English Grammar Practice: Reported Speech and Passive Voice

Mastering English Grammar: Reported Speech and Passive Voice

Reported Speech: Direct and Indirect Examples

Reported speech involves conveying what someone else said, often requiring changes in tense, pronouns, and time/place expressions.

Statements and Tense Shifts

• Direct: "These are guys' games," she said.
• Reported: She said (that) those were guys' games.

• Direct: "More women are playing games," she said.
• Reported: She said (that) more women were playing games.

• Direct: "She came home last weekend," she said.
• Reported: She said she had come home the previous weekend.

• Direct: "I have played quite a few games," she said.
• Reported: She said (that) she had played quite a few games.

Modal Verb Changes

• Will make → Would make
• Must → Had to

Questions and Imperatives

• Direct Question: "What are girls' games?" she said.
• Reported Question: She asked what girls' games were.

• Direct Question: "Do all girl gamers feel the same?" she asked.
• Reported Question: She asked if all girl gamers felt the same.

• Direct Imperative: "Put your laptop over here."
• Reported Imperative: She told me to put my laptop over there.

• Direct Request: "Can you bring your new game tonight?"
• Reported Request: He asked me to bring my new game that night.

• Direct Suggestion: "Why don’t we meet up tomorrow?"
• Reported Suggestion: She suggested meeting up the next day.

The Passive Voice: Structure and Usage

The passive voice emphasizes the action or the recipient of the action rather than the performer.

1. Active: They create a unique atmosphere. → Passive: A unique atmosphere is created.
2. Active: People are inviting bands to play. → Passive: Bands are being invited to play.
3. Active: Rick gave a performance in Amsterdam. → Passive: A performance was given by Rick in Amsterdam.
4. Active: LITL has organized events in Berlin. → Passive: Events have been organized by LITL in Berlin.
5. Active: They had done up the house. → Passive: The house had been done up.
6. Active: Small concerts will never replace clubs and arenas. → Passive: Clubs and arenas will never be replaced by small concerts.
7. Active: You can see bands live in people’s living rooms. → Passive: Bands can be seen live in people’s living rooms.

Essential English Vocabulary Lists

Word Formation: Nouns and Related Forms

Understanding suffixes helps build vocabulary (Verb/Adjective → Noun).

• Agree(ment)
• Communicate(ation)
• Discriminate(ation)
• Employ(ment)
• Equal(ity)
• Homeless(ness)
• Ignorant(ance)
• Immigrate(ation)
• Independent(ence)
• Inform(ation)
• Intelligent(ence)
• Obese(ity)
• Polite(ness)
• Possible(ity)
• Tolerate(ance)

Music Terminology

Key terms related to music genres and structure.

• Beat (ritmo)
• Catchy (pegadizo)
• Chorus (estribillo)
• Death Metal
• Folk (folclorista)
• Hip Hop
• House (techno)
• Live (directo)
• Loud (alto)
• Lyrics (letras)
• Relaxing
• Repetitive
• Serious
• Tune (melodía)
• Verse (verso)

Social Issues and Economic Vocabulary

Terms related to societal challenges and financial concepts.

• Equal pay (igualdad salarial)
• Gender discrimination (discriminación de género)
• Homeless (sin techo)
• Income (ingresos)
• Life expectancy (esperanza de vida)
• Literacy (alfabetismo)
• Malnutrition (malnutrición)
• Nursery school (guardería)
• Obesity (obesidad)
• Retirement (jubilación)
• Sanitation (saneamiento)
• Shanty town (chabolismo)
• Standard of living (nivel de vida)
• Tax (impuestos)
• Unemployment (desempleo)