ESLSongs

Practise reported speech and especially different reporting verbs in the ESL classroom with this hard-core song, Talked until dawn by Alan Smith Robertson.

The lyrics of this song include 11 different examples of reported speech with 10 different reporting verbs: said, asked, told (x2), apologised for, agreed to, promised that, admit, confessed, begged me to & blamed me for.

This song comes with a PDF worksheet and is available for download in mp3 format. To see other suggestions on how to use this song in class, click here.

Lyrics

VERSE
I’m no boyfriend material
I don’t commit to anyone
I once had this girl, she liked to talk
And when she did, I wanted to turn her off

CHORUS
She said that we needed to talk
And I asked her what was wrong
And then she talked until dawn
And as night turned into day
And I told her I could change
But I turned and she had left

VERSE
She told me that she needed time
And apologised for the hurt she caused
I agreed to give her some space
and I promised that I would wait for her

BRIDGE
And so I admit, I was tempted away
Oh, but my Mercedes attracts the ladies

VERSE
When she finally came back
I confessed I’d met someone else
And then she begged me to stay
And then she blamed me for how she felt

Suggested activity: fill the gaps

Download this exercise (PDF)

Put the reporting verbs from the list below into an appropriate space. Then listen to see if you guessed right. Sometimes there is more than one possible verb.

admit, advised, agreed, apologised, asked, begged, blamed, confessed, insisted, persuaded, promised, reminded, said, suggested, threatened, told, urged, warned

VERSE
I’m no boyfriend material
I don’t commit to anyone
I once had this girl, she liked to talk
And when she did, I wanted to turn her off

CHORUS
She ¹______________ that we needed to talk
And I ²____________ her what was wrong
And then she talked until dawn
And as night turned into day
And I ³____________ her I could change
But I turned and she had left

VERSE
She ⁴____________ me that she needed time
And ⁵____________ for the hurt she caused
I ⁶____________ to give her some space
and I ⁷____________ that I would wait for her

BRIDGE
And so I ⁸____________, I was tempted away
Oh, but my Mercedes attracts the ladies

VERSE
When she finally came back
I ⁹____________ I’d met someone else
And then she ¹⁰____________ me to stay
And then she ¹¹____________ me for how she felt

.

If you enjoyed the song or if you think it will be useful for your students at least, remember this song comes with a PDF worksheet and is available for download in mp3 format.