The Jetsons - Rosie, the Robot - Reported Speech

This creative activity was provided by a reader, Graziela Pinheiro. She's from São Paulo and has been a private teacher for about 10 years now.

Thanks, Graziela, for the contribution. We can't wait for more..

Can you complete these sentences?

'I don’t want pizza'.

She said _____________________________________

‘I hate it’, he told me.

He told me he _________________________________

‘Remember me? We met at last year’s party’, Mary asked John.

Mary asked ____________________________________________

Don't Forget:

1.      Pronouns 2.      Backshifting 3.      Reporting verbs – say, tell, ask are most used; try different verbs and adverbs to represent the mood of the speaker. Eg: quietly agreed, happily told, angrily shouted, confidently declared, categorically denied.

Complete the gaps using the correct form of the verbs below.
Watch the video and check your answers (1.10):

rest

think

swim

mean

say

TV:         Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!
This is Jack Jetwash, your slipped disk jockey on 3-D TV at half past 700 hours, on this good, good, good morning, with your modern mother’s muscle tone program of the air.
Now, chins up! I____________, chin up, index fingers out.
Ready for your push-button finger exercises? ⁽¹⁾

Jane:     I’m ready ⁽²⁾

TV:         One, two! One, two! One, two! One, two! One, two! One, two! One, two!­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ __________!

Judy:     Okay, Mom, take five! ⁽³⁾
Good morning! And did you change your mind?

Jane:     No! It’s too cool to go ___________after school. Besides, you won’t be home in time for dinner. ⁽⁴⁾ 

Judy:     From Acapulco?

Jane:     Oh! I __________ you were going to Hawaii ⁽⁵⁾  .
Well, all right if your father says yes.

Judy:     Oh, he will! ⁽⁶⁾ 
Daddy? Daddy, are you asleep? ⁽⁶⁾ 

George: Yes… ⁽⁷⁾ 

Judy:     Thanks, daddy! ⁽⁸⁾ 
                Daddy __________ yes! ⁽⁹⁾ 

Jane: Ok, then!

Work with your partner.
Use reported speech to re-write the following dialogs:

⁽¹⁾ Jack Jetwash asked if everybody was ready for their push-button finger exercises.

⁽²⁾ Jane ______________________________________________________

⁽³⁾ Judy ______________________________________________________ and
⁽⁴⁾  ______________________________________________________

⁽⁴⁾  Jane ____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

⁽⁵⁾  Jane ___________________________________________________________.

⁽⁶⁾  Judy ___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

⁽⁷⁾  George ______________________________________________________________

⁽⁸⁾   Judy ____________________________________________________________
⁽⁹⁾  Judy ____________________________________________________________

Complete the gaps using the correct form of the verbs below.
Watch the video and check your answers (1.10):

rest

think

swim

mean

say

TV:         Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!
This is Jack Jetwash, your slipped disk jockey on 3-D TV at half past 700 hours, on this good, good, good morning, with your modern mother’s muscle tone program of the air.
Now, chins up! I MEAN chin up, index fingers out.
Ready for your push-button finger exercises? ⁽¹⁾

Jane:     I’m ready ⁽²⁾

TV:         One, two! One, two! One, two! One, two! One, two! One, two! One, two!­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ REST!

Judy:     Okay, Mom, take five! ⁽³⁾
Good morning! And did you change your mind?

Jane:     No! It’s too cool to go SWIMMING after school. Besides, you won’t be home in time for dinner. ⁽⁴⁾ 

Judy:     From Acapulco?

Jane:     Oh! I THOUGHT  you were going to Hawaii ⁽⁵⁾  .
Well, all right if your father says yes.

Judy:     Oh, he will! ⁽⁶⁾ 
Daddy? Daddy, are you asleep? ⁽⁶⁾ 

George: Yes… ⁽⁷⁾ 

Judy:     Thanks, daddy! ⁽⁸⁾ 
                Daddy  SAID yes! ⁽⁹⁾ 

Jane: Ok, then!

Suggested answers. 

As this is only a review, it’s good to encourage students to use different verbs and leave “say” and “tell” behind as well as making their speech more colorful, using adverbs when possible. 

