Reporting instructions

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Reporting instructions
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• How do we report instructions?

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We learnt how to report statements and questions
in Book 2A and Book 3A. We report instructions
in much the same way as we report statements.
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We also make the following changes when we report
instructions. ? We use reporting verbs like
told, instructed or ordered.
Start exercising, Don, said Dr Li.
Dr Li told Don to start exercising.
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? We use to immediately before the verb for
positive instructions.
Eat more fruit, Bella, said Dr Li.
Dr Li instructed Bella to eat more fruit.
? We use not to immediately before the verb for
negative instructions.
Dont smoke, Ms Ng, said Dr Li.
Dr Li ordered Ms Ng not to smoke.
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• Information on how to report statements

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When we report statements, we make the following
changes.
use a reporting verb, e.g. said
I like football, said Alice. ? Alice said
(that) she liked football.
change the tense
Im thirsty, said Michael. ? Michael said
(that) he was thirsty.
simple present tense ? simple past tense

• I wanted to go to the cinema, said Jess.
• Jess said (that) she had wanted to go to
• the cinema.

simple past tense ? past perfect tense

• Ill leave at five oclock, said Lisa.
• Lisa said (that) she would leave at five
• oclock.

simple future tense ? would bare infinitive
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James has left his umbrella at home, said
Jane. ? Jane said (that) James had left his
umbrella at home.
present perfect tense ? past perfect tense
present continuous tense ? past continuous tense

• Im moving to the USA, said Greg.
• Greg said (that) he was moving to the
• USA.

• I was watching TV, said Ricky.
• Ricky said (that) he had been watching
• TV.

past continuous tense ? past perfect continuous
tense
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Im flying to Singapore tonight, May told me
this morning. ? May told me this morning (that)
she is flying to Singapore tonight.
We do not change the tense if the information is
true when we report it.
When we report peoples opinions in general, we
can keep the reporting verb and the other verbs
in the sentence in the past tense.
A lot of students think (that) the Internet is
important.
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change most of the modal verbs
can ? could
I can come later, said Anita. ? Anita said
(that) she could come later.

• I may go to the beach today, said Jason.
• Jason said (that) he might go to the
• beach that day.

may ? might
must ? had to

• I must get home by ten oclock, said Leo.
• Leo said (that) he had to get home by ten
• oclock.

will ? would

• Ill see him at the match, Brenda said.
• Brenda said (that) she would see him at
• the match.

You neednt wait for me, said Stella. ? Stella
said (that) I neednt wait for her.
need ? need
Need only acts as a modal verb in questions
(e.g. Need you go?) and negative statements
(e.g. You need not go.).
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change the pronouns / possessive adjectives
I saw Andy Lau in the park, said Tina. ? Tina
said (that) she had seen Andy Lau in the park.
I / you ? he / she
we / you ? they
Were leaving next month, they said. ? They
said that they were leaving the following month.
me / you ? him / her
Tom gave me a photo, said Alice. ? Alice said
(that) Tom had given her a photo.
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Hell take you all to Stanley Market, said
George. ? George said (that) he would take them
all to Stanley Market.
us / you ? them
my / you ? his / her
Its my calculator, said Andy. ? Andy said
(that) it was his calculator.
Our friends have arrived, she said. ? She said
(that) their friends had arrived.
our / your ? their
mine / yours ? his / hers
The Superman comic is mine, said Amy. ? Amy
said (that) the Superman comic was hers.
ours / yours ? theirs
The holiday brochures arent ours, said
Bernard. ? Bernard said (that) the holiday
brochures were not theirs.
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change the time words
now ? then
Ken and Jane have to go now, said Henry. ?
Henry said (that) Ken and Jane had to go then.
today ? that day
Im going to the dentist today, she said. ? She
said (that) she was going to the dentist that day.
Im going shopping with Maggie this afternoon,
said Eddie. ? Eddie said (that) he was going
shopping with Maggie that afternoon.
this afternoon ? that afternoon
this evening ? that evening
Im having dinner at The Peak this evening, she
said. ? She said (that) she was having dinner at
The Peak that evening.
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tonight ? that night
Ill call Tom tonight, promised Donna. ? Donna
promised (that) she would call Tom that night.
tomorrow ? the following / next day
Were going to Japan tomorrow, said Kelly. ?
Kelly said (that) they were going to Japan the
following / next day.
yesterday ? the day before
I was busy yesterday, explained Mark. ? Mark
explained (that) he had been busy the day before.
next week ? the following week
Ill be going on holiday next week, said
Alex. ? Alex said (that) he would be going on
holiday the following week.
Were going to the theatre next Monday, Betty
said. ? Betty said (that) they were going to the
theatre the following Monday.
next Monday ? the following Monday
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next month ? the following month
Robbie Williams will be coming to Hong Kong next
month, said Tony. ? Tony said (that) Robbie
Williams would be coming to Hong Kong the
following month.
last week ? the week before
We were in Canada last week, she said. ? She
said (that) they had been in Canada the week
before.
last weekend ? the weekend before
I went to Kelly Chens concert last weekend,
said John. ? John said (that) he had gone to
Kelly Chens concert the weekend before.
We do not change the time words if the
information is still true when we report it.
I want to go to Repulse Bay today, she said. ?
She said (that) she wants to go to Repulse Bay
today.
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Complete the email using reporting speech. Use
the words in brackets to help you.
Practice
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Hi John How is your football training going? Ive
been doing much better since we got a new coach,
Mr Rossi. Mr Rossi
(instruct / us / not eat) any food for at
least an hour before playing football. He also
(tell / us / not
play) a match unless we had done some warm-up
exercises. He
(order / us / warm up) for at least ten minutes
before each game.
instructed us not to eat
told us not to play
ordered us to warm up
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First, Mr Rossi
(order / us / jog) around the pitch to get our
muscles working. Then, he
(instruct / us / stretch) our muscles so we
wouldnt pull them during the match. Next, Mr
Rossi (tell / us / do) some sprinting to
get us really energised. Finally, he
(order / us / kick) the ball around, to get used
to moving with it before the game.
ordered us to jog
instructed us to
stretch
told us to do
ordered us to kick
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Mr Rossi (instruct / us / not tell) anyone
why weve all been playing so much better, but I
thought you might find this advice useful! Good
luck on your next match!
instructed us not to tell
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• The end