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E10 M - Reported speech review and accurate use

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E10 M - Reported speech review and accurate use

Mini-Beschreibung: Festige backshift, reported questions, commands, pronoun changes und time/place references und wende reported speech in article, report und interview summary korrekt an.

Zielgruppe: Klasse 10, M-Niveau, Englisch als erste Fremdsprache, Baden-Württemberg. Der Kurs arbeitet B1-orientiert: längere, aber überschaubare authentische Sprache, natürliches Standardaudio, weniger Hilfen und mehr selbstständige Anwendung.

Einleitung

You already know the basic idea: direct speech gives the exact words; reported speech reports the message from another point of view.

Direct: Jamie said, “I am working on the article now.”

Reported: Jamie said that they were working on the article then.

In this course, you do not translate every sentence. You first understand the situation, then decide what has to change. The learning path is:

English first → understand → respond → analyse → communicate → feedback → revise → transfer.

Reported speech is especially useful when you summarise interviews, write articles, report results or explain what another person asked or told you. In the Baden-Württemberg curriculum for English as a first foreign language, reported speech is already part of earlier learning on M level; this course therefore focuses on review, accuracy and transfer in Class 10.

I-can-Ziele

After this course, I can …

report statements with suitable tense changes.
report yes-no and wh-questions with statement word order.
report commands and requests with an object and a to-infinitive.
change pronouns according to speaker, listener and context.
change time and place references when the reporting situation changes.
use reported speech in an article without losing clarity.
use reported speech in a factual report and name the source of information.
write an interview summary instead of copying every spoken sentence.
find typical errors, revise my text and explain my corrections.
mediate meaning for a purpose and audience instead of translating word for word.

Vorwissen aktivieren

Before you study the rules, try these three transformations.

A “I like the idea,” Mia said.

B “Where do you work?” Ben asked Mia.

C “Please send me the notes,” the editor told Sam.

Write one reported version of each sentence. Do not check a rule yet. Keep your first version: you will compare it with your revised version later.

Listening and Viewing

Video 1: Core review

Watch the BBC Learning English video once without stopping. Focus on meaning, not on every detail.

Before viewing: Predict which words may change when a sentence is reported later.

While viewing: Note one example of a tense change and one example where the reporting situation matters.

After viewing: Explain in English why reported speech is not simply “changing every verb into the past”.

Video 2: Check your grammar decisions

Watch selected parts and pause before an answer is revealed. Say your answer first, then compare. If your answer differs, write the reason: tense, word order, pronoun, reference word or reporting verb.

Video 3: Longer listening at natural pace

Use this longer BBC lesson for independent review. Listen for complete examples, not isolated rules. If needed, use subtitles as support, then listen to a short section again without them.

Video 4: Questions and time/place references

Focus especially on say/tell, reported questions and references of time and place. Stop after each example and explain what changed and why.

Reading: A short interview report

Read this fictional school text.

School repair café: first results

Last Friday, a fictional Year 10 group tested a small repair café at school. Student organiser Maya said that the team had wanted to reduce waste and practise practical skills. She explained that they were working with adult volunteers and added that visitors could bring small devices. During a short interview, one visitor asked whether the group would organise another event. Maya replied that they hoped to run a second afternoon the following month. She also told visitors to remove personal data from devices before bringing them in.

Reading check: Which sentence reports a statement, which one reports a question, and which one reports a command? Then decide which original words may have been spoken.

Context vocabulary

Use these words in context instead of memorising a long isolated list.

Word or phrase	Useful function	Example
report	give the content of what someone said	The article reported that the event had attracted many visitors.
state	give information clearly	The organiser stated that the room was open until five.
explain	add a reason or clarification	She explained that the team needed more tools.
add	give another point	He added that volunteers could help.
ask	report a question or request	She asked whether the workshop was free.
tell	report information or a command to a person	The teacher told us to check the source.
mention	refer briefly to a point	The report mentioned that attendance had increased.
according to	connect information to a source	According to the interview, the project will continue.
claim	report a statement without automatically treating it as proven	The speaker claimed that the method was faster.
confirm	state that something is correct or true	The organiser confirmed that the date had changed.

Functional grammar

Statements and backshift

When the reporting verb is in the past, English often shifts the original tense one step back. This is called backshift.

Direct speech	Common reported form
present simple	past simple
present continuous	past continuous
present perfect	past perfect
past simple	past perfect
will	would
can	could
may	might

Example:

Direct: “I am checking the facts.”

Reported: She said that she was checking the facts.

Direct: “We finished the report.”

Reported: They said that they had finished the report.

Important: Backshift is common, but it is not automatic. If the reporting verb is in the present, or if the information is still clearly true and relevant, the original tense may stay.

Direct: “The library opens at eight.”

