English Vocabulary and Reported Speech Essentials
Vocabulary: English to Spanish
- Award
- premio
- Spectator
- espectador
- Slight accent
- acento leve
- Beat
- ganar a
- Speed
- velocidad
- Top speed
- máxima velocidad
- Break a record
- batir un récord
- Sportsmanship
- deportividad
- Championship
- campeonato
- Tournament
- torneo
- Valid point
- argumento sólido
- Cheer
- aplaudir
- Trophy
- trofeo
- Vast majority
- gran mayoría
- Defeat
- vencer a
- In a row
- consecutivo
- Way ahead
- muy por delante
- Effort
- esfuerzo
- No matter
- sin importar
- Well aware
- plenamente consciente
- Go wild
- volverse loca/o
- Sign
- señal
- Finish line
- meta
- Alive
- por igual
- Strength
- fortaleza
- Guideline
- pauta
- Cope with
- hacer frente
- Willing
- dispuesto
- Kick off
- saque inicial
- Display
- mostrar
- Badly injured
- gravemente herido
- Long jump
- salto de longitud
- Esteemed
- considerado
- Bright future
- futuro prometedor
- Runner up
- subcampeón
- Hire
- contratar
- Fast asleep
- profundamente dormido
- Superstar
- estrella
- Humble
- humilde
- Heavy traffic
- tráfico lento
- Teammate
- compañero de equipo
- In the lead
- en cabeza
- Highly unlikely
- muy improbable
- Turnaround
- cambio radical
- Let down
- decepcionar
- Pleasantly surprised
- sorprendido gratamente
- Score
- anotar
- Rapid growth
- crecimiento rápido
- Opponent
- contrincante
- Poor health
- problemas de salud
Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)
Tense Changes from Direct to Indirect Speech
- Present Simple becomes Past Simple
- Present Continuous becomes Past Continuous
- Present Perfect Simple becomes Past Perfect Simple
- Present Perfect Continuous becomes Past Perfect Continuous
- Past Simple becomes Past Perfect Simple
- Past Continuous becomes Past Perfect Continuous
- Future Will (+ Shall) becomes Conditional Would
- Am/Is/Are going to becomes Was/Were going to
- Can becomes Could
- May becomes Might
- Must becomes Had to
Reporting Verbs by Speech Type
Statements
Common reporting verbs: said (to me), told (me).
Example (said): They said that they didn’t want to meet us on Tuesday.
Example (told): She told me that she was going running this evening.
Questions
Yes/No Questions
Use: asked (me) if/whether, wondered if/whether, wanted to know if/whether.
Wh-Questions
Use: asked me + wh-word, wondered + wh-word, wanted to know + wh-word.
Orders
Common reporting verbs: ordered (me), told (me) (followed by to + infinitive).
Requests
Common reporting verb: asked (me) (followed by to + infinitive).
Suggestions & Advice
Common reporting verbs:
- suggested: Can be followed by:
- that + subject + base form
- a gerund (-ing form)
- advised (me): Often used to report advice like:
- You should/ought to…
- You had better…
- If I were you I would/should…
Common Reporting Verbs and Structures
Statements
- add, admit, agree + that clause
- announce, answer, claim + that clause
- complain, declare, deny + that clause
- exclaim, explain, inform + that clause
- mention, promise*, reply + that clause
- offer + to + infinitive*
- refuse + to + infinitive
- remind + somebody + to + infinitive
- apologise (+ to + somebody) + for + verb-ing
Suggestions & Advice
- suggest + verb-ing
- recommend + that + subject + (should) + base form / recommend + verb-ing
- advise + somebody + to + infinitive
- invite + somebody + to + infinitive
Orders & Warnings
- warn + somebody + to + infinitive
- warn + somebody + that + clause