Some Famous Mathematicians’ Quotes
and Direct and Reported Speech
Archimedes of Syracus (287-212 B. C.)

There are things which seem incredible to most men who have not studied
Mathematics.
Aristotle (384-322 B. C.)

There is nothing strange in the circle being the origin of any and every
marvel.
Roger Bacon (1214-1294)

Mathematics is the door and key to the sciences.
Heri Bergson (1859-1941)

One can always reason with reason.
Janos Bolyai (1802-1860)

I have created a new universe from nothing.
Bernhard Bolzano (1781-1848)

Even in the realm of things which do not claim actuality, and do not even
claim possibility, there exist beyond dispute sets which are infinite.
George Boole (1815-1869)

It is not of the essence of mathematics to be occupied with the ideas of
number and quantity.
Geoge Cantor (1845-1918)

The essence of mathematics is its freedom.
Rene Descartes (1596-1650)

Perfect numbers like perfect men are very rare.
Democritus (460-370 B. C)

I would rather discover one scientific fact than become King of Persia.
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Do not worry about your difficulties in mathematics, I assure you that mine
are greater.
Euclid of Alexandria (325-265 B.C.E)

There is no royal road to geometry.
Eudoxus of Cnidus (408-355 B. C.)

Willingly would I burn to death like Phaeton, were this the price for reaching
the sun and learning its shape, its size and its substance.
Euripides (485-406 B. C.)

Mighty is geometry; joined with art, resistless.
Pierre de Fermat (1601-1665)

And perhaps, posterity will thank me for having shown it that the ancients did
not know everything.
Friedrich Ludwig Gottlob Frege (1848-1925)

Every good mathematician is at least half a philosopher, and every good
philosopher is at least half a mathematician.
Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777-1855)

Mathematics is the queen of the sciences and number theory is the queen of
mathematics.
Kurt Godel (1906-1978)

Nothing new had been done in Logic since Aristotle!
Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947)

Let us grant that the pursuit of mathematics is a divine madness of the
human spirit.
Tense
Direct Speech
Reported Speech
present simple “I like ice cream”
She said (that) she liked ice cream.
present
“I am living in London” She said she was living in London.
continuous
She said she had been to the cinema, or She
past simple
“I went to the cinema”
said she went to the cinema.
past
“I was walking along
She said she had been walking along the
continuous
the street”
street.
present perfect “I haven’t seen Julie” She said she hadn’t seen Julie.
“I had taken English
She said she had taken English lessons
past perfect*
lessons before”
before.
will
“I’ll see you later”
She said she would see me later.
would*
“I would help, but..”
She said she would help but...
“I can speak perfect
can
She said she could speak perfect English.
English”
“I could swim when I
could*
She said she could swim when she was four.
was four”
shall
“I shall come later”
She said she would come later.
“I should call my
should*
She said she should call her mother
mother”

Doesn’t change
Direct speech “I speak English.”
Reported speech
(no backshift) He says that he speaks English.
Reported speech
(backshift) He said that he spoke English.
Direct speech “Carol, speak English. “
Reported speech He told Carol to speak English.
With interrogative direct speech “Why don’t you speak English?”
Reported speech He asked me why I didn’t speak English.
Without interrogative direct speech “Do you speak English?”
Reported speech He asked me whether / if I spoke English.
1. He said, "I like this song."
→ He said _______________
2. "Where is your sister?" she asked me.
→ She asked me _______________
3. "I don't speak Italian," she said.
→ She said _______________
4. "Say hello to Jim," they said.
→ They asked me _______________
5. "The film began at seven o'clock," he said.
→ He said _______________
6. "Don't play on the grass, boys," she said.
→ She told the boys _______________
7. "Where have you spent your money?" she asked him.
→ She asked him _______________
8. "I never make mistakes," he said.
→ He said _______________
9. "Does she know Robert?" he wanted to know.
→ He wanted to know _______________
10. "Don't try this at home," the stuntman told the audience.
→ The stuntman advised the audience _______________
Source: http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/reported-speech/exercises?05
TASK: Now, put 10 of the famous mathematicians’ quotes into reported speech.
Key
He said, "I like this song."
→ He said that he liked that song.statement, backshift: Simple Present becomes
Simple Past; note that the pronouns have to be changed
depending on whether the same song is played at the moment or now, you will use
this song or that song
"Where is your sister?" she asked me.
→ She asked me where my sister was.question, backshift: Simple Present becomes
Simple Past; note that the pronouns have to be changed
"I don't speak Italian," she said.
→ She said that she didn't speak Italian.statement, backshift: Simple Present
becomes Simple Past; note that the pronouns have to be changed
"Say hello to Jim," they said.
→ They asked me to say hello to Jim.request, positive: to + rest of the sentence
"The film began at seven o'clock," he said.
→ He said that the film had begun at seven o'clock.statement, backshift: Simple Past
becomes Past Perfect
"Don't play on the grass, boys," she said.
→ She told the boys not to play on the grass.request, negative: not to + rest of the
sentence (don't and addressee are dropped)
"Where have you spent your money?" she asked him.
→ She asked him where he had spent his money.question, backshift: Present Perfect
becomes Past Perfect; note that the pronouns have to be changed
"I never make mistakes," he said.
→ He said that he never made mistakes.statement, backshift: Simple Present
becomes Simple Past; note that the pronouns have to be changed
"Does she know Robert?" he wanted to know.
→ He wanted to know if she knew Robert.question, backshift: Simple Present
becomes Simple Past; note that the pronouns have to be changed
"Don't try this at home," the stuntman told the audience.
→ The stuntman advised the audience not to try that at home.request, negative: not
to
+
rest
of
the
sentence
(don't
is
dropped)
you would normally use that here, however, if you are watchin the same stunt at the
moment of reporting (e.g. on video), you could say this.