Reported Speech

QI Listen and repeat. Then act out.

What are you doing? I'm looking for

But 'Trouble' is the name of my dogJ

We can report: A. statements B. questions C. commands, requests, suggestions
Reported Statements
• To report statements we use a reporting verb (say, tell, advise, explain, promise,
etc.) followed by a that-clause. In spoken English that may be omitted.
• Pronouns and possessive adjectives change according to the meaning.
Direct speech: He said , "I can't fix it myself. "
Reported speech: He said he couldn't fix it himself.
Note that:
" • Certain words change as follows:
can changes to could
Direct speech this / these here come will changes to would
Reported speech that / those there go may changes to might
must changes to had to I!
"This is my book," he said. He said that was his book.
II
• When the reporting verb is in the past, the verb tenses change as follows:
Direct speech Reported speech
-II
Present Simple Past Simple
"I want to go to bed early," she said. She said she wanted to go to bed early.
Present Continuous Past Continuous
--
"She's speaking to Joe," he said. He said she was speaking to Joe.
Present Perfect Past Perfect
"I've bought you some flowers," she said. She said she had bought me some flowers.
Past Simple Past Perfect
"He lost all the money," she said. She said he had lost all the money.
Future Conditional
"I'll see you later," he said. He said he would see me later.

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 Reported Speech

• Time expressions change as follows:

Direct speech Reported speech

tonight, today, this week / month / year that night, that day, that week / month /
year
now then, at that time, at once, immediately

now that since

yesterday, last night / week / month / the day before, the previous night / week /
year month / year
the day after, the next / following day,
tomorrow, next week / month / year
the next / following week / month / year

two days / months / years, etc., ago two days / months / years, etc., before

"He arrived last week," she said. She said (that) he had arrived the previous week.

• There are no changes in verb tenses when the reporting verb is in the Present,
Future or Present Perfect tense or when the sentence expresses something which
is always true.

Direct speech She'll say, "I can do it. " "The Earth is round ," said the teacher.

Reported speech She'll say (that) she can do it. The teacher said (that) the Earth is round.

• The Past Continuous does not usually change.

Direct speech "I was travelling to Brighton while she was flying to the USA," he said.

Reported speech He said he was travelling to Brighton while she was flying to the USA.

• Certain modal verbs do not change in Reported speech. These are: would , could ,
might, should , ought to.

Direct speech "He might visit us," Mum said.

Reported speech Mum said (that) he might visit us.

151
 Reported Speech

Report what the guests said at a wedding last Saturd

.--=:--- - - - - -

Miss Moore p,Ci(q Po jQYC:;./Y. vPJ-lp.[e;.•..•••..•••••••••.•.•••

2 Mr Smith ......................................................................... .
3 Mrs Jones .................................................................... , .. .
4 Mr Roberts ........... """"""".".""""""."""""""""""""" ....... "" ...... , ............................ , . ,
5 Mr Clarke .................... "............. "... " I ......... " " .... " ..... • " ... " ........ " ...... " " " ... " ........ " " ....... " ...

6 Miss Mayall .............................. "....... "....... "... "...... "..................... "........... "............................ ".

Rewrite the following sentences in reported speech.

"New Year's Eve is always on December 31st," she said.

X'e,qr:s. is. .q!W0Y.5. .Qt:1. .. ....... ....... .
2 "The children are riding their bikes, " Jennifer said to me.

3 "The Earth revolves around the Sun ," the teacher said to the students.

4 "Jack and Karen have bought a house in the countryside," Nick said to us.

5 "Burglars broke into the museum last night," the news reporter said.

6 "Dad was mowing the lawn while I was cleaning the car," Ryan said.

7 "We will have a housewarming party next week," said Mike and Helen.

8 "Julia and Jose might move to Australia next year," Rory said to us.

152
 Reported Speech

Reported Questions
In Reported questions we use affirmative word order and the question mark is
omitted. To report a wh-question, we use ask followed by the question word (who,
what, etc.). When there is no question word in direct questions, if or whether is used
in Reported questions. Pronouns, possessive adjectives, tenses, time expressions,
etc. change as in statements.

