TOPIC 2

MECHANICS OF LANGUAGE

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of the unit, students should be able to:

i. Construct grammatically correct sentences. (PLO 1, C3, LL1)

CONTENT:

MECHANICS OF
LANGUAGE
Mechanic
s of
Report
Writing

Direct Reported Active Passive

Speech Speech Voice Voice

A helpful guide to write a report is to know the mechanics of report writing. Aspects such
as active and passive voice and direct and indirect speech must be taken into consideration in
reporting what a researcher has collected in order to have a very neat and organised writing.
 Th
e
lec
tur
er
sai
d,
H
2.1 Direct Speech av
e
yo
u
co
mp You
Direct speech is let when we report a
ed should
speakers words yo accept his exactly. Usually, the
ur
speakers word is as offer, my written between
speech marks ( ). sig husband
Looking at the nm example stated
ent advised.
She
above, to report the ? lecturers words, said
shouted,
is used. It is called the reporting verbs. To
I hate
display the way of speaking, the attitude
you!
or the emotions of No the speakers,
there are other shouted, verbs that can be
further
used too. exclaimed,
comment,
growled, muttered,
the
mumbled, groaned
controvers
(ways of speaking)
ial singer
volunteered,
replied.
insisted,
The
suggested,
headmistr
advised, explained
ess
observed,
announc
commented,
Other examples of reporting verbs
complained,
are as follows: boasted,
threatened
(speakers attitude)
answered, replied
 The
minister
replied,
No
commen
t.
You
should
invest in
shares,
my
As for the position of the reporting verb, it can go
brother
M
before, after or in the middle of the speakers
y
advised.
words. On top of that, a
On the the reporting verb is in
u
the simple past tense. othern
t
hand,
s
saidcthe
r
judge,
e
the a
m
prisoner
e
has d
Ther
,
es a
If we putting the reporting verb crocoP before the speakers words,
l
the subject must go before the dile e verb, as usual.
here!a
my
best
subject frien
reporting verb
d
scre
However, the normal word order can be changed and
ame
the subject can be put after the verb if the reporting verb
d.
comes after the speakers Ther words
es a
croco
dile

H
o
w
l
This is also applicable if the o reporting verb comes in the
v
middle of the speakers words. e
l
y
!

s
h
e
e
x
On the other hand, the word c order cannot be changed if
l
the subject is a pronoun. a
i
m

P
l
e
a
s
e
,

s
a
i
d

S
ACTIVITY 1
Choose a reporting verb from the box and put it into one of the gaps. Remember to use
the simple past tense. The first one has been done for you.

shout announce sing demand inquire ask

1. _- The manager announced, There will be a short briefing after lunch.

2. Wheres your wallet? ___________ the robber ___________.
3. Excuse me, ___________ she ___________. Are you Mr. Zahar?
4. Curry puff! Curry puff! ____________ the hawker ____________.
5. ___________ Norainis children ____________ Twinkle twinkle little star How I wonder
what you are?
6. Are we leaving? ____________ John ____________.

2.2 Reported Speech

In reported speech the speakers idea is reported as a part of our own
sentence.
 Most of the time, the speakers words are changed into a subordinate
clause beginning with that.
Direct speech: You need an operation.
Reported speech: The doctor said that I needed an operation.

Main sentence Subordinate reported clause

In informal English, that The will not be used;

coun
selor
said
I
need
ed
som
e
rest.

ACTIVITY 2
Rewrite these direct speech sentences as reported speech. You do not need to change
any verb tenses.
1. The report states, Men are more patient as compared to women.

2. The residents have the rights to do lodge a report on this matter, said the
policewoman.

3. There is no gold in Kuala Lipis, said the old lady. (informal)

4. The witness said, The woman with the dragon tattoo stole the briefcase.

5. The lecturer praised, The students are very diligent and self-reliant.

6. Ain said, Ariff always bullied Halim outside the class. (informal)

We
normally
report what someone said in the past.
Therefore the reporting verb is usually in the
simple past tense.
 I
tol
d
th
e
to
uri
st
th
at
th
Reporting verb er
The
ew
But, a present tense is laas sometimes used in reporting verb.
When reporting what wa is said in written texts, e.g. literature
and law: stho
attel
es ne
thar
Co
at
ns
dr
When reporting u generally held views:
ug
m
tra
er
ffic
s
ke
co
Sarars
m
wil
sayspl
she l
ai
When we want to be
wasn suggest that the speakers opinion
n
ha
t at
hasnt changed: th
theng
at
scen
infl
e ati
of
theon
murdis
er.un
(andco
if ntr
you
aske
d
Sara
now,
she
woul
d still
say
the
same

ACTIVITY 3
Choose the best tense for the reporting verbs in these sentences.
1. The dictionary (says/said) _____________that video comes from a Latin word.
2. Haziq rushed in and (says/said) _____________ there was a crocodile in the
river.
3. The policeman (tells/told) _____________Imran that he had driven through a red
traffic light.
4. Most people (say/said) _____________ that they dream in colour.
5. Suhaimi (says/said) _____________ that she had a sad childhood.