Reported now: The website says that the library opens at eight.

Reported questions

A reported question uses statement word order. Do not keep normal question inversion.

Yes-no question

Direct: “Do you need the file?”

Reported: She asked if I needed the file.

You can also use whether.

Wh-question

Direct: “Why did you change the headline?”

Reported: He asked why I had changed the headline.

Do not use do, does or did as question auxiliaries inside the reported clause.

Wrong: He asked why did I change the headline.

Correct: He asked why I had changed the headline.

Usually, a reported question does not end with a question mark because the whole sentence is now a statement.

Commands and requests

Use a reporting verb, a person/object and a to-infinitive.

Direct: “Open the document.”

Reported: The editor told us to open the document.

Direct: “Please check the quotation.”

Reported: The editor asked us to check the quotation.

Direct: “Do not publish personal data.”

Reported: The teacher told us not to publish personal data.

Useful verbs include tell, ask, advise, warn, remind and, in suitable contexts, order.

Pronoun changes

Pronouns change because the point of view changes.

Direct: Maya said, “I will send you my notes.”

If Alex reports this later:

Alex said that Maya had told him that she would send him her notes.

Do not change pronouns mechanically. First ask:

Who spoke? Who listened? Who reports the message now?

Time and place references

These words often change when the reporting time or place changes.

Direct reference	Possible reported reference
now	then
today	that day
yesterday	the day before
tomorrow	the next day
last week	the week before
next week	the following week
here	there
this	that
these	those

These are context changes, not a mechanical replacement list. If the place or time is still the same, a change may be unnecessary.

Say, tell and ask

say can report a statement without naming the listener.

She said that the draft was ready.

tell normally needs a person.

She told me that the draft was ready.

ask reports questions and requests.

She asked whether the draft was ready.

She asked me to send the draft.

Pronunciation and intelligibility

The goal is clear, understandable English, not accent-free English.

When you report speech, stress the information that matters:

She SAID that the meeting had MOVED.

In reported questions, your voice usually follows the intonation of a statement because you are reporting the question rather than asking it directly.

Voluntary private practice: Record two short sentences on your own device only if you want to. Compare your first and second attempt for clarity, stress and pacing. No upload is required.

Speaking

Interview relay

Work with a partner or use two fictional roles.

Role A asks:

What are you working on at the moment?
Why did you choose this topic?
What will you do next week?

Role B answers spontaneously.

Then Role A reports the answers to a third person:

“Sam said that …”

“Sam explained that …”

“Sam added that …”

Change roles. Focus on meaning first, then accuracy.

Discussion and spontaneous reaction

A fictional school newspaper has two possible rules:

Option A: Every interview quotation must stay in direct speech.

Option B: Writers may combine direct quotations with accurate reported speech.

Discuss which approach makes a text easier to read. Give reasons, respond to your partner and reach a joint rule for your fictional newspaper.

Writing

Article: report voices clearly

An article can mix direct quotation and reported speech.

Direct note from a fictional interview:

Ava: “We are testing the new club this week. I think more students will join next month.”

Article version:

Ava said that the group was testing the new club that week. She added that she thought more students would join the following month.

Use reported speech to keep the text flowing. Keep a short direct quotation only if the exact wording is especially useful.

Report: stay factual

A report usually uses a neutral, organised style.

Fictional source notes:

Team leader: “We collected 32 devices last week.”

Visitor: “Can you organise another session?”

Report version:

The team leader reported that the group had collected 32 devices the week before. A visitor asked whether the group could organise another session.

Name or describe the source when it matters. Do not present an unverified claim as a fact simply because it is grammatically correct.

Interview summary: select, do not copy

A good interview summary selects the important content.

Interview notes:

Interviewer: “Why did you start the project?”

Noah: “I wanted to make repairs easier.”

Interviewer: “Will you continue next term?”

Noah: “Yes, if we find enough volunteers.”

Summary:

The interviewer asked Noah why he had started the project. Noah explained that he had wanted to make repairs easier. He added that the project would continue the following term if they found enough volunteers.

You do not need to report every filler word, repetition or hesitation.

Mediation

Mediation is not full translation. Your task is to pass on the information that another person needs.

Situation: A German notice says that a school workshop has moved from Room 12 to Room 18 and that participants should bring their own headphones. Your English-speaking exchange partner asks what has changed.

A suitable response could begin:

“The notice says that the workshop has moved to Room 18. It also tells participants to bring their own headphones.”

Choose relevant information, adapt it to the listener and keep the message clear.

Help: decision path

Use this short check when you are unsure.

