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Want to know more about Reported Speech and practice?
Here is a grammar video

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We use reported speech when we want to tell someone what someone said. We usually use a reporting verb (e.g. say, tell, ask, etc.) and then change the tense of what was actually said in direct speech.
So, direct speech is what someone actually says? Like 'I want to know about reported speech'?

Yes, and you report it with a reporting verb.
He said he wanted to know about reported speech.
I said, I want and you changed it to he wanted.

Exactly. Verbs in the present simple change to the past simple; the present continuous changes to the past continuous; the present perfect changes to the past perfect; can changes to could; will changes to would; etc.
She said she was having the interview at four o'clock.
(Direct speech: 'I'm having the interview at four o'clock.')
They said they'd phone later and let me know.
(Direct speech: 'We'll phone later and let you know.')
OK, in that last example, you changed you to me too.

Yes, apart from changing the tense of the verb, you also have to think about changing other things, like pronouns and adverbs of time and place.
'We went yesterday.' > She said they had been the day before.
'I'll come tomorrow.' >He said he'd come the next day.
I see, but what if you're reporting something on the same day, like 'We went yesterday'?

Well, then you would leave the time reference as 'yesterday'. You have to use your common sense. For example, if someone is saying something which is true now or always, you wouldn't change the tense.
'Dogs can't eat chocolate.' > She said that dogs can't eat chocolate.
'My hair grows really slowly.' >He told me that his hair grows really slowly.
What about reporting questions?

We often use ask + if/whether, then change the tenses as with statements. In reported questions we don't use question forms after the reporting verb.
'Do you have any experience working with people?'
They asked if I had any experience working with people.
'What acting have you done?'
They asked me what acting I had done.
Is there anything else I need to know about reported speech?

One thing that sometimes causes problems is imperative sentences.

You mean like 'Sit down, please' or 'Don't go!'?

Exactly. Sentences that start with a verb in direct speech need a to + infinitive in reported speech.
She told him to be good. (Direct speech: 'Be good!')
He told them not to forget. (Direct speech: 'Please don't forget.')
OK. Can I also say 'He asked me to sit down'?

Yes. You could say 'He told me to ...' or 'He asked me to ...' depending on how it was said.

OK, I see. Are there any more reporting verbs?

Yes, there are lots of other reporting verbs like promise, remind, warn, advise, recommend, encourage which you can choose, depending on the situation. But say, tell and ask are the most common.

Great. I understand! My teacher said reported speech was difficult.

And I told you not to worry!

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Daisy has just had an interview for a summer job.

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British Council

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In the UK fewer women than men do sport regularly. The campaign 'This girl can' aims to encourage more women to do sport.

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Reading on Halloween

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When you think of Halloween, you probably think of pumpkin lanterns, fancy-dress costumes and children asking for sweets. And if you think of a country that celebrates Halloween, you probably think of the United States first. Americans and Canadians have adopted Halloween in a big way, but did you know that Halloween traditions actually come from Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales?

The origins of Halloween

The Celts were people who lived in ancient Britain and Ireland from about 1000 BC and they celebrated a festival called 'Samhain'. Samhain was celebrated on 1 November because that was the end of summer and harvest time (which was associated with food and life) and the beginning of winter (which they associated with death). Have you ever wondered why Halloween colours are orange and black? Orange is related to harvests and black is related to death.

Samhain was the time for ghosts to return to earth for a day. People lit a big fire, wore special clothes made of animal skin and hoped to be safe from the ghosts and the winter.

In early America, the Native Americans and the first Europeans celebrated the end of the harvest, but not Halloween. When many Irish people went to live in America in the 1800s, they brought their Halloween traditions with them and Halloween became popular throughout the country.

Pumpkin lanterns

Many people make pumpkin lanterns to decorate their homes at Halloween. They remove the inside of the pumpkin, cut shapes for the eyes, nose and mouth and place a candle in the empty pumpkin to make a scary face. This tradition came from the Celts, who carved faces into vegetables like turnips and potatoes to scare the ghosts and make them go away. Irish people who came to live in the United States found pumpkins much easier to carve, and the tradition became the one we see today.

Halloween costumes

People of all ages dress up on Halloween. In the UK some of the most popular costumes include witches, vampires, ghosts, skeletons, zombies and monsters. We can trace this tradition back to the Celts, who were afraid of the ghosts that came on Samhain. If they went outside after dark, they covered their faces with masks. They hoped any ghosts they met would think they were ghosts too and would leave them alone.