The verb in the reported clause, like the reporting verb, is usually in the past
tense.
 The
resid
ents
of

Ththe
e cond
suromin
vey
indium
icasaid
ted
they
tha
But if the speakers words t want are still true, we can use the
60ed
present tense.
%
ofthe
schnight
oolmark
chilOrigin
dreet
al
nPresent
Past tense verb; because the remo tense verb; because this is
survey was done in the past. are words
still true now.
ved.
latc
: AYour
hke
Sometimes it is hard to com
ypromo choose between a past
kidpany
tense and a present tense s.tion is in the reported clause.
spok
Compare these sentences. not
guara
nteed.

Repor
ted
In (1), I am thinking mainly about Bukharis promotion
speec
situation at the time of our h (1): I discussion, so I choose
past tense. told
In (2) I am thinking mainly about Bukharis promotion
Bukha
situation as it is now, so I choose present tense.
ri his
promo
tion
was
ACTIVITY 4
Look at the verb in italics in these reported speech sentences. Is the verb in the past
tense, or the present tense? Provide brief explanations.

1. Rashdan told us his father owns a rambutan orchard.

2. Rashdan told us his father owned a rambutan orchard.

3. The policeman said that Harris was driving much too slow.

4. Ammar complained that his book was torn.

5. Professor Dr. Aizat explained that the economy of Malaysia is growing.

 Ma
aro
f
sai
Past perfect tense is used if we wish to emphasize that
d
something happened before the speaker spoke, we can use
he
past perfect tense.
ha
d
ne
ver
be
en
ACTIVITY 5 to
Rewrite these direct speech sentences Hu as reported speech. Use a
past perfect verb in the reported ng clause, to make it clear that
the action happened earlier. ary

1. Fitri said, I saw Mujahids son in the supermarket.

2. The thief confessed, I stole the gold.

3. My girlfriend exclaimed, I have never done such a thing!

4. The builder said, I completed the work last Monday.

5. Liyana whispered to her, Amira has already gone home.

 In changing pronouns and other words when reporting, the basic rule here is ~
use your common sense. The words must be changed to fit the situation of your
own sentence. I told Bukhari, Your
You may need to promotion is not change words like I,
me, yours, guaranteed. mine. This depends
I told Bukhari your
on who is reporting and who is
promotion was not
listening and reading.
Direct: I told guaranteed. Bukhari, Your
(I am reporting to Bukhari
promotion is not guaranteed.
Reported: I told later) Bukhari that your
I told Bukhari that his
promotion was promotion was not
not guaranteed.

guaranteed.
(I am reporting to
someone else)
You told me my
promotion was not
guaranteed.
(Bukhari is reporting to
me)

Words referring to time and place may also need to be changed. Look at these
examples;

Yen Wah said, Mei came here this morning to see these books.
if the report is made the next day in the same place:

Yen Wah said that Mei came here yesterday morning to see these books.

if the report is made two days later from another place:

 Yen Wah said that Mei went there on Tuesday morning (or two morning
ago) to see those (or some) books.

ACTIVITY 6
Report Rossidis words in different ways, according to the instruction.

Rossidi told Akmal, I came here this morning to see you.

1. Rossidi is reporting to Akmal the next day. They are in the same place.

2. Akmal is reporting to someone else one month later, in the same place.

3. Rossidi is reporting to someone else one month later, in a different place.

4. Someone else is reporting to Akmal two days later in the same place.

5. Two people are talking about Rossidi and Akmal a few days later.
 O
u
r

c
o
a
To report an instruction, to + c basic verb is used instead of a
that-clause. h
Direct: Put a coin in the slot.
Reported: The instruction told you to put a coin in the slot.
i

The n
Pri s
me
Mini t
sterThe
said Prim
,
Among the common The reporting verbs are tell, order
ereMinis
and instruct. is
In the examples above, noter take note that all these verbs
abusaid
must take an object; se you, us, his men
To show how the ofthat speaker spoke, other useful
pow there
examples are point out, er. deny, expect, hope, believe,
was
claim and think.
We can change the no speakers words to summarize
the main idea. abus
e of
powe
r.
(simp
le
This can be reported by repor someone else as:
t)
The
We have to be careful in changing the tense of a modal
Prim
verb in reported speech. If we change the tense of a
e
modal, the meaning will be changed as well.
Minis
ter
 Direct: Safwan said, You should lodge a complaint.
Reported: Safwan said I should lodge a complaint.

Modals are very useful as an indirect way of reporting somebodys words.

Direct: I think Ill sign up for Business Communication, Amdan said.
Reported: Amdan said he might sign up for Business Communication.

