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E8 M - Reported speech with backshift

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E8 M - Reported speech with backshift

Einleitung

Mini-description: Use reported speech with backshift in clear past contexts. Keep pronouns, time references and the speaker's point of view correct.

In this aiMOOC, you work like a reporter: you listen to interviews, turn direct quotes into reported speech and write short news reports. The course is designed for English as a first foreign language, Grade 8, M-level, Baden-Württemberg.

Context first: Maya, Noah, Lina and Jay are fictional teenagers working on a school news channel. No private profiles, real social-media data or personal uploads are needed.

I can ...

I can report statements after a past reporting verb.
I can use backshift in clear past contexts.
I can change pronouns and time words when the point of view changes.
I can report questions with statement word order.
I can report commands and requests with a to-infinitive.
I can write and present a short interview-based news report.

What you already know

You should already know Simple Past, Present Perfect, basic pronouns, question word order and common reporting verbs such as say, tell and ask.

Quick try: Change one sentence without looking at a rule.

Maya said, "I am tired today." → Maya said that ...

Ask yourself: Who is speaking now? When was the original sentence said? Which words depend on the old speaker or time?

Hint: Think about I → she, am → was, today → that day.

German help if needed: Bei klarer Vergangenheit rückt die Zeitform meist eine Stufe zurück. Achte zusätzlich auf Perspektive und Zeitangaben.

Media start: From quote to news

Look at the interview image. Imagine the reporter heard this quote yesterday:

Lina: "I will finish the story tonight."

Now the reporter says:

The next day, the reporter said that Lina would finish the story that night.

What changed? Find three changes before you read on.

Viewing task: Watch a short section first. Write down two examples of reported speech you notice. Compare them with the rules below. Do not try to understand every word.

Functional grammar

Statements: backshift in a clear past context

When the reporting verb is in the past and the situation is clearly reported later, English often uses backshift.

Direct speech	Reported speech
"I am ready."	She said that she was ready.
"We are filming."	They said that they were filming.
"I have finished."	He said that he had finished.
"I will call."	She said that she would call.
"I can help."	He said that he could help.

At M-level, use the common patterns actively. You should also recognise past-perfect forms when a past event is moved further back. The past perfect progressive is not part of the productive grammar here.

Pronouns and time references

Backshift alone is not enough. The new speaker, place and time may change.

Direct	Often becomes
I / my	he, she / his, her
we / our	they / their
today	that day
tonight	that night
yesterday	the day before
tomorrow	the next day
here	there

Meaning first: Do not change a word automatically. Change it only when the new situation requires it.

Reported questions

Wh-question: "Where do you live?" → The reporter asked Maya where she lived.

Yes/no question: "Did you see the accident?" → The reporter asked Jay if he had seen the accident.

Key points:

keep the question word, or use if / whether
use statement word order
adapt pronouns and time references
use backshift in the same clear past context

Viewing challenge: Listen for the word order in reported questions. Pause once, predict the answer, then continue.

Reported commands and requests

"Please wait here." → The reporter asked us to wait there.

"Don't publish the photo." → The editor told them not to publish the photo.

Use: asked / told + person + to-infinitive

For a negative command: asked / told + person + not to-infinitive

Passive in a news context

At M-level, you can also use the passive productively.

Direct news note: "The road was closed at 6 p.m."

Reported version: The reporter said that the road had been closed at 6 p.m.

The past-perfect form here helps show that the closing happened before the later report. Focus on meaning; do not build long chains if a simpler sentence is clearer.

Listening and Viewing

Context: You are part of a school newsroom.

Try:

Listen for one minute without subtitles and note key words.
Listen again and collect one example with said, told or asked.
Rewrite the example as direct speech if possible.
Check whether backshift, pronouns or time references changed.

Hint: You do not need every word. Listen for reporting verbs, pronouns and tense forms.

German help if needed: Konzentriere Dich zuerst auf die Aussage, dann auf die grammatischen Veränderungen.