⁽¹⁾ Jack Jetwash asked if everybody was ready for their push-button finger exercises.

⁽²⁾ Jane SLEEPILY SAID she was.

⁽³⁾ Judy SUGGESTED her mother took a rest and
⁽⁴⁾  ASKED if she had changed her mind.

⁽⁴⁾  Jane POINTED OUT that it was too cool for swimming and reminded Jane that she wouldn’t be home in time for dinner.
⁽⁵⁾  Jane REPLIED that she thought Jude was going to Hawaii.

⁽⁶⁾  Judy EXCLAIMED her father would say yes.

⁽⁷⁾  George MUMBLED yes

⁽⁸⁾   Judy HAPPILY THANKED her father
⁽⁹⁾  Judy told her mother that George’s answer was yes.

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE JETSONS - ROSIE THE ROBOT

Zookeeper: Reported Speech

Watch the segment. Then write the letter that corresponds to the character who said the following lines in the segment.

Giraffe: G
Lion: L
Lioness: FL
Coyote: C
Bear: B


1 ( G ) We are having a meeting.

2 (    ) I'm excited about this.

3 (    ) I have a very busy schedule.

4 (    ) You sleep 20 hours a day.

5 (    ) This is not good.

6 (    ) Oh, I like muffins.

7 (    ) Griffin saved my life.

8 (    ) You don't break the code.

9 (    ) How do we know that?

10 (    ) We're helping a human.

EX: The giraffe said they were having a meeting.

2 ________________
3 ________________
4 ________________
5 ________________
6 ________________
7 ________________
8 ________________
9 ________________
10 _______________

Answer key:


1. We are having a meeting. (G)

2. I'm excited about this (G) The giraffe said she was excited about that.

3. I have a very busy schedule (L) The lion said he had a very busy schedule.

4. You sleep 20 hours a day. (FL) The lioness said that he slept 20 hours a day.

5. This is not good (C) The coyote said that that was not good.

6. Oh, I like muffins (G) The giraffe said she liked muffins.

7. Griffin saved my life (FL) The lioness said Griffin had saved her life.

8. Don't break the code. (B) The bear told another coyote not to break the code.

9. How do we know that? (L) The lion asked how they knew that.

10. We're helping a human (E) The elephant said they were helping a human.


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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - ZOOKEEPER

The Purple Rose of Cairo: Reported Speech

This is one of my all-times favorite. This scene is great to practice reported speech.




Watch the segment and check who says these lines in.

T - Tom

R - Rita

C - Cecilia



1. ( ) I was in an Egyptian Tomb

2. ( ) I'll wait for that glass at the Copacabana

3. ( ) It's nothing, I'll be OK.

4. ( ) Draw my bath.

5. ( ) I can't wait to get out of these clothes.

6. ( ) I am very impressed.

7. ( ) You've been here all day.

8. ( ) This is the fifth time you're seeing this.

9. ( ) Come here quickly

10. ( ) Who are you?

11. ( ) I'm free.

12. ( ) What's going on?


Now rewrite the sentences above, using reported speech:

Example:

1. Tom said (that) he was in an Egyptian tomb.

2...........................................
3..........................................
4..........................................
5..........................................

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO



Answer key: 1. T 2. T 3. R 4. R 5. R 6. T 7. T 8. T 9. R 10. T and C 11. T 12. C



2. ( T ) Tom said he would wait for that glass at the Copacabana.

3. ( R ) Rita said it was nothing, She would be OK.

4. ( R ) Rita told the maid to draw her bath.

5. ( R ) Rita said she couldn't wait to get out of those clothes.

6. ( T ) Tom said he was very impressed.

7. ( T ) Tom said she had been there all day.

8. ( T ) Tom said that was the fifth time she was seeing that.

9. ( R ) Rita told Tom to come there quickly

10. ( T and C) Tom (Cecilia) asked Cecilia (Tom) who she (he) was?

11. ( T ) Tom said he was free.

12. ( C ) Cecilia asked what was going on.

Love Actually: Reported x Direct Speech

This is a very romantic scene. For this segment, I decided to work on reported speech differently from the previous exercises. Here the students have to rewrite the indirect sentences in direct speech.