North Americans wear all kinds of Halloween costumes and not just scary things like witches and ghosts. This is because in the late 19th century, people tried to make Halloween less about ghosts and more about celebrating the season with a party for neighbours and family.

Trick-or-treating

On Halloween children knock on their neighbours' doors and ask for 'treats', like sweets or chocolates. In ancient Britain, Celtic people went from house to house dressed in costumes, asking for gifts and food for the Samhain festival. When Irish people went to live in America, they continued this tradition and it became trick-or-treating. Nowadays going trick-or-treating is so popular in the USA that a quarter of the sweets for the year are sold for this one day!

Around the world

Catholic people around the world celebrate All Saints Day on 1 November and All Souls Day on 2 November. On these days, people remember relatives, friends and other people who have died. In Mexico, people celebrate the Day of the Dead at this time and many dress up as skeletons, and paint skulls on their faces. Nowadays, more and more people around the world are celebrating both the Day of the Dead and Halloween. Will you celebrate this year?

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October 31 is Halloween and it's celebrated in many countries around the world. What are the origins of this spooky day and how do people celebrate today? Read the article and find out.

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BBC Collection of Videos on Black History

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Black History Month takes place every October in the UK. In the United States, it is celebrated in February.
Black History Month resources
You can use this collection of teaching resources to explore black history, heritage, culture and achievements with your class.
Below you'll find content suitable for use with both primary and secondary school pupils. Each resource is accompanied by teacher notes to aid classroom use.

For teacher CPD, you can read this article by Josiah Isles , an assistant headteacher who has written about his experiences within the education system as a black teacher in the UK.

And we have a series of short films to help support teachers to be an ally to students from black, South Asian and mixed heritage backgrounds.

You can also catch up on our panel discussion programme, Beyond Black History Month , in partnership with TES. This programme was originally broadcast live on 21 October 2020 and features ideas and best practice around teaching black and diverse histories and experiences.

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Explore Black History Month 2023 content suitable for use with both primary and secondary school pupils. Each resource is accompanied by teacher notes to aid classroom use.

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Best TV Coffee Scene EVER! - Ally Mcbeal Season 1, Episode 8: Drawing the Lines - Intro

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Ally Mcbeal Season 1, Episode 8: Drawing the Lines - Intro

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Each group reads 1-2 texts and presents them to classmates

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Looking for something different? Here are some ideas

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Whether you're looking to increase your fitness, add sparkle to your social life or both, our pick of team sports from the UK and beyond could be just the inspiration you need. Forget leisurely spinning a disc in the general direction of a friend (or your dog) in the park.

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If you want to find out about the history of famous sneaker brands such as Adidas, Puma, Reebok,... This is your perfect choice. BBC Radio 4 Sneakernomics. Great soundtrack as well

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BBC Sounds - Sneakernomics - Available Episodes

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Listen to the latest episodes of Sneakernomics on BBC Sounds

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JFK, George Bush, Aerosmith, New Kids on the Block... Find out about people born in Boston

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The official website of the City of Boston. Stay informed, request City services through 311, or contact the Mayor and City Council.

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History KS3 / GCSE: Why does the British Empire matter?

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Jeremy Paxman explains how Britain today is a nation of many cultures, and many of these connections have their roots in the British Empire. Suitable for teaching History at KS3/4 and GCSE in England and Wales and GCSE in Northern Ireland or National 4 and National 5 in Scotland.

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ooooo! As has become their ritual, England's footballers took the knee this weekend. And as has become their ritual, a section of the England fans, newly permitted to congregate at stadiums post-pandemic, took the opportunity to barrack those for whom taking the knee has become a statement, a gesture of belonging, solidarity and a token of faith.

If you ask those who take the knee why they do so, I am sure the reasons will differ. Some are black players who want to challenge the perception that their status as sporting superstars protects them from the realities of being black in Britain, in a white-dominated country, in a white-dominated sport. They have always felt it; taking the knee allows them to articulate it.

Some are young black sportsmen who want to show that whatever their own exalted fortunes, their existence within the bubble of elite sport does not blind them to the realities of what life is like for those outside that bubble, who can't walk safely, who can't get jobs, who don't have futures, who have police officers ram their knees on to their necks.

Some are not black but bond day in and day out with those black men and want to support them. Some may just have become part of the ritual and see no harm in it.