Reading: School Newsroom

Yesterday, the school media team interviewed students about a new quiet study room. Maya said that she liked the idea because the library was often full. Noah explained that he had used a similar room at another school. Lina said that the room would help students work in small groups. Jay asked whether the room could stay open after lessons. The head teacher told the team to collect more feedback before Friday. Later, the team reported that the final plan was being discussed by the school council.

Reading task:

Find three reporting verbs.
Underline two examples of backshift.
Find one reported question.
Find one reported command.
Find one passive form.

Think: Which sentence describes something that happened before the interview?

Context vocabulary

Word or phrase	Use it for ...
reporter	a person who reports news
interview	asking someone questions
quote	exact words from a speaker
report	giving information to others
source	where information comes from
witness	a person who saw an event
headline	the title of a news story
editor	a person who checks and organises content

Mini-task: Use any four words in two connected sentences about a fictional school news story.

Pronunciation and fluency

In spoken English, meaning is more important than accent imitation.

Practise the rhythm of: She said that she was ready. He asked if we had finished. The editor told us to wait.

Stress the important content words. Function words such as that, if and to are often less strongly stressed.

Fluency first, then accuracy: Say the sentence once without stopping. Then repeat it and improve one grammar point.

Speaking: Interview relay

Work with a partner or in a small group.

Context: One learner is a reporter, one is a witness, one is a news presenter.

Round 1 – interview: Reporter: "What happened after school?" Witness: "I saw a bike near the gate."

Round 2 – report: The reporter tells the presenter: "The witness said that ..."

Round 3 – extend: Add one yes/no question and one command.

Hint card:

said that ...
told me that ...
asked if ...
asked where ...
told us to ...
told us not to ...

Privacy: Recordings are optional and should stay private unless everyone involved has agreed to another use. Do not upload classmates' voices or images without permission.

Writing: A short news report

Write 80–120 words about a fictional school event.

Include:

one reported statement with backshift
one reported question
one reported command or request
one changed pronoun
one changed time reference
one passive sentence

Structure: Headline → What happened? → What did people say? → What happens next?

Self-check: Is the timeline clear? Are your pronouns clear? Did you use statement word order in reported questions?

Mediation mini-task

A German note says:

Die AG-Leiterin sagte gestern, dass die Aula am nächsten Tag geschlossen werde. Sie bat die Schüler, den Seiteneingang zu benutzen.

Do not translate word for word. Give an English school-news version with natural reported speech and a clear past context.

Hint: Start with: The club leader said that ...

Error analysis

Correct each sentence and explain the error in one short phrase.

The reporter said that I am tired that day.
Maya asked where did Noah live.
The editor told to us wait outside.
Lina said she will finish the report that night.
Jay asked if was the room open.

Feedback key: Check tense → pronoun → time word → word order → reporting pattern in that order.

AI and source check

AI tools can suggest practice sentences, but they can make grammar or fact errors. Check:

Does the example really match the past context?
Are pronouns and time references logical?
Is the news information factual or clearly fictional?
Does the feedback explain the error instead of replacing your own text?

Use AI to check and improve, not to replace your own speaking or writing.

Can-do check

Mark each statement: yes / almost / not yet.

I can recognise direct and reported speech.
I can backshift common tenses after a past reporting verb.
I can change pronouns and time expressions when necessary.
I can report yes/no and wh-questions.
I can report commands with to or not to.
I can use a passive sentence in a short news report.
I can explain one typical error.

Next step: E8 M - Reported questions and commands in news reports

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

Which sentence correctly reports: Maya said, "I am tired."? (Maya said that she was tired.) (!Maya said that I was tired.) (!Maya said that she is tired yesterday.) (!Maya said that was she tired.)

Which form is the usual backshift of will in a clear past context? (would) (!will) (!did) (!has)

Which time expression often replaces today when the report is made later? (that day) (!this day) (!the today) (!same now)

Which sentence correctly reports the question "Where do you live?"? (She asked where I lived.) (!She asked where did I live.) (!She asked where do I live.) (!She asked where lived I.)

