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Reported Speech

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Cayetana Gonzalez
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4 views

Reported Speech

Uploaded by

Cayetana Gonzalez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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REPORTED SPEECH

We use reported speech to express what other people said without repeating their
actual words.
Example:
I´m coming to the party on Friday (direct speech)
He says that he is coming to the party on Friday (reported speech)
To change direct speech into reported speech, we make the following changes:

 Quotation marks disappear.


“I´m going out with Holly” he said.
He said that the was going out with Holly.
 Personal pronouns and possessives change.
“I´ll give you my number” she said.
She said that she would give me her number.
 Demonstrative pronouns and adjectives and adverbs of place change.

DIRECT REPORTED
This That
These Those
Here There
“Shall we stay here and watch this film?”
He asked whether they should stay there and watch that film.
 Words connected with time change.

DIRECT REPORTED
Now Then
Today / tonight That day / that night
Yesterday The day before
The day before yesterday Two days before
Tomorrow The next / the following day
The day after tomorrow Two days later
Next week / month The following week / month
Last week / year The week / year before the previous
week / year
Three hours ago, Three hours before
“I sent you a long letter last week”.
My pen pal said that she had sent me a long letter the week before.
REPORTING VERBS

We use a reporting verb such as say, tell, admit, advise, agree, announce, beg,
declare, explain, insist, mention, order, recommend, state and warn followed by
that (which can omitted).

Example:
“I like parties”.
Ben says (that) he likes parties.

Verbs like ask, beg, invite, offer, order, remind and tell are followed by an
indirect object and have the following structure:

Example:
“Don´t forget my party tonight”.
Ben reminded them about his party that night.

“Would you like some birthday cake?”


Ben offered them some birthday cake.

REPORTED STATEMENTS

Reported statements have the following structure reporting verb + (that) +


subject + verb.

Example:
“I know them”.
He says (that) he knows them.

TENSE DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH


Present Simple “She makes an effort” He said that she made an effort
Present Continuous “She is making an effort” He said that she was making an effort
Past Simple “She made an effort” He said that she had made an effort
Past Continuous “She was making an effort” He said that she had been making an effort
Present Perfect Simple “She has made an effort” He said that she had made an effort
Present Perfect Continuous “She has been making an effort” He said that she had been making an effort
Past Perfect Simple “She had made an effort” He said that she had made an effort
Past Perfect Continuous “She had been making an effort” He said that she had been making an effort
Future “She will be making an effort” He said that she would be making an effort
CHANGE OF MODALS
DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH
Can Could
May Might
Must Had to
Have to Had to

REPORTED QUESTIONS
In reported questions, the subject comes before the verb, as it does in affirmative
statements. We do not use the auxiliary verb do or questions marks. As with reported
statements, the main verb in the direct speech often goes back a tense in reported
questions.

Reported yes / no questions


We use the following structure:
Reporting verb + whether / if + subject + verb

Example:
“Is he a friend of yours?”
Sarah asked whether / if he was a friend of mine

Reported (what, where, how, etc) questions


We use the following structure:
Reporting verb + wh- word + subject + verb

Example:
“Who are you going out with?”
My father asked me who I was going out with.

REPORTED COMMANDS, REQUESTS AND SUGGESTIONS

Commands and requests


We tend to use the verbs tell and ask with the structure:
Reporting verb + indirect object + (not) to + infinitive

Example:
“Please be outside the cinema at 7pm”
She told us to be outside the cinema at 7pm
“Don’t judge him too quickly”.
She asked me not to judge him too quickly.

Suggestions
We tend to use the verb suggest with the structure:
Reporting verb + (that) + subject + infinitive without to the reporting verb +
(not) -ing

Example:
“Why don’t we all go out together?”
I suggested2 (that) we all go out together.
I suggested going out together.

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