Talk to a partner:

1. Are you a romantic person? Do you like romantic lovers? Why?

2. What kind of things does a romantic person do? Make a list of at least five different things.

3. What was the most romantic scene someone has ever done for you? Describe it.


B. Read the sentences below. They are indirect speech. Rewrite them using direct speech, supposing the guy in the movie segment is talking directly to the girl he loves.





1. He told her to say it was Carols Singers.

.............................................


2. He said he would be going out with one of those girls.

.............................................


3. He said that she was perfect to him.

.............................................

4. He said that his wasted heart would love her until she looked like that.

............................................



5. He wished her Merry Christmas.

............................................







C. Talk to a partner:


1. What is your opinion about this scene? Is it romantic or tacky?

2. Would you like your sweetheart to be more or less romantic? Why?

3. What do you consider important in a relationship? Rank the five most important things for a romance to work out.

4. Share your list with he rest of the class. Which one was the most voted?


Answer Key:
B.
1. Say it’s Carol Singers.
2. I will be going out with one of these girls.
3. You are perfect to me.
4. My wasted heart will love you until you look like this.
5. Merry Christmas!




MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - LOVE ACTUALLY

WORKSHEET

While You Were Sleeping: Reported Speech

This a very funny scene. Your students will enjoy it a lot. Tell me if you like it or give suggestions by leaving a comment, please.

Before you watch the segment:

Talk to a partner about the following situations. Decide what you would do:

1) What would you do if you saw someone falling on the subway tracks? Justify it.

2) If you saved someone's life, would you expect a financial reward? Why/Why not?

3) Would you hide a secret in order not to hurt a stranger's feelings? Why/Why not?

Now watch the movie segment and decide who said each of the following lines:

Lucy (Sandra Bullock)

A Doctor

A Nurse

A Police Officer

1) Will you marry me? ____________________________

2) Are you okay? _______________________________

3) There’s a train coming and it’s fast. ________________

4) Are you family? ______________________________

5) She’s his fiancee. _____________________________

6) I need to ask you a few questions. _________________

7) He is in a coma. ______________________________

8) He was pushed from the platform at the train station. ___

9) She jumped on the tracks. ______________________

10) She saved his life. _____________________________

Now rewrite the sentences, using reported speech:

EX: 1) Lucy asked if he would marry her.

2) Lucy asked if he was okay.


Answer key:

3. Lucy said there was a train coming and it was fast.
4. A doctor asked if she was family.
5. A nurse said she was his fiancee. 
6. A police officer said he needed to ask Lucy a few questions.
7. A doctor said he was in a coma.
8. Lucy said that he had been pushed from the platform at the train station.
9. A police officer said that she had saved his life.
10. A police officer said that she had jumped on the tracks.


Grammar Goal: Reported Speech

• Choose an attractive movie segment with several characters

• Decide which verb tenses you want to assess

• Select a few lines from the segment with the target structures

• Students check which characters said them in the segment

• Students come up with indirect speech statements


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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

School of Rock: Reported Speech

School of Rock rocks! This is a great movie and teachers will enjoy it a lot. The teacher has to learn how to deal with these students. He does it in a very unusual way. I used the scene for reported speech.

Discuss the following questions with a partner:


1) What should the ideal school be like?


2) Tell your partner about a class you will never forget.


3) Who is your favorite teacher? Justify your answer with examples.

Watch the following video segment and decide who said each of the following lines:

The Teacher

A Student


1) My dad won’t let me. __________

2) What’s your name? ___________

3) I only play piano. ____________

4) This is a bass guitar. __________

5) Are there any drummers in the house? _____________

6) I play percussion. ____________

7) Is this a school project? _________

8) What’s the prize? ________

9) Can we tell our parents?__________

10) Who can sing? ________

11) I can sing. _________

Now rewrite the sentences, using reported speech:

EX:

1) A student said that his dad wouldn’t let him.

2) The teacher asked what his name was.

3) A student said he only played piano.

Prepare your own video activity on Reported Speech:

• Choose an attractive movie segment with several characters

• Decide which verb tenses you want to assess

• Select a few lines from the segment with the target structures

• Students check which characters said them in the segment

• Students come up with indirect speech statements

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - SCHOOL OF ROCK