الأسبوع 13 · الوحدة 6 «لماذا نحب القصص؟» (أ): نص عن أثر القصص في تفكيرنا (للقراءة في الكتاب فقط) وكلمات المتنوع والعبرة والتعاطف والمدرك والإشعال والنقد والاستماع إلى حديث عن قصة ساعدت (بنص نقرؤه بصوت عالٍ) والكلام المنقول وأنواع القصص وعناصرها وحكاية قصيرة (للقراءة في الكتاب فقط) · 3 دروس
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A story that helped: listening and reported speech
English Preparatory 3 Term 1, Unit 6: pp. 85–91
GoalListen to a talk about a story that helped someone, and report what people said with said that and told me that, changing pronouns, tenses and time words.
New words
nervous · worried and a little afraid before something importantreport · to tell someone what another person saidbackshift · moving the verb one step back in time in reported speechhonestly · in a truthful waystuck · not able to move or to continuerecommend · to say that something is good and worth trying
Explanation
First the listening skill: listen once for the situation and again for who said what. Now the grammar. In reported speech we tell what someone said without the exact words and without quotation marks: “I play tennis,” she said becomes She said that she played tennis. The word that can be left out. Make three changes. 1. Pronouns change with the speaker: I becomes he or she. 2. The verb moves one step back in time (see the table): present simple → past simple, present continuous → past continuous, will → would, can → could, past simple → past perfect. 3. Time and place words change when the report comes later: yesterday → the day before, tomorrow → the next day, now → then, here → there. Use said without a person (She said that …) and told with a person (She told me that …); never said me or told that. Present facts that are always true can stay in the present: She said that the sun rises in the east.
Direct speech
Reported speech
Change
“I play tennis.”
She said that she played tennis.
present simple → past simple
“I am reading.”
He said that he was reading.
present continuous → past continuous
“We will come.”
They said that they would come.
will → would
“I can swim.”
He said that he could swim.
can → could
“I saw a film.”
She said that she had seen a film.
past simple → past perfect
Worked examples
Before my first piano concert, I was so nervous that my hands were cold. My grandmother told me that she had been just as nervous before her first school play. She said that she remembered an old story about a small boat that was afraid of the open sea. In the story, the old sailor said that the sea would carry the boat if it trusted the water. I thought about that story on the stage, and I took a deep breath. Afterwards my teacher said that my playing was calm and clear.
Listen to the talk. A grown-up reads it aloud once or twice. Then answer the questions in the practice section.
Reported statements in the talk: She told me that she had been nervous (direct: “I was nervous”), She said that she remembered an old story (direct: “I remember an old story”), the old sailor said that the sea would carry the boat (direct: “The sea will carry you”).
Direct
Reported
today
that day
yesterday
the day before
tomorrow
the next day
now
then
here
there
Time words. A day later, a friend says: “Dalia said that she would come the next day.” In direct speech Dalia said: “I will come tomorrow.”
Now you. Report one sentence that a family member said to you today. Begin with He said that … or She told me that …
Class activity
Message relay. Write six short sentences on cards, such as “I am cooking dinner” and “We will visit you tomorrow”. A partner picks a card and reads it aloud. You report it to a third person: “He said that he was cooking dinner.” Check the pronoun, the verb and the time word each time.
Practice
1
Listen again (a grown-up reads the talk). What did the writer’s grandmother tell her about the school play?
That she had been just as nervous before her first school play.
2
True or false: The writer’s teacher said that the playing was loud and fast.
False. The teacher said it was calm and clear.
3
Choose: Last week Hazem said, “I am reading a book.” Hazem said that he ___ a book. (was reading / is reading / reads)
was reading. The present continuous moves back to the past continuous.
4
Choose: Dina said, “We will come tomorrow.” Dina said that they ___ the next day. (would come / will come / came)
would come. Will becomes would.
5
Choose: Last week Tarek said, “I can swim.” Tarek said that he ___ swim. (could / can / will)
could. Can becomes could.
6
Choose: Rana said, “I saw the film yesterday.” Rana said that she ___ the film the day before. (had seen / sees / will see)
had seen. The past simple moves back to the past perfect.
7
Choose: She ___ me that the bus was late. (told / said)
told. We use told with a person.
8
Which sentence is correct? (a) He told that he was tired. (b) He said that he was tired. (c) He said me that he was tired.
(b). Said is used without a person, told needs a person.
