C2 Grammar Advanced Reported Speech for Nuanced Reporting

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Grammar c2 - Advanced Reported Speech for Nuanced Reporting

Reported speech (also called indirect speech) is used to report what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. At an advanced level, the use of reported speech allows for nuanced reporting, where the speaker might convey a sense of how something was said, the speaker’s attitude, or the nature of the speech event. Advanced forms of reported speech include the use of reporting verbs and changes in tenses, pronouns, and time expressions.

Reporting Verbs: The choice of reporting verb can drastically alter the meaning of the report. Common reporting verbs include say, tell, ask, suggest, but more advanced ones such as insist, claim, imply, warn, and admit can convey different nuances.

Example 1: She said she was tired.

Explanation: (Neutral reporting)

Example 2: She admitted that she was tired.

Explanation: (Indicating acknowledgment)

Example 3: He insisted that he was not guilty.

Explanation: (Strongly stated position)

Shifting Tenses: When we report speech, tenses are generally shifted one step back in time (e.g., present simple becomes past simple). However, in some cases, especially when the information is still true or the statement is timeless, the tense does not change.

Example 1: He says, "I am going to the market." → He said that he was going to the market. (Standard change)

Example 2: She says, "I have seen that movie." → She said that she had seen that movie. (Past perfect used)

Modifying Pronouns and Time Expressions: When reporting speech, pronouns and time expressions may need to be changed. For example, "I" becomes "he/she," and "today" becomes "that day."

Example 1: "I will meet you here tomorrow," she said. → She said she would meet me there the next day.

Conditional Sentences in Reported Speech: When reporting conditional sentences, we often need to adjust the verb tense accordingly.

Example 1: "If I had known, I would have acted differently," she said. → She said that if she had known, she would have acted differently.

1. Choose the correct sentence that reports the speech in a nuanced way?

She said that she was tired.

She suggested she was tired.

She claimed she was tired.

She admitted that she was tired.

2. Which of the following correctly reports the speech using a reporting verb that expresses certainty?

He implied that he was confident about the results.

He claimed that he was confident about the results.

He mentioned that he was confident about the results.

He said he was confident about the results.

3. What is the correct way to report the following speech? "I can’t believe he did that!"?

She said she couldn't believe he did that.

She said she couldn't believe he had done that.

She said she couldn’t believe he was doing that.

She said she couldn’t believe he does that.

4. How would you report the following sentence in a nuanced way? "I will finish the report by tomorrow."?

He said he would finish the report by the next day.

He said he would finish the report by tomorrow.

He said he had finished the report by tomorrow.

He said that he would finish the report tomorrow.

5. Which sentence uses a reporting verb that shows strong disagreement?

She suggested that we leave the meeting early.

She warned that we should leave the meeting early.

She insisted that we leave the meeting early.

She claimed that we should leave the meeting early.

6. Choose the correct sentence for reporting the following. "I might go to the conference."?

She said she might be going to the conference.

She said she may have gone to the conference.

She said she might have gone to the conference.

She said she might go to the conference.

7. How would you report the following speech? "I have been waiting for an hour."?

He said he had been waiting for one hour.

He said he had waited for an hour.

He said he was waiting for an hour.

He said he had been waiting for an hour.

8. What is the correct way to report the following? "I had never seen anything like that before."?

She said she had never seen anything like that before.

She said she had never seen anything like that.

She said she had never seen anything like that before ever.

She said she had never seen something like that before.

9. Which of the following is the most appropriate way to report a question with uncertainty?

He asked if I had finished my homework.

He asked whether I had finished my homework.

He asked if I finish my homework.

He asked if I had finished my homework yet.

10. Choose the sentence that correctly uses the past perfect in reported speech?

He said he had studied hard for the exam.

He said he had study hard for the exam.

He said he studied hard for the exam.

He said he studies hard for the exam.

11. How would you report the following? "You should come to the party."?

She said I should come to the party.

She said I should have come to the party.

She said I should be coming to the party.

She said I should come to the party next week.

12. Which of the following is a correct report of the speech? "I would have helped you if I had known."?

He said he would help me if he had known.

He said he would have helped me if he had known.

He said he would help me if he had know.

He said he had helped me if he would have known.

13. What is the correct way to report the sentence? "I am going to the movies."?

She said she was going to the movies.

She said she is going to the movies.

She said she had gone to the movies.

She said she would go to the movies.

14. How would you report this? "She will arrive by the evening."?

He said she would arrive by the evening.

He said she arrives by the evening.

He said she will have arrived by the evening.

He said she would have arrived by the evening.

15. Which sentence correctly uses the verb "insist" in reported speech?

She insisted that he would join us.

She insisted that he joined us.

She insisted he join us.

She insisted on him joining us.

16. How would you report this? "I am tired of waiting."?

He said he was tired of waiting.

He said he had been tired of waiting.

He said he is tired of waiting.

He said he had tired of waiting.

17. Choose the correct way to report the following. "I don’t know why he left."?

He said he didn’t know why he left.

He said he didn’t know why he had left.

He said he didn’t know why he leaves.

He said he didn’t know why he had been left.

18. Which of the following is the correct report of the sentence? "I will call you after the meeting."?

She said she would call me after the meeting.

She said she will call me after the meeting.

She said she called me after the meeting.

She said she would have called me after the meeting.

19. What is the correct reported speech for: "We’re going to take a break after lunch."?

He said they were going to take a break after lunch.

He said they are going to take a break after lunch.

He said they would take a break after lunch.

He said they were taking a break after lunch.

20. Choose the correct option for reporting speech in the past: "I had already eaten by the time she arrived."?

He said he had already eaten by the time she arrived.

He said he already ate by the time she arrived.

He said he had already eaten when she arrived.

He said he had eaten already by the time she arrived.

C2 Grammar Advanced Reported Speech for Nuanced Reporting

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Grammar c2 - Advanced Reported Speech for Nuanced Reporting

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