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Reported Speech

The document explains the concept of reported speech in English grammar, detailing the differences between direct and indirect speech. It outlines the necessary changes in pronouns, time, place, and tense when converting direct speech to indirect speech. Additionally, it provides exercises for practicing the transformation of various types of sentences into indirect speech.

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cinthiasanchez2010
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6 views

Reported Speech

The document explains the concept of reported speech in English grammar, detailing the differences between direct and indirect speech. It outlines the necessary changes in pronouns, time, place, and tense when converting direct speech to indirect speech. Additionally, it provides exercises for practicing the transformation of various types of sentences into indirect speech.

Uploaded by

cinthiasanchez2010
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Reported Speech

In English grammar, we use reported speech to say what


another person has said. We can use their exact words with
quotation marks, this is known as direct speech, or we can use indirect
speech.

• He says/said …
• She explains/explained …
• She tells/told me …
• He asks/asked …
Direct Speech
When turning direct speech into indirect speech, we need to pay attention to the following points:
• changing the pronouns
Example:
He said, “I saw a famous TV presenter.”
He said (that) he had seen a famous TV presenter.

• changing the information about time and place (see the table at the end of this page)
Example:
He said, “I saw a famous TV presenter here yesterday.”
He said (that) he had seen a famous TV presenter there the day before.

• changing the tense (backshift)


Example:
He said, “She was eating an ice-cream at the table where you are sitting.”
He said (that) she had been eating an ice-cream at the table where I was sitting.
No Change of Tenses
If the introductory clause is in the simple present, however (e.g. He
says), then the tense remains unchanged, because the introductory
clause already indicates that the statement is being immediately
repeated (and not at a later point in time).

Example:
He says, “I saw a TV presenter.”
He says that he saw a TV presenter.
Exercises
Write the following sentences in indirect speech.
Pay attention to backshift and the changes to pronouns, time, and place.

• Two weeks ago, he said, “I visited this museum last week.”


→ Two weeks ago, he said that .
• She claimed, “I am the best for this job.”
→ She claimed that .
• Last year, the minister said, “The crisis will be overcome next year.”
→ Last year, the minister said that .
• My riding teacher said, “Nobody has ever fallen off a horse here.”
→ My riding teacher said that .
• Last month, the boss explained, “None of my co-workers has to work overtime now.”
→ Last month, the boss explained that .
Rewrite the question sentences in indirect speech.

• She asked, “What did he say?”


→ She asked .
• He asked her, “Do you want to dance?”
→ He asked her .
• I asked him, “How old are you?”
→ I asked him .
• The tourists asked me, “Can you show us the way?”
→ The tourists asked me .
• The shop assistant asked the woman, “Which jacket have you already tried on?”
→ The shop assistant asked the woman .
Rewrite the demands/requests in indirect speech.

• The passenger requested the taxi driver, “Stop the car.”


→ The passenger requested the taxi driver .
• The mother told her son, “Don’t be so loud.”
→ The mother told her son .
• The policeman told us, “Please keep moving.”
→ The policeman told us .
• She told me, “Don’t worry.”
→ She told me .
• The zookeeper told the children, “Don’t feed the animals.”
→ The zookeeper told the children .

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