But I guess the reasons for the booing are also myriad. Football crowds trample on niceties almost as a matter of faith. It is an achievement when any minute's silence is observed and completely predictable when an anthem is booed or a player or manager abused for appearance or perceived proclivities. So this booing does not take the nihilists who go to international matches outside their comfort zone. But still, the booing episodes do tell us something about where we are in Britain post-Black Lives Matter, post-George Floyd, mid-pandemic.

One could dismiss this as a football terraces thing, but I suspect it is the sharp end of something that's happening more widely in society. I think we have reached the point in the race in Britain debate where a section of white establishment Britain is saying: "That's it. We have heard your plight and George Floyd was terrible and yes, perhaps you do need a few more jobs and we can do that, but you keep going on about it and you are making us feel responsible and uncomfortable: we have heard you, but we have heard enough."

Six months ago the pollsters Opinium asked people what they thought about BLM and were told that 55% of adults polled believed BLM had increased racial tension. Since then Boris Johnson and the Spectator/Telegraph nexus, clearly recognising the symptoms and benefits to them of fear and compassion fatigue, have played on those misgivings. The manoeuvre has underpinned their culture attacks and continues to guide their thinking on contentious issues such as free speech and contested statues.

Indeed, true to type, just hours after the latest outburst of booing, when others were soul searching, the prime minister's spokesperson pointedly refused to condemn the booing. Of course he did: for where there are boos, there are votes, as far as he is concerned. A man who mined cheap laughs with references to black " piccaninnies" and "watermelon smiles" couldn't credibly do anything else.

But this is where the reactionary force meets the resolute object.

Because, despite the boos, despite the culture-war attacks, there is still no indication that those who want or choose to take the knee, or those in wider society who believe it is right to question the skewed narrative told through conduits such as statues in the public realm - a public realm that, incidentally, we as black Britons and taxpayers help to fund - are ready to have their campaigns shut down and see their momentum halted.

Here the equal and opposite message is: "Really sorry if you are getting tired of hearing about this, but the truth is that for all the telling, you are only just beginning to hear this. If you're uncomfortable, welcome to our world: our lives are uncomfortable. You want to tinker, we want wholesale change."

Alastair Campbell once observed that as a publicist and campaigner, he did not believe a message started getting through until it was heard at least 100 times. We haven't reached 100, not even 50. We are at the start of that cycle, not the end.

Not everyone here is a combatant. Among those white players who take the knee to support their teammates, there will be those who don't have very strong views but merely see support - polite acquiescence perhaps - as a decent thing to do. There were fans in the England crowd who tried to drown the booing with their own applause. That too is unsurprising, for even to those who have no strong view there is something distasteful watching violence - verbal or physical - inflicted for no compelling reason.

Those players, those fans, represent millions of Britons, who want no part in the private indecency of social media denigration or the boorishness of public bullying.

Still, for all that, things are messy and they will continue to be so, because actually, this increasingly angry, fractious process is historically how change happens: in the face of the storm and of opposition. One can no more be surprised that some football fans boo those who claim or give a nod to racial justice than wonder why the American deep south didn't cheer Martin Luther King, why Margaret Thatcher linked Nelson Mandela to terrorists and why the Victorian male establishment gave so little encouragement to the suffragettes.

Democratic politics may in time facilitate social change, through votes and ballots, but before that the tussle on the ground is heated, uncivil and unflinching.

Those of us old enough to have seen spasms of ephemeral protest in recent years can see this is something different. Not a squall but a tide. Not another call for make and mend, but a generation's demand for societal and philosophical realignment.

So the agitation will go on and the kneeling will go on and the booing will continue too, as will the flailing, bewildered scream of people who feel the world changing, but have nothing to add but the sound of fear and ignorance. It is an awful sound to be sure, but it is history's soundtrack.

The kneeling, the boos: they complement each other, but they are not the same. Players take the knee, as an act of solidarity and strength. What is the boo but a sign of weakness.

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The fearful boo those who take the knee. But that won't stop the world from changing | Hugh Muir

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ooooo! As has become their ritual, England's footballers took the knee this weekend. And as has become their ritual, a section of the England fans, newly permitted to congregate at stadiums post-pandemic, took the opportunity to barrack those for whom taking the knee has become a statement, a gesture of belonging, solidarity and a token of faith.

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Listen to a rap on Thanksgiving