Which word can introduce a reported yes-no question? (if) (!that) (!to) (!because)

Which sentence correctly reports "Please wait here."? (She asked me to wait there.) (!She asked me wait there.) (!She said me to wait there.) (!She asked that I waiting there.)

Which sentence correctly reports a negative command? (The editor told us not to publish it.) (!The editor told us do not publish it.) (!The editor said us not publish it.) (!The editor asked not us publish it.)

Which reporting verb normally takes a person directly after it? (told) (!said) (!spoke) (!mentioned)

Which sentence shows a past event moved further back? (He said that he had finished the interview.) (!He said that he finishes the interview.) (!He said that he will finish the interview.) (!He said that he is finishing the interview.)

What is most important when changing pronouns in reported speech? (the new speaker's point of view) (!the length of the sentence) (!the number of commas) (!the spelling of the reporting verb)

Memory

Backshift	tense moves back in a past reporting context
Reporting verb	said asked told
Time reference	today becomes that day when needed
Reported question	statement word order
Reported command	to-infinitive
Pronoun shift	speaker perspective changes

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
reported statement	said that
yes-no question	if or whether
wh-question	question word plus statement order
command	told someone to
negative command	told someone not to

Kreuzworträtsel

Backshift	What do we call moving a tense back in reported speech?
Pronoun	Which word type may change when the speaker changes?
Whether	Which word can introduce a reported yes-no question besides if?
Statement	Which word order is used in a reported question?
Infinitive	Which verb form follows to in a reported command?
Reporter	Who passes information from an interview to an audience?

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Quote detective: Find five direct quotes in a teacher-provided text and turn three into reported statements.
Pronoun switch: Create six short pairs that show a change such as I → she or our → their.
Time-word cards: Make cards for today, tonight, yesterday and tomorrow with suitable reported forms.
Mini interview: Ask a partner three simple questions and report two answers orally.

Standard

School news interview: Conduct a fictional two-person interview and write a 90-word report using backshift.
Reported questions: Create four interview questions and report them with correct statement word order.
Newsroom role-play: In a group of three, perform reporter, witness and presenter roles and include one command.
Error clinic: Write five believable mistakes in reported speech, swap with a partner and explain the corrections.

Schwer

Two-source report: Combine statements from two fictional witnesses without confusing pronouns or timelines.
Passive news update: Write a short school-news update with two passive sentences and reported speech.
Audio newsroom: Record an optional private 60-second news report with clear fluency and accurate backshift; no upload is required.
Fact-check and rewrite: Compare an AI-generated grammar explanation with class notes, identify possible errors and rewrite the explanation in your own words.

Lernkontrolle

Timeline transfer: Explain why a reporter may use had finished instead of finished when reporting an earlier event.
Perspective transfer: Rewrite a short interview from the reporter's point of view and justify two pronoun changes.
Question transformation: Turn a direct interview with one yes-no and one wh-question into a coherent reported paragraph.
Newsroom decision: Decide whether a time word such as today needs changing in three different reporting situations and explain why.
Error diagnosis: Correct a mixed set of tense, pronoun and word-order errors and name the error type.
Writing transfer: Write a short report in which a statement, question, command and passive sentence fit naturally into one past news context.

Lernnachweis

Für einen Lernnachweis zu diesem Thema ist wichtig, dass Du:

einen klaren Vergangenheitskontext erkennst und passende Backshift-Formen verwendest
Pronomen und Zeitbezüge aus der neuen Sprecherperspektive anpasst
reported questions mit Satzstellung statt Fragewortstellung bildest
yes-no questions mit if oder whether wiedergibst
commands und requests mit to-infinitive bzw. not to-infinitive formulierst
passive Formen in einem kurzen Bericht sinnvoll einsetzt
typische Fehler erklären und korrigieren kannst
einen zusammenhängenden Interview- oder Nachrichtentext eigenständig verfasst oder präsentiert

OERs zum Thema

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Reported speech

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