7.4.- Reported speech

Video of Antarctica

Video quiz:

https://app.kwizie.ai/en/qp/938837

📘 Exploring Antarctica: A Reported Speech Adventure

 

Last week, our geography teacher told us about her recent trip to Antarctica. She shared some amazing stories, and we had a lot of questions for her. Let me tell you what she said and how we asked her.

 

First, I asked, ‘What did you see in Antarctica?’ because I wondered what she had seen In Antarctica. Her answer was: ‘I saw penguins, icebergs, and research stations.’ So, she said she had seen penguins, icebergs, and research stations.

 

Then, my friend Carlos asked, ‘Did you meet any scientists?’ So, he asked her if she had met any scientists.Her response was: ‘I met some scientists from different countries.’ Which means she replied that she had met some scientists from different countries.

 

Another student asked, ‘Is it always cold there?’ because she wanted to know if it was cold there. The teacher said ‘It is extremely cold, even in the summer.’ So, she explained that it was extremely cold, even in the summer.

 

As we were very curious, I asked her, ‘How do people live in such a cold place?’because I wanted to know how people lived in such a cold place. The teacher said ‘They wear special clothes and live in heated buildings.’ So, she said that they wore special clothes and lived in heated buildings.

 

At the end of the class, our teacher gave us some advice: 'Read more about Antarctica.' and 'Don’t forget to check reliable sources.' So, she told us to read more about Antarctica and she also said not to forget to check reliable sources.

 

B1-level presentation on Reported Speech in the context of Antarctica

• Reported statements
• Reported questions
• Reporting verbs
• ✅ Reported commands and requests

 

🧊 Reported Speech in Antarctica

(B1 Level Presentation for English Learners)

 

🔹 1. What Is Reported Speech?

We use Reported Speech to share what someone else said, asked, requested, or ordered—especially helpful when reporting from fieldwork, interviews, or expeditions.

🗨️ Direct:
“It’s freezing here!”
📝 Reported:
She said it was freezing there.

 

🔹 2. Reported Sentences (Statements)

📌 Structure:
Subject + said (that) + clause
(“That” is optional)

Direct Speech	Reported Speech
“It is snowing.”	He said it was snowing.
“We saw a seal.”	They said they had seen a seal.
“I will send the report.”	She said she would send the report.

⏳ Tense Changes:

Direct	Reported
am/is → was	will → would
have seen → had seen	saw → had seen

 

🔹 3. Reported Questions

📍 Yes–No Questions → if / whether

🧊 “Do penguins live in Antarctica?”
🔁 She asked if penguins lived in Antarctica.

📍 WH– Questions → Use question word + statement word order

🧊 “What do you eat during expeditions?”
🔁 He asked what we ate during expeditions.

⛔ No question marks
⛔ No auxiliary verb (do/does/did)

Direct Question	Reported Question
“Is it safe here?”	He asked if it was safe there.
“Where do you sleep?”	She asked where we slept.

 

🔹 4. Reporting Verbs

Use a variety of verbs to add detail and meaning:

Verb	Example
say	She said it was -20°C.
tell + object	He told us the ice was thin.
ask	They asked if we had extra food.
explain	The guide explained how to walk on snow.

🧠 "Say" = no object; "Tell" = with object

 

🔹 5. Reported Commands & Requests

🧊 These are things people tell us to do or not to do.

📌 Structure:

Told / asked / ordered + object + (not) to + base verb

Direct Command	Reported Command
“Wear warm clothes.”	She told us to wear warm clothes.
“Don’t touch the ice.”	He warned us not to touch the ice.
“Help me carry the equipment.”	She asked me to help her carry the equipment.

🔁 Changes:

• Remove quotation marks
• Add infinitive (“to” + verb)
• Use "not to" for negative commands

Verb	Use
told	He told me to stay in the tent.
asked	She asked us to take photos.
warned	They warned us not to feed the animals.
ordered	He ordered them to leave the area.

 

🔹 6. Practice Time – Antarctic Adventure

Change these to reported speech:

1. A researcher said, “The storm is coming.”
2. The guide asked, “Do you have snow boots?”
3. He told us, “Take your cameras.”
4. The captain said, “I will check the weather forecast.”
5. She warned us, “Don’t go near the crack in the ice.”

✅ Answers:

1. The researcher said the storm was coming.
2. The guide asked if we had snow boots.
3. He told us to take our cameras.
4. The captain said he would check the weather forecast.
5. She warned us not to go near the crack in the ice.

