Reported Speech Rules and Common English Vocabulary

Relative Pronouns

who, which, when, that (no comma / defining relative), where, whom, whose, why, what (the things that — what she needs)

Reported Speech: Tense Changes

He said that:

• Present Simple: "he takes" → reported: he said he took.
• Past Simple: "he took" → reported: he said he had taken.
• Present Continuous: "he is taking" → reported: he said he was taking.
• Past Continuous: "he was taking" → reported: he said he had been taking.
• Present Perfect / Present Perfect Continuous: "he has taken" / "he has been taking" → reported: he said he had taken / had been taking.
• Past Perfect: "he had taken" → reported: no change (remains had taken).
• Future with will: "he will take" → reported: he said he would take.

Questions

Yes/No questions: Ana asked if... (e.g., "Did you come?" → Ana asked if I had come.)

Wh- questions: Ana asked why... (e.g., "Why did she leave?" → Ana asked why she had left.)

Orders and Requests

"Switch off your phones," the teacher said. → The teacher asked/ordered us to switch off our phones.

Suggestions

"Let's have lunch together," Ana suggested. → Ana suggested having lunch together.

Vocabulary: Verbs and Phrasal Verbs

• Acknowledge — admitir; forms: acknowledged / acknowledgement
• Biased — tergiversado
• Catch on / Get on — tener éxito
• Devote — dedicar; forms: devoted / devotion
• Extent of — alcance de
• Fall back on — echar una mano / recurrir a
• Get by on — arreglárselas
• Get one's wires crossed — hacerse un lío
• Go back on — incumplir / retractarse
• Rely on — confiar en
• Take on — contratar / asumir
• Glossy — de moda / brillante
• Insider — bien informado
• Prevail — prevalecer; forms: prevailing / prevalence / prevalent
• Smog-free — libre de contaminación
• Splice — unir
• Tabloids — prensa de escándalos

Additional Phrases and Adjectives

• At the stake — en la hoguera
• Be up for — estar listo / dispuesto
• Bear (fruit) — tener éxito / dar fruto
• His name — llevar su nombre
• No resemblance — no hay parecido (nota original: "no tiene precio")
• Cater to — satisfacer
• Charming — encantador / bonito
• Damp — húmedo / empantanado
• Gory — sangriento
• Gruesome — repugnante / horripilante
• Packed with — lleno de
• Quaint — pintoresco
• Rattle — moverse haciendo ruido
• Regardless of — independientemente de
• Repent — arrepentirse; forms: repentance / repentant
• Stately home — vivienda social