English Connectors and Reported Speech Rules

English Connectors

Addition Connectors

• Also, in addition, and furthermore: Used after a period and followed by a comma.
• Moreover (además)
• Besides (además)
• As well as (además de)

Contrast Connectors

• On the one hand / on the other hand
• But
• Although
• While
• In spite of (no obstante)
• However (aunque)
• Even though (a pesar de)
• Despite (a pesar de)
• Nevertheless (sin embargo): These are always used after a period and followed by a comma.

Reported Speech

Verb Form Changes

• Present Simple → Past Simple: lives → lived
• Present Continuous → Past Continuous: is living → was living
• Past Simple → Past Perfect Simple: lived → had lived
• Past Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous: was living → had been living
• Present Perfect → Past Perfect Simple: has lived → had lived
• Present Perfect Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous: has been living → had been living
• Past Perfect Simple → Past Perfect Simple: had lived → had lived
• Past Perfect Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous: had been living → had been living
• Future Simple → Future with Would: will live → would live

Modals

• Can (could)
• May (might)
• Must / Have to (must / had to)
• Will (would)

Time and Place Expressions

• Now (then)
• Today (that day)
• Tonight (that night)
• Yesterday (the previous day)
• Last week (the previous week)
• A month ago (the previous month)
• Tomorrow (the following day)
• Next week (the following week)
• Here (there)
• This (that)
• These (those)

1. Reported Statements

We can report in the present what someone just said by removing quotation marks and changing the subject pronoun and the person of the verb.

• "She is hungry" → He said that she is hungry.
• When the sentence states a general truth, there is no change in the verb tenses.

2. Reported Questions

Yes/No Questions

• "Do you owe him money?" Paul asked her → Paul asked if / whether she owed him money.

Wh-Questions

These begin with an interrogative particle. Place that particle instead of if/whether, followed by the subject and then the verb.

• "What is the budget for this project?" Anne asked → Anne asked what the budget for that project was.

3. Reported Orders and Requests

• Tell / Order: Used for commands.
• Ask / Beg: Used for requests.
• Warn: Used to warn someone about something.
• "Be careful with the new bike" → My mother warned me to be careful with the new bike.
• "Don't be so childish, please" → My mother asked me not to be so childish.

4. Reported Suggestions

First, place the subject, then suggested, recommended, advised, or invited, followed by the suggestion. This can be done in two ways:

1. That clause: "Let's watch the new advert," Sarah suggested → Sarah suggested that we watch the new advert.
2. Gerund (-ing): "Turn left at the new intersection," he recommended → He recommended turning left at the new intersection.