REPORTED SPEECH:

statements
 INTRODUCTION
■ There are two main ways of reporting
people’s words, thoughts, beliefs, etc:

● ‘direct speech’: We can give the exact words

that were said.
■ So he said, ‘I want to go home’, and just walked
out.

● ‘indirect speech’: We can make a speaker’s

words part of our sentence, changes are then
necessary.
■ So he said that he wanted to go home, and just
walked out.
Basic Rules for Indirect Speech
■Change of situation
● Words that are spoken or thought in one
place at a different time, and perhaps by
another person. These changes are
mostly logical.
■Bill (on Saturday evening): I don’t
like this party. I want to go home
now.
Peter (on Sunday morning): Bill said
that he didn’t like the party, and he
wanted to go home right away.
■Pronouns
● A change of speaker =change of
pronoun.
▪“Here and now” words
A change of place and time may mean
changing words like here, this, now, today.

Direct Sp. Reported Sp.

Here There
This That
These Those
Now Then
Today That day
Tonight That night
Tomorrow The next day/ the following day

Yesterday The day before

Next week The following week
Last week The week before
Ago Before
■Tenses
● A change of time may mean a change of
tense: after past reporting verbs, the
verbs of the original speech are usually
‘backshifted’ -made more past.

● Sometimes this means that past verbs

are used to talk about the present or the
future.
■ Your mother said that I could play here
today.
● After present, future and present perfect
reporting verbs, tenses are usually the
same as in the original (because there is
no important change of time).
■He says he doesn’t want to play any more.
 REPORTED SPEECH
' I know quite a lot of people Present Simple Past He said that
here.' Simple he ...............................
Robert said. quite a lot of people there
'John is feeling much better ' Present Past He said that
Paul said. Continuous Continuous John ...........................much
better
' I enjoyed my holiday in the Simple Past Past Perfect He said that
States' he ............................... his
David said. holiday in the States
'Jackie wasn´t feeling very well Past Past Perfect He said that
' Continuous Continuous Jackie .........................
The teacher said. very well
' They've seen the Eiffel Tower Present Past Perfect He said that
' Perfect they ............................
John said. the Eiffel Tower
' I have been waiting for ages ' Present Past Perfect He said that
My father said. Perfect Continuous he ............................
Continuous for ages
' Nobody had warned them Past Perfect Past Perfect He said that
about the storm ' The politician nobody .................... about the
said. storm
' She had been reading all day Past Perfect Past Perfect She said that
' Continuous she ........................ all day
Brenda said. Continuous
 REPORTED SPEECH

' I will be here with you.' Future Conditional Robert promised that
Robert promised me. Simple Present he ...............................
there with me

'John is going to study French ' Be going to Was/Were Paul said that
Paul said. going to John ...........................
to study French

' We can start the lesson' Can Could David said that
David said. we ............................... start
the lesson

' They may come home ' May Might My husband said that
My husband said. they .........................
come home

' You must be quiet in class ' Must Had to The teacher said that
The teacher said. we ............................
be quiet in class
 And remember!!!!!!!!

■ When using SAY:

●Don’t use the object pronoun
She said she had to study.
■When using TELL:
●Use the object pronoun
She told me that the restaurant was great.
■In both cases the introductory
“that” is not necessary
REPORTED
SPEECH

QUESTIONS
COMMANDS
REQUESTS
REPORTING QUESTIONS
YES / NO QUESTIONS

•There is no inversion (subject/verb):

1. do not use auxiliaries (except for negation)
2. word order is the same as in a positive sentence

• Use If or whether after the reporting verb

“Are you working these days?” he said.

He inquired if/whether I was working those days

“Did you speak to John last night?” she asked

She wanted to know if/whether I had spoken to J, the night
before.
 WH-
REPORTING QUESTIONS QUESTIONS

•Use the Wh- word to introduce the sentence.

“Who told you this story?” He asked me who had told that story
“Where is the newspaper?” He asked me where the newspaper
was.

•The word order is a positive one, without inversion

(subject/verb)
“Where did you go last summer?”.
He asked me where I had gone the previous summer.

•Some verbs we can use as reporting verbs: ask,

enquire, wonder,would like to know, want to know…

Say and tell are not used to report questions!!!!!!

REPORTING COMMANDS

•The imperative changes into infinitive

told + object + (not) + to-infinitive

He said: “Stay here” He told us to stay here

He said to me, “Don’t touch it!” He told me not to touch it.

•The reporting verb must indicate “order” = use “tell”

He said: “Be quiet” He told me to be quiet

•Apart from Tell other verbs can be used: warn, order,

command, instruct,...
“Say that again”, he said to me He asked me to say that again
 REPORTING REQUESTS

•The verbs used are: ask, beg, demand & request

and they are situated before the requested person.
asked + object + (not) + to-infinitive
•The word “please” is omitted

“John, don’t open the window, please” I said

I asked /requested/begged John not to open the window.

“Can you let me use your phone, please?” I asked my neighbour

I asked my neighbour to let me use her phone

.
SUMMARY

MAIN CHANGES: - verb tenses: backshift

- words in situation: here, today…

STATEMENTS: structure: the same

(say/tell)

QUESTIONS: Structure: affirm. YES/NO: if/whether

(ask) WH- : WH- question word

COMMANDS & : Structure: + TO INF: Command :

tell
REQUESTS Request : ask