ACTIVITY 7
Change this statement into reported speech in an indirect way, by making a
summary of the idea. You may find several possible answers.

1. The candidates said, Our party will abolish all taxes by next year. (Report this in
next days newspapers. Avoid using said.)

2. From next week, everybody will have to begin work at 7.45 a.m., declared the
Director. (Report this to a colleague the following week.)

3. Mrs. Lee told her neighbor, Im sorry. We wont be able to come for dinner
tomorrow night. (You are Mr Lee. Report this on the day after the dinner.)

4. Two years ago Mr Fang told his wife, I would like to write my will, so I can die in
peace. (Report this for a magazine article.)
 When transforming questions, check whether you have to change:
pronouns
present tense verbs (3rd person singular)
place and time expressions
tenses (backshift)

Also note that you have to:

transform the question into an indirect question

use the interrogative or if / whether

Type Example
with interrogative direct speech Why dont you speak English?
reported speech He asked me why I didnt speak
English.
without interrogative direct speech Do you speak English?
reported speech He asked me whether / if I spoke
English.
ACTIVITY 8
Change these direct speech questions into reported questions. Be careful: in many of
them you will need to change the pronoun or the verb tense.

1. Do you know the answer? the instructor asked Hazila.

2. Did you see the badminton match? Aziz asked me.

3. Where do you live? Kenneth asked the boys.

4. How much does the car cost? Zainuri wondered.

5. Are you afraid? Shah asked Kamal.

2.3 Active and Passive Voice
There are two special forms for verbs called voice:

Active voice
Passive voice

The active voice is the "normal" voice. This is the voice that we use most of
the time. You are probably already familiar with the active voice. In the active
voice, the object receives the action of the verb:

Active Subject Verb Object

Cats eat fish.

The passive voice is less usual. In the passive voice, the subject receives
the action of the verb:

Passive Subject Verb Object

Fish are eaten by cats.
The object of the active verb becomes the subject of the passive verb:

Subject Verb Object

Active Everybody drinks water.
Passive Water is drunk by everybody.

The passive voice is less usual than the active voice. The active voice is the
"normal" voice. But sometimes we need the passive voice. In this lesson we
look at how to construct the passive voice, when to use it and how to
conjugate it.

The structure of the passive voice is very simple:

 subject + auxiliary verb (be) + main verb (past participle

The main verb is always in its past participle form.

Look at these examples:

Subject Auxiliary Verb (to Main Verb (Past

be) Participle)
Water is drunk by everyone.
100 are employed by this
people company.
I am paid in euro.
We are no paid in dollars.
t
Are they paid in yen?

o we want to make the active object more important

o we do not know the active subject

Subject Verb Object

give importance to active object President was killed by Lee Harvey
(President Kennedy) Kennedy Oswald.
active subject unknown My wallet has been ?
stolen.

Note that we always use by to introduce the passive object (Fish are eaten by
cats).

Look at this sentence:

 He was killed with a gun.

Normally we use by to introduce the passive object. But the gun is not the
active subject. The gun did not kill him. He was killed by somebody with a
gun. In the active voice, it would be: Somebody killed him with a gun. The
gun is the instrument. Somebody is the "agent" or "doer".

We can form the passive in any tense. In fact, conjugation of verbs in the passive
tense is rather easy, as the main verb is always in past participle form and the
auxiliary verb is always be. To form the required tense, we conjugate the auxiliary
verb. So, for example:

Present Simple: It is made

Present Continuous: It is being made

Present Perfect: It has been made

Here are some examples with most of the possible tenses:

Infinitive to be washed
 Simple Present It is washed.
Past It was washed.
Future It will be washed.
Conditional It would be washed.
Continuous Present It is being washed.
Past It was being washed.
Future It will be being washed.
Conditional It would be being washed.
Perfect Simple Present It has been washed.
Past It had been washed.
Future It will have been washed.
Conditional It would have been washed.
Perfect Continuous Present It has been being washed.
Past It had been being washed.
Future It will have been being washed.
Conditional It would have been being washed.

ACTIVITY 9
Rewrite the sentences below using passive voice.

E.g.: Salbiah writes a report.

Ans: A report is written, or,
A report is written by Salbiah.

1. Siti Aisyah rescued two tigers.

2. The engineers handed in the reports.

3. Yan crashed into the red van.

4. Fathiah sang the songs.

5. Maisarah has forgotten the module.

6. The technician has repaired the LCD projector.

7. They play football.

8. Anuar puts the backpack on the floor.

9. The boys had won the match.

10. The lecturer is not going to open the door.

11. He bought three oranges.

12. We won the competition.

13. The young man stole the green bandwagon.

14. The police had arrested the thieves.

15. Sofea drew the portrait.

16. The shark bit the old man.

17. Tom and Max ate four chicken burgers.

18. Oliver taught the children.

19. Victoria rode the brown horse.

20. Grandmother told good stories.