REPORTED SPEECH
is very important for legal language,
because it is used in newspaper reports
of crimes and investigations, in reports
on trials, in judicial procedure…
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What is Reported Speech?
Reported Speech is
a way how we report
what someone has
said by changing
some of the words
said, but retaining
the same meaning.
When do we use it?
REPORTED SPEECH is used to tell what someone
said. Yet, we do not repeat all the words exactly.
REAL WORDS (direct speech):
Tom said: “We are going to the cinema this afternoon.”
REPORTED SPEECH:
Tom said that they were going to the cinema that afternoon.
General rule:
1. When the introductory verb (say, tell, inform, state,
claim…) is in the present, present perfect or
future tense, no change in tense or adverbs of
time and place is necessary
Direct speech:
He says: “I don’t understand this question”.
Reported speech:
He says that he doesn’t understand this question.
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2. When the introductory verb is in the Past
Tense, there is a change of tense and
adverbs of time and place.
Direct speech:
He said: “I don’t understand this question”.
Reported speech:
He said that he didn’t understand that
question.
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***Notice***
The reporting verbs that we can
use in this structure include:
tell, ask, order, warn, advise,
invite etc.
***Notice***
The reporting verbs that we
can use in this structure
include:
Offer, promise, agree, refuse
etc.
CHANGE OF TENSES:
DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH
present past
present perfect past perfect
past past perfect
future past future
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CHANGE OF ADVERBS OF
TIME & PLACE
DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH
yesterday the day before
tomorrow the next/following day
next day/week the following day/week
today that day
here there
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Changes in Modals
DIRECT REPORTED SPEECH
SPEECH
CAN COULD
MAY MIGHT
MUST / HAVE TO MUST / HAD TO
WILL WOULD
CHANGE OF IMPERATIVE
Direct speech:
He said: “Go home.”
Reported speech:
He told me to go home. (Infinitive)
“Stay in bed for a few days”, the doctor said to
me. The doctor told me to stay in bed for a
few days.
“Don’t shout”, I said to Jim. I told Jim not to
shout.
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SAY and TELL
If you say who you are talking to, use tell:
Sonia told me that you were ill. (not “Sonia said me”)
What did you tell the police? (not “say the police”)
Otherwise use say:
Sonia said that you were ill. (not “Sonia told that..”)
What did you say?
But you can “say something to somebody”:
Ann said goodbye to me and left. (not “Ann said me
goodbye.”)
What did you say to the police?
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Reported statements
Pay attention to the changes mentioned before.
'That‘ can be omited with “TELL & SAY”:
She told him that he was a fool.
She told him he was a fool.
She said that I was right
She said I was right
Remember not to use inverted commas.
Observe that when you use TELL, you must
mention “the person you’re speaking to”
John said: “Ann, I’m very happy.”
John told Ann that he was very happy.
Reported commands
Same basic changes as statements
Basic introductory verb: TELL
The IMPERATIVE verbal form turns into
TO + “INFINITIVE” (Affirmative)
NOT + TO + “INFINITIVE” (Negative)
Examples.-
• “Come here” He told me He told me to go there
• Father: "Do your homework!“ Father told me to do
my homework.
• Teacher. "Don't talk to your mate!" The teacher told
me not to talk to my mate.
Reporting negative orders,
promises, advices…..
In negative orders, promises,
requests,etc, we use the structure:
not + to-infinitive
Some reporting verbs.
Changes of pronouns
In reported speech, we usually need to change the
pronouns (e.g. I, you, me, this, these, etc) and
possessive adjectives (e.g. my, your, etc).
We usually change the pronouns from :
1st person (I, me) 3rd person
2nd person (you, your) (we, us)
• However we do not need to change the
1st person pronoun I when the speaker is reporting
his/her own words.
EXERCISES:
1. “I’m going out now, but I’ll be in by nine”, he said.
2. “I can’t live on my basic salary”, said Peter. “I’ll have
to offer to do overtime.”
3. “We are waiting for the school bus”, said the
children. “It is late again.”
4. “The ice will soon be hard enough to skate on”, said
Tom. “I’ll look for my skates when I get home”, Ann
said.
5. “Don’t lend Harry any money”, said Lucy. “He never
pays his debts.”
6. “Get into the right lane”, said the driving instructor.
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The following sentences are direct speech:
Don’t Don’t wait for Please slow down!
worry, me if I’m late.
Sue.
Now choose one of these to complete each
sentence below. Use the reported speech.
1) Sarah was driving too fast, so I asked…..
2) I didn’t want to delay Ann, so I told…
3) Sue was very pessimistic about the situation. I
told….
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Complete the sentences with SAY or TELL.
1. Ann …. goodbye to me and left.
2. …. us about your holidays. Did you have a nice time?
3. Jack …. me that he was fed up with his job.
4. Don’t …. anybody what I …. It’s a secret just between
us.
5. George couldn’t help me. He …. me to ask Kate.
6. George couldn’t help me. He …. to ask Kate.
7. I wonder where Sue is. She …. she would be here at 8
o’clock.
8. The doctor …. that I should rest for at least a week.
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