Meaning first: What did the speaker actually communicate?
Type: Statement, question, command/request or suggestion?
Reporting verb: said, told, asked, explained, added or another suitable verb?
Tense: Is backshift needed in this reporting situation?
Perspective: Do pronouns need to change?
Context: Do time or place references need to change?
Word order: Is a reported question now in statement order?
Accuracy check: Does the final sentence still mean the same thing?

Feedback and error analysis

Correct the error and name its type.

Sentence	Main problem
He asked where did I live.	question word order
She told that the article was ready.	tell needs a person/object
Mia said that I would send my notes, although Mia meant herself.	pronoun perspective
The teacher asked us don't use real names.	negative command structure
Sam said yesterday that the event would happen tomorrow, but the report was written a week later and the time reference is unclear.	time reference

Feedback routine: First mark the problem. Then explain the rule. Finally rewrite the full sentence. Keep your own original draft so that your revision process remains visible.

Transfer: from grammar exercise to real text

Take a short fictional interview of 6–8 lines. Produce three versions:

a 70–90 word article paragraph for classmates,
a short factual report paragraph for a school project folder,
a 60–80 word interview summary for someone who did not hear the interview.

Compare your choices. Which statements did you report directly? Which did you summarise? Which reporting verbs did you choose, and why?

Responsible use of media and AI

Use only fictional profiles, applications, CVs and interview identities in this course. Do not upload other people's recordings, personal data or private documents.

Recordings are voluntary and should remain private unless everyone involved has explicitly agreed to another use.

If you use an AI system outside this MOOC, do not send personal data automatically. Check grammar suggestions and factual claims against reliable sources. Keep your own text, notes and revisions so that your learning process remains yours.

Can-do check

I can …	Yes	Almost	Not yet
report a statement with suitable backshift	□	□	□
report a yes-no question with if or whether	□	□	□
report a wh-question with statement word order	□	□	□
report a command or request with a to-infinitive	□	□	□
adjust pronouns from the correct point of view	□	□	□
adjust time and place references when the context changes	□	□	□
use reported speech naturally in an article, report and interview summary	□	□	□
explain and correct my own typical errors	□	□	□

If you marked “Almost” or “Not yet”, return to one example, revise it and explain your change aloud or in writing.

Prüfungsbezug Baden-Württemberg

Stand: 02.10.2026. Für Lernende, die auf die Realschulabschlussprüfung 2027 zielen, gelten die aktuell veröffentlichten offiziellen Hinweise des Kultusministeriums. Die Kommunikationsprüfung in der Pflichtfremdsprache umfasst monologisches Sprechen, dialogisches Sprechen und Sprachmittlung. Der zeitliche Rahmen liegt bei ungefähr 15 Minuten pro Schülerin bzw. Schüler; die drei Teile haben ungefähr gleichen Umfang und werden ohne vorgesehene Vorbereitungszeit direkt nacheinander absolviert. Für 2027 ist die Kommunikationsprüfung im Zeitraum 22. Februar bis 2. März 2027 vorgesehen; die schriftliche Prüfung in Englisch als Pflichtfremdsprache ist für 3. Mai 2027 terminiert.

Dieser aiMOOC ist ein Grammatik- und Anwendungskurs, keine vollständige Prüfungssimulation. Vor einer konkreten Prüfungsvorbereitung müssen die jeweils aktuellen offiziellen Vorgaben erneut geprüft werden.

Offizielle Informationen zu Abschlussprüfungen

Offizielle Prüfungstermine

Bildungsplan Englisch Klasse 10 – Grammatik

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

Which reported sentence is correct for “I am tired,” Leo said? (Leo said that he was tired.) (!Leo said that I am tired.) (!Leo told that he was tired.) (!Leo asked that he was tired.)

Which sentence correctly reports the question “Do you like the article?” (She asked if I liked the article.) (!She asked did I like the article.) (!She asked if did I like the article.) (!She told if I liked the article.)

Which sentence correctly reports “Where are you going?” (He asked where I was going.) (!He asked where was I going.) (!He asked where am I going.) (!He said where I was going.)

Which sentence correctly reports the command “Open the file.” (The editor told us to open the file.) (!The editor told us open the file.) (!The editor said us to open the file.) (!The editor asked that we open the file.)

Which sentence correctly reports “Do not share the password.” (The teacher told us not to share the password.) (!The teacher told us to not shared the password.) (!The teacher said us not share the password.) (!The teacher asked that not share the password.)

Which change is usually suitable when yesterday is reported later? (the day before) (!the day after) (!right now) (!this place)

Which sentence uses tell correctly? (She told me that the report was ready.) (!She told that the report was ready.) (!She told to me that the report was ready.) (!She told whether the report was ready.)

Which sentence has correct reported-question word order? (They asked why the meeting had changed.) (!They asked why had the meeting changed.) (!They asked why did the meeting change.) (!They asked did why the meeting change.)