 

🔹 7. Summary Chart

Type	Example
Statement	“It’s cold.” → She said it was cold.
Yes–No Q.	“Is it safe?” → He asked if it was safe.
WH– Q.	“What is that?” → She asked what that was.
Command	“Wear boots.” → He told me to wear boots.
Negative Command	“Don’t move.” → She told me not to move.

 

Collaborative Online Exercise of Reported Statements:

https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/reported_speech/backshift.htm

Individual Online Exercise of Reported Sentences:

https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/reported-speech-exercise-1.html

Reported questions

Introductory video about reported questions

Reported Questions

1.- Reported Wh- questions

2.- Reported Yes/no questions

1.- Reported Wh- questions

So now you have no problem with making reported speech from positive and negative sentences. But how about questions?

• Direct speech: Where do you live?

How can we make the reported speech here?

In fact, it's not so different from reported statements. The tense changes are the same, and we keep the question word. The very important thing though is that, once we tell the question to someone else, it isn't a question any more. So we need to change the grammar to a normal positive sentence. A bit confusing? Maybe this example will help:

• Direct speech: Where do you live?
• Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.

Do you see how I made it? The direct question is in the present simple tense. We make a present simple question with 'do' or 'does' so I need to take that away. Then I need to change the verb to the past simple.

Another example:

• Direct speech: Where is Julie?
• Reported speech: She asked me where Julie was.

The direct question is the present simple of 'be'. We make the question form of the present simple of be by inverting (changing the position of)the subject and verb. So, we need to change them back before putting the verb into the past simple.

Here are some more examples:

Direct Question	Reported Question
Where is the Post Office, please?	She asked me where the Post Office was.
What are you doing?	She asked me what I was doing.
Who was that fantastic man?	She asked me who that fantastic man had been.

2.- Reported Yes/No questions.

To report a 'yes / no' question, we use 'if' or 'whether'.

• Direct speech: Do you like chocolate?
• Reported speech: She asked me if/whether I liked chocolate.

No problem? Here are a few more examples:

Direct Question	Reported Question
Do you love me?	He asked me if/whether I loved him.
Have you ever been to Mexico?	She asked me if/whether I had ever been to Mexico.
Are you living here?	She asked me if/whether I was living there.

Source: https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/reported-speech.html

Collaborative online exercise about the reported questions

https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/reported_speech/questions.htm

Individual online exercise about the Reported wh- questions

https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/reported-speech-exercise-6.html

Individual online exercise about the Reported Yes/No questions 

https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/reported-speech-exercise-7.html

Life in Antarctica: A Frozen Adventure

 

Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent, known for its extreme cold and unique wildlife. Despite its harsh conditions, scientists from around the world travel there to conduct important research.

 

During a recent expedition, a group of students visited a research station in Antarctica. They were curious about life on the icy continent and asked the scientists many questions.

 

Direct Question: "How do you stay warm in such cold temperatures?" one student asked.

Reported Question: The student asked how they stayed warm in such cold temperatures.

 

The scientist explained that they wear special insulated clothing and stay inside heated buildings as much as possible.

 

Direct Question: "What animals live here?" another student inquired.

Reported Question: The student wanted to know what animals lived there.

 

The scientist told them that penguins, seals, and certain types of birds are common, but there are no land mammals or reptiles.

 

Direct Question: "Why is Antarctica considered a desert?" a third student

Reported Question: The student inquired why Antarctica was considered a desert.

 

The scientist responded that, despite all the ice, Antarctica receives very little precipitation, making it the driest continent on Earth.

 

The students were fascinated by the answers and realized how unique and important Antarctica is for scientific research and understanding our planet.

 

Collaborative Online Exercise of Reported Questions:

https://www.liveworksheets.com/w/en/english-second-language-esl/475630

Individual Online Exercise of Reported Questions:

https://www.liveworksheets.com/w/en/english-second-language-esl/1284987#google_vignette

Life at the Antarctic Research Station

 

Last month, our team embarked on a scientific expedition to Antarctica. Before departure, the expedition leader told us to pack enough thermal clothing for the extreme cold. Upon arrival at the research station, the safety officer instructed us to always wear our protective gear when outside.

 

During our first briefing, the station manager reminded us to conserve energy by turning off lights and heaters when not in use. She also warned us not to leave food outside, as it could attract wildlife.

