold!"  >  She asked me to hold

        "Could you open the door, please." > She asked him to open the door.

         "Would you mind passing me the salt, please > he asked her to pass him the salt.

    

    For orders, use "...told (me) to + infinitive

        "Hold this for me!" > She told me to hold that for her.

        "Open the door!" > She told him to open the door.

        "Pass me the salt!" > He told her to pass him the salt.


Reported speach explanation in video 


Exercises

Reported speech 1    Reported speech 2    Reported speech 3  

Reported speech 4



CONDITIONALS (If... sentences)

Zero Conditional

If + Present Simple + Present Simple/Imperative

Don't forget to tell your sister if you see her.

In winter, if it snows I usually go skiing.


1st Conditional

If + Present Simple + Will 

If I play, I will lose.

He won't go to the party if you don't come with him.

Will we have to wait a long time if we go to the doctor's ?


2nd Conditional

If + Past Simple + Would

If I played, I would lose.

I would'nt do that if I were you.

Would they come if I invited them ?


3rd Conditional

If + Past Perfect + Would have

If I had played, I would have lost. 

She wouldn't have known if he hadn't told him the news.

Would she have come if you hadn't been there?


Exercises

Exercise 1    Exercise 2    Exercise 3(Rephrasing)


OTHER CONDITIONNALS

(Unless, as long as, should you, had you, if only...)


WISH

About now

Subject + wish + subject + past simple

I                 wish         I                won           the lottery.

I                 wish         you          were         here.

He             wishes     she         changed    her mind.

 

About the past

Subject + wish + subject + past perfect

I                 wish         I                had won              the lottery.

I                 wish         you          had been             here.

He             wishes     she         had changed        her mind.

 

As a critic/reproach

Subject + wish + subject + would

 

I                 wish         you          would listen        to me.

I                 wish         you          would behave    in class.

He             wishes     she         would change     her ways.


Exercises    Answers


PRESENT SIMPLE  AND WILL IN TENSE AGREEMENT

If it rains tomorrow, we won’t go.

We’ll start as soon as/when she comes.

Unless they say otherwise, you’ll follow the rules.

Do it! Otherwise you'll regret it all your life.