Direct speech He asked, "What time is it?" He asked me, "Do you know her?"
Reported speech He asked what time it was. He asked me if / whether I knew her.

Turn the following into reported questions as in the example:

"What are you doing?" she asked her son. 5 "Where were you? " Barbara asked him .
.She. ..... .
. .dQjOf3 ....................... .
2 "Do you like my new clothes?" she asked 6 "Can you pick me up after school?" she
her friend. asked her mother.

3 "Where are my keys? " he asked his wife. 7 "Have you seen Kim?" David asked Sarah.

4 "Who is your favourite singer?" Mike asked 8 "When will you return?" Tom asked her.
me.

Report the police officer's questions to the shop owner.

1 What's your name? How do you think they got in?

2 5 What did they take?
Has this ever happened before?

1 .T.ht:.pCJ}t({tJ.Qffic.e.r. tlf?l<t:.d 4 • •-••••• II ••••••••• II ••••••

hiro.v.vhEJt. bjf? t;1i3.rne.

2 .....•... I •••••••••••••••• 5 ......................... .

3 .................. I ••••••• 6 .................. 11.1, •••

153
 Reported Speech

Reported Commands / Requests / Suggestions

To report commands, requests, suggestions, etc. we use a reporting verb (order, ask,
tell, beg, suggest,* etc.) followed by to infinitive or not to infinitive.
(*suggest is followed by the -ing form. e.g. He said, "Shall we go by bus?" He suggested going by bus.)

Direct He said to me, "Get out of the house! " He said to me, "Don't touch it! "
speech said to me, "Do me a favour, please." She said to him, "Please, please don't hurt me.
Reported He ordered me to get out of the house. He told me not to touch it.
speech She asked me to do her a favour. IShe begged him not to hurt her.

Use the verbs in the list in the past simple to complete the sentences.

tell suggest beg order

1 "Close the door, please," Ann said to Jack. 4 "Get out of the car! " he said to them.
Ann ..• .ae.ked.... Jack to close the door. He ................... them to get out
2 "Let's go shopping," she said to me. of the car.
She ................•• going shopping. 5 "Don't touch anything, " she said to him.
3 "Please, please don't go," he said to Mary. She . . . .. .. .. .. .. .. ... him not to touch
He .................. Mary not to go. anything.

Report what Mrs Lane told her daughter, Sue, to do.

5 Give the twins a bath

before they go to bed!
6 Don't allow the dog into
I the twins' bedroom!
7 Close all the windows!
8 Put the toys away in
the UUVVUCA

1 :t.Qld .f1Qt. tp. the( .do.p.r. :t.Q . ...........•..•........

2 ................................................................................ I.
3
4 ................................................................................. .
5 ................................................................................ .
6 ................................................................................ .
7 ................................................................................ .
8
154
 Reported Speech

Turn the following sentences into direct speech.

He said that he had ordered a pizza for dinner.

J3J fQr.dir.It1.e.r..': ... ................................. .
2 She said that they had to call their lawyer.

3 The plumber told them that he would go the following day to fix the tap.

4 She told her friend that was the best holiday she had ever had.

5 She asked him why he had said that to her.

6 She told them not to speak to their father like that.

7 He asked the secretary to show him where the manager's office was.

8 She told her son to take his books with him.

Reporting Verbs

Reporting verb
to infinitive
- Direct speech "I Reported speech

offer "Shall I carry the bags? " He offered to carry the bags.
promise "I promise I'll be back early. " He promised to be back early.
refuse "No, I won't buy you a computer. " She refused to buy me a computer.
+sb+to infinitive
advise "You should see a doctor." He advised me to see a doctor.
ask "Could you feed the dog?" She asked me to feed the dog.
beg "Please, please help me! " She begged me to help her.
order "Go to your room ." She ordered me to go to my room .
warn "Don't play with matches. " She warned me not to play with matches.
+-ing form
suggest "Let's visit Sally. " "She suggested visiting Sally. "
+that
explain "I'm going to stay with my sister. " She explained that she was going to stay
with her sister.

155