Which sentence is most suitable in a factual report? (The organiser explained that the schedule had changed.) (!The organiser was like the schedule totally changed.) (!The organiser asked that the schedule had changed.) (!The organiser told the schedule changing.)

Which statement about backshift is accurate? (Backshift depends on the reporting tense and context.) (!Every verb must always move into the past.) (!Reported speech never changes verb tense.) (!Backshift is used only in direct questions.)

Memory

Backshift	tense moves back in a past reporting context
Reported question	statement word order
Command	object plus to-infinitive
Pronoun change	change of speaker perspective
Time reference	today can become that day
Place reference	here can become there
Say	reporting verb without a required person object
Tell	reporting verb that normally needs a person object

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
Backshift	verb tense moves one step back when the context requires it
Yes-no question	if or whether plus statement word order
Wh-question	question word plus statement word order
Command	person or object plus to-infinitive
Negative command	person or object plus not to-infinitive

...

Kreuzworträtsel

backshift	What is the common name for moving a tense one step into the past in reported speech?
whether	Which word can introduce a reported yes-no question as an alternative to if?
infinitive	Which verb form follows the object in a reported command?
pronouns	Which word class often changes because the speaker perspective changes?
reference	What kind of word group includes time and place expressions that may need adjustment?
reporting	What type of verb are say, tell, ask and explain in this grammar topic?

LearningApps

Lückentext

When a past reporting verb is used, a present tense often moves one step back through

.

A reported yes-no question is commonly introduced by

.

A reported wh-question keeps its question word but uses

word order.

Commands are often reported with a person or object followed by a

.

A negative command normally contains

before the base verb.

Pronouns must match the new speaker and listener

.

The direct time word today can become

when the reporting time changes.

The direct place word here can become

when the reporting place changes.

The verb tell normally needs a person

.

A good interview summary selects the most

information.

In a factual report, the writer should make the information source

.

Mediation focuses on useful meaning rather than word-for-word

.

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Backshift detective: Find six direct-speech sentences in a fictional dialogue and mark only the verb forms that would probably change when reported one day later.
Question rebuild: Write four direct questions and transform them into reported questions with correct statement word order.
Command cards: Create five fictional classroom requests or commands and report them with ask, tell, advise, warn or remind.
Perspective map: Draw a simple speaker-listener-reporter diagram and use it to explain three pronoun changes.

Standard

Interview relay: Conduct a short fictional interview with a partner and write an 80-word summary using at least four different reporting verbs.
Mini article: Turn fictional interview notes into a 120-word school-news article that combines one direct quotation with accurate reported speech.
Project report: Write a 120-word factual report about a fictional school project and clearly identify which information came from which speaker.
Error clinic: Create six typical reported-speech errors, exchange them with a partner and write a correction plus a short rule explanation for each.

Schwer

Style comparison: Write the same fictional source information once as an article, once as a report and once as an interview summary; compare grammar, tone and source references.
Purpose-based mediation: Read a short German fictional school notice and mediate only the information an English-speaking visitor needs; explain what you intentionally left out.
Source check: Compare two fictional accounts of the same event, report their statements accurately and distinguish confirmed information from claims.
Grammar in communication: Give a two-minute explanation of one difficult reported-speech decision, respond spontaneously to two follow-up questions and revise one example after peer feedback.

Lernkontrolle

Context decision: A statement was spoken yesterday but is reported today in the same place. Decide which tense, pronoun, time and place changes are actually needed and justify each decision.
Error analysis: Correct a paragraph containing errors in backshift, reported-question order, pronouns and commands. For each correction, name the reason.
Genre transfer: Transform the same fictional interview notes into a short article paragraph and a short report paragraph. Explain two differences in style and source handling.
Mediation transfer: Mediate the key content of a short German notice for an English-speaking student. Then explain why a full translation would be less useful.
Spontaneous reporting: Listen to or read a short fictional statement once, then report its main message without reproducing every word. Respond to one follow-up question.
Revision evidence: Submit a first draft and a revised draft of a reported-speech text. Highlight three meaningful changes and explain how they improved accuracy or clarity.

Lernnachweis

For a strong learning record, you should be able to show:

a first and revised version of your own reported-speech text,
accurate use of statements, questions and commands,
context-sensitive changes to pronouns and time/place references,
at least one article, report or interview-summary task,
one short explanation of a corrected error,
evidence that you can report meaning instead of translating or copying word for word,
clear source references in factual writing,
understandable spoken English in a voluntary classroom performance or private self-check.

Folgekurs

Continue with E10 M - Writing with sources in article, report and interview summary. There you transfer reported speech into longer source-based writing, editing and presentation tasks.

OERs zum Thema

Useful open or reliable learning sources:

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