REPORTED SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH

Reported Speech is the exact meaning Reported Speech is the exact meaning of what someone said but not the exact of what someone said but not the exact words. We do not use quotation marks words. We do not use quotation marks in Reported Speech. in Reported Speech.

REPORTED STATEMENTSREPORTED STATEMENTS

To report statements we use a reporting verb To report statements we use a reporting verb ((saysay, , telltell, , adviseadvise, , explainexplain, , promisepromise, etc) , etc) followed by a followed by a thatthat-clause. In spoken English -clause. In spoken English that that may be omitted.may be omitted.

PronounsPronouns and and possessive adjectivespossessive adjectives change change according to the meaning.according to the meaning.

Direct SpeechDirect Speech: He said, “: He said, “II can’t fix it can’t fix it myselfmyself.”.”

Reported SpReported Sp.: He said .: He said hehe couldn’t fix it couldn’t fix it himselfhimself..

Direct Sp.Direct Sp. Reported Sp.Reported Sp.Here Here There There

This This That That

These These Those Those

Now Now Then Then

Today Today That day That day

Tonight Tonight That night That night

Tomorrow Tomorrow The next day/ the following The next day/ the following

dayday

YesterdayYesterday The day beforeThe day before

Next weekNext week The following weekThe following week

Last weekLast week The week beforeThe week before

AgoAgo BeforeBefore

Certain Certain words words change change as as follows:follows:

When the reporting verb is in the Past the verb tenses change as follow:

Direct SpeechDirect Speech Reported SpeechReported SpeechPresent Simple (he speaks) Present Simple (he speaks) Past Simple (he spoke) Past Simple (he spoke)

Present Contin. (he is Present Contin. (he is speaking)speaking)

Past Contin. (he was Past Contin. (he was speaking)speaking)

Past Simple (he spoke)Past Simple (he spoke) Past Perfect (he had spoken)Past Perfect (he had spoken)

Present Perfect (he has Present Perfect (he has spoken)spoken)

Past Perfect (he had spoken)Past Perfect (he had spoken)

Past Perfect (he had spoken)Past Perfect (he had spoken) Past Perfect (he had spoken)Past Perfect (he had spoken)

Future (shall/will)Future (shall/will) Conditional (should/would)Conditional (should/would)

Imperative (speak)Imperative (speak) To-infinitive (to speak)To-infinitive (to speak)

Direct SpeechDirect Speech Reported SpeechReported SpeechAm Am Was Was

Is Is Was Was

Has Has Had Had

Have Have Had Had

There is There is There was There was

There are There are There were There were

Doesn’t Doesn’t Didn’t Didn’t

Don’t Don’t Didn’t Didn’t

Was Was Had been Had been

Were Were Had been Had been

Had Had Had had Had had

Spoke Spoke Had spoken Had spoken

Didn’t speak Didn’t speak Hadn’t spoken Hadn’t spoken

Hadn’t spoken Hadn’t spoken Hadn’t spoken Hadn’t spoken

““Go/Don’t go!”Go/Don’t go!” He told me to go/ not to go.He told me to go/ not to go.

Modal verbs

Direct SpeechDirect Speech Reported SpeechReported SpeechCanCan CouldCould

MayMay MightMight

MightMight MightMight

CouldCould CouldCould

WouldWould WouldWould

ShouldShould ShouldShould

Ought toOught to Ought toOught to

Daren’tDaren’t Daren’tDaren’t

MustMust Must/ Had toMust/ Had to

Needn’tNeedn’t Needn’t/ didn’t have toNeedn’t/ didn’t have to

There are no changes in verb tenses when the There are no changes in verb tenses when the reporting verb is in the reporting verb is in the PresentPresent, , FutureFuture or or PresentPresent PerfectPerfect or when the sentences expresses or when the sentences expresses something which is always true.something which is always true.

D. S.: She’D. S.: She’llll saysay, “I can do it”., “I can do it”.

“ “The earth The earth isis round”, said the teacher. round”, said the teacher.

R.S.: She’R.S.: She’llll saysay (that) (that) she canshe can do it. do it.

The teacher said (that) the earth The teacher said (that) the earth is is

round.round.

The Past Continuous does not usually change.The Past Continuous does not usually change.

D. S.: “I was travelling to Brighton D. S.: “I was travelling to Brighton while she was flying to the USA”, he said.while she was flying to the USA”, he said.

R. S.: He said he was travelling to R. S.: He said he was travelling to Brighton while she was flying to the USA.Brighton while she was flying to the USA.

REPORTED QUESTIONSREPORTED QUESTIONS

In Reported questions we use In Reported questions we use affirmative wordaffirmative word order and the order and the question markquestion mark is is omitted omitted. To report a . To report a wh-questionwh-question, we use ask by the question word (who, , we use ask by the question word (who, what,etc). When there is what,etc). When there is no question wordno question word in direct in direct questions, questions, if if or or whetherwhether is used in Reported is used in Reported questions. Pronouns, possessive adjectives, tenses, questions. Pronouns, possessive adjectives, tenses, time expressions, etc. change as in statements.time expressions, etc. change as in statements.D. S.: He asked, “What time is it?”D. S.: He asked, “What time is it?”

He asked me, “Do you know her?”He asked me, “Do you know her?”R. S.: He asked R. S.: He asked whatwhat time time it wasit was..

He asked me He asked me ifif//whetherwhether I knew her. I knew her.

Reported Commands/ Requests/ Reported Commands/ Requests/ SuggestionsSuggestions

To report commands, requests, suggestions, To report commands, requests, suggestions, etc we use a reporting verb (etc we use a reporting verb (orderorder, , askask, , telltell, , adviseadvise, , offeroffer, , warnwarn, , begbeg, , suggestsuggest, etc) , etc) followed by followed by to-infinitiveto-infinitive or or not to- infinitivenot to- infinitive..

D.S.: He said to me, “Stop talking!”D.S.: He said to me, “Stop talking!”

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

R.S.: He told me R.S.: He told me to stopto stop talking. talking.

He told me He told me not to touchnot to touch it. it.