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### Moving the pointing words

When you pass on someone's words, the tenses are not the only thing that moves. Pronouns and possessives change because the speaker has changed (**mi** → **su**, **tú** → **yo**). Words for *here* and *this* usually change too when you report from another place.

| what was said | reported somewhere else |
|---|---|
| aquí | allí |
| este | ese / aquel |
| mi, tú | su, yo |
| venir | ir |
| traer | llevar |

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He said *¿Qué haces aquí?*: **aquí** → **allí**, **tú** → **yo**.

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She said *Este vestido es de mi hermana*: **este** → **ese**, **mi** → **su**.

### **Venir** → **ir**, **traer** → **llevar**

**Venir** and **traer** mean movement towards the speaker. Reported from somewhere else, they usually become **ir** and **llevar**; if you report it in the same place, they can stay.

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He said *Ven a mi despacho*; you are not in it now.

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The host said *Trae vino*; you report it from home, so **llevar**.

### Summing it up

Often you don't repeat the words at all: you name what the person did. **Aconsejar que** + subjunctive reports advice. **Advertir que** goes by meaning: a warning to do or not to do something takes the subjunctive, a warning that something is so takes the indicative. **Negar que** usually takes the subjunctive.

{{item:1254298}}

He may have said *Yo que tú, descansaría*: you keep the advice, not the words.

| warning to act: subjunctive | warning of a fact: indicative |
|---|---|
| Nos advirtió que no nadáramos allí. | La policía nos advirtió que la carretera estaba cerrada. |

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A warning not to do something: subjunctive.

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A warning that something is so: indicative, **estaba**.

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### **Insistir en que**: a claim or a demand

| claim: indicative | demand: subjunctive |
|---|---|
| Insistió en que él no sabía nada. | Insistió en que nos quedáramos a cenar. |

{{item:1254305}}

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Keep the **en**: *insistió que* is a common mistake.

Reporting what people said (aquí → allí, me aconsejó que)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

contraction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

Singular subjects and 'ser' (yo soy, esto es)

Plural nouns and definite articles (los, las)

Plural pronouns and 'ser' (somos, sois, son)

Adjective agreement (-o, -a, -os, -as)

Indefinite articles (un, una, unos, unas)

Simple negation (no)

Yes/no questions

Regular '-ar' verbs (-o, -as, -a...)

Regular '-er' verbs (-o, -es, -e...)

Regular '-ir' verbs (-o, -es, -e...)

Locative adverbs (aquí, allí)

Question words (quién, cómo)

The verb estar (estoy, estás)

The preposition en (en)

Ser vs. estar

The verb tener (tengo, tienes)

Possessive determiners (mi, tu, su)

Origin and possession (de, del)

The verb ir (voy, vas)

Destination (a, al)

The personal 'a' (a)

Stem-changing verbs: e to ie

Stem-changing verbs: o to ue

Irregular first-person verbs

Reflexive verbs (me, te, se)

Numbers 1 to 10 (uno, dos, tres)

Numbers 11 to 20 (once, doce, trece)

Counting by tens to 100 (treinta, cuarenta, cien)

Compound numbers up to 99 (veintiuno, treinta y uno)

Days of the week (el lunes, el martes)

The family and the personal 'a' (a mi tío, a mi prima)

Months of the year

Telling time (es la, son las)

Verbs of liking (me gusta)

Plural agreement with verbs of liking (gustan)

Degree modifiers (muy, mucho)

Formal address (usted, ustedes)

Direct object pronouns (lo, la, los, las)

The near future (ir a)

Obligation (tener que)

Present continuous (-ando, -iendo)

Affirmative commands (tú, vosotros)

Basic Food and Drink

The Human Body: Head and Arms

The Human Body: Legs and Health

Wardrobe Essentials

Fresh Produce

Meals and Proteins

Public Transport

Hello and goodbye (hola, ¿qué tal?)

Thank you, sorry, OK (gracias, vale)

There is, there are (hay)

My building (la escalera, el ascensor)

Describing people (moreno, rubio, tímido)

Land and sea (el mar, el río, el norte)

Sightseeing (la plaza, la catedral)

Asking the way (cerca, a la derecha, todo recto)

In class (¿puedes repetir?)

Verb + infinitive (quiero comer, sé leer)

What's your name? (me llamo, encantado)

Phone, computer and email

Hundreds and thousands (doscientos, mil)

What do you do? (¿a qué te dedicas?)

Personal details (la edad, la fecha de nacimiento)

Me neither (también, tampoco, ni)

How much is it? (el precio, la vuelta)

What's the weather like? (hace sol, nieva)

Free time (el concierto, el tenis)

At the bar (¿qué vas a tomar?)

The Natural World

Demonstratives (este, ese, aquel)

Prepositions of place (encima de, debajo de)

Prepositional pronouns (para mí, contigo)

Ordinal numbers 1st to 10th (primero to décimo)

Adverbs of frequency (a veces, nunca)

Exclamations (¡qué...!)

Indefinite pronouns (algo, alguien)

Indefinite determiners (algún, ningún)

Indirect object pronouns (le, les)

Double object pronouns (me lo, te la)

Double object pronouns (se lo, se la)

Verbs of preference (encantar, interesar)

Impersonal obligation (hay que)

Starting and finishing actions (empezar a, terminar de)

Adjective comparatives (más que, menos que)

Comparatives of equality (tan como)

Noun comparatives (tanto como)

Question	Answer
He asked me what I was doing there.	Me preguntó qué hacía yo allí.
She said it was very hot there.	Dijo que allí hacía mucho calor.
He asked me if I liked that city.	Me preguntó si me gustaba aquella ciudad.
She said that dress was her sister's.	Dijo que ese vestido era de su hermana.
He told me I was right.	Me dijo que yo tenía razón.
My boss told me to go to his office.	Mi jefe me dijo que fuera a su despacho.
Ana asked me to go to her birthday.	Ana me pidió que fuera a su cumpleaños.
He told me to take wine to the dinner.	Me dijo que llevara vino a la cena.
She asked me to take her the photos the next day.	Me pidió que le llevara las fotos al día siguiente.
He advised me to rest for a few days.	Me aconsejó que descansara unos días.
My grandmother advised me not to get married so young.	Mi abuela me aconsejó que no me casara tan joven.
He warned us not to swim there.	Nos advirtió que no nadáramos allí.
The police warned us that the road was closed.	La policía nos advirtió que la carretera estaba cerrada.
She denied that the car was hers.	Negó que el coche fuera suyo.
He denied that he knew the victim.	Negó que conociera a la víctima.
She insisted that we stay for dinner.	Insistió en que nos quedáramos a cenar.
He insisted that he didn't know anything.	Insistió en que él no sabía nada.
He promised me he wouldn't tell anyone.	Me prometió que no se lo diría a nadie.

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