 

One morning, a severe storm was approaching. The meteorologist advised us to stay indoors until it passed. Later, the team leader asked us to check our equipment for any damage caused by the storm.

 

Living in such a remote and harsh environment requires strict adherence to guidelines. Our supervisors consistently encouraged us to follow protocols to ensure everyone's safety.

 

Reported requests or orders

Reported Requests

There's more! What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:

• Direct speech: Close the window, please
• Or: Could you close the window, please?
• Or: Would you mind closing the window, please?

All of these requests mean the same thing, so we don't need to report every word when we tell another person about it. We simply use 'ask me + to + infinitive':

• Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.

Here are a few more examples:

Direct Request	Reported Request
Please help me.	She asked me to help her.
Please don't smoke.	She asked me not to smoke.
Could you bring my book tonight?	She asked me to bring her book that night.
Could you pass the milk, please?	She asked me to pass the milk.
Would you mind coming early tomorrow?	She asked me to come early the next day.

To report a negative request, use 'not':

• Direct speech: Please don't be late.
• Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.

Reported Orders

And finally, how about if someone doesn't ask so politely? We can call this an 'order' in English, when someone tells you very directly to do something. For example:

• Direct speech: Sit down!

In fact, we make this into reported speech in the same way as a request. We just use 'tell' instead of 'ask':

• Reported speech: She told me to sit down.

Direct Order	Reported Order
Go to bed!	He told the child to go to bed.
Don't worry!	He told her not to worry.
Be on time!	He told me to be on time.
Don't smoke!	He told us not to smoke.

Other reporting verbs used in past simple for requests are orders are 

• advise
• beg
• invite
• persuade
• remind
• warn

Source: https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/reported-speech.html

Collaborative online exercise about Reported requests, or orders online exercise

https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/reported-speech-exercise-3.html

Individual online exercise about reported requests and orders

https://www.e-grammar.org/reported-commands-requests-exercise-8/

✅ Verbs in Past Simple for Reported Commands

Verb (Past Simple)	Usage Example (Reported Command)
told	The guide told us to stay inside during the storm.
asked	She asked us to check our oxygen tanks.
ordered	The commander ordered the team to retreat to base camp.
instructed	The scientist instructed the crew to record every temperature reading.
warned	He warned us not to step on thin ice.
advised	The doctor advised the climbers to rest for a few hours.
urged	The leader urged the group to stay hydrated.
reminded	She reminded them to apply sunscreen, even in cloudy weather.
commanded	The officer commanded the team to remain silent during the wildlife observation.
encouraged	The guide encouraged us to keep moving despite the cold.
begged	He begged them to take the warning seriously.
forbade	The captain forbade anyone to leave the camp after dark.
requested	The assistant requested the team to double-check their safety equipment.
cautioned	She cautioned us not to underestimate the harsh weather.

🧊 Comparative Chart with Examples (Context: Antarctica)

Type	Direct Speech Example	Reported Speech Example
Reported Sentence	“Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth,” said the scientist.	The scientist said that Antarctica was the coldest place on Earth.
Reported Wh- Question	“Why are penguins only found in the Southern Hemisphere?” asked the tourist.	The tourist asked why penguins were only found in the Southern Hemisphere.
Reported Yes/No Question	“Is it possible to visit Antarctica in winter?” she asked.	She asked if it was possible to visit Antarctica in winter.
Reported Command	“Bring warm clothes for the expedition,” the guide said.	The guide told us to bring warm clothes for the expedition.

✅ Summary of Reported Speech Structures

Type	Structure (Reported Speech)	Key Changes
Reported Sentences	Subject + said/told + (that) + clause	Change of tense, pronouns, time expressions
Reported Wh- Questions	Subject + asked/wanted to know + wh- word + clause	Question word kept, word order becomes statement (no inversion)
Reported Yes/No Questions	Subject + asked + if/whether + clause	Use “if” or “whether”, word order becomes statement
Reported Commands	Subject + told/asked + object + to + base verb	Imperative becomes infinitive (add “to”), pronoun shifts

✅ Verbs in Past Simple for Reported Commands

Verb (Past Simple)
told
asked
ordered
instructed
warned
advised
urged
reminded
commanded
encouraged
begged
forbade
requested
cautioned

 

Collaborative Online Exercise about reported speech, reported questions and reported commands:

https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/reported-speech/exercises?10

Exercises on page 57