Reported Speech

REPORTED SPEECH
- When do we use reported speech?
à Sometimes someone says a sentence, for example "I'm going to the cinema tonight". Later,
maybe we want to tell someone else what the first person said
- We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell’ à If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy.
Direct speech: I like ice cream.

Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.
à We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I'
to 'she', for example. We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your’.
- But, if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported
speech:
Direct speech: I like ice cream.

Reported speech: She said (that) she liked ice cream.
Tense Direct Speech Reported Speech
present simple I like ice cream She said (that) she liked ice cream.
She said (that) she was living in

present continuous I am living in London
London.
She said (that) she had bought a car

past simple I bought a car
OR She said (that) she bought a car.
She said (that) she had been walking

past continuous I was walking along the street
along the street.
present perfect I haven't seen Julie She said (that) she hadn't seen Julie.
She said (that) she had taken English

past perfect* I had taken English lessons before
lessons before.
* doesn’t change
will I'll see you later She said (that) she would see me later.
would* I would help, but..” She said (that) she would help but...
She said (that) she could speak perfect

can I can speak perfect English
English.
She said (that) she could swim when she

could* I could swim when I was four
was four.
shall I shall come later She said (that) she would come later.
should* I should call my mother She said (that) she should call her mother
might* I might be late She said (that) she might be late
She said (that) she must study at the

must I must study at the weekend weekend OR She said she had to study at
the weekend
* doesn’t change
- Occasionally, we don't need to change the present tense into the past if the
information in direct speech is still true (but this is only for things which are general
facts, and even then usually we like to change the tense):
Direct speech: The sky is blue.

Reported speech: She said (that) the sky is/was blue.
A. Reported Questions
- The tense changes are the same, and we keep the question word.
- Once we tell the question to someone else, it isn't a question any more.
Direct speech: Where do you live?

Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.
à Do you see how I made it? The direct question is in the present simple tense. We make
a present simple question with 'do' or 'does' so I need to take that away. Then I need to
change the verb to the past simple.
Direct Question Reported Question
Where is the Post Office, please? She asked me where the Post Office was.
What are you doing? She asked me what I was doing.
Who was that fantastic man? She asked me who that fantastic man had been.
- But, what if you need to report a 'yes / no' question? We don't have any question words to help us.
Instead, we use 'if’:
Direct Question Reported Question

Do you love me? He asked me if I loved him.
Have you ever been to Mexico? She asked me if I had ever been to Mexico.
Are you living here?
She asked me if I was living here.
B. Reported Requests
- What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:
Direct speech: Close the window, please

Or: Could you close the window please?
Or: Would you mind closing the window please?
- We don't need to report every word when we tell another person about it à 'ask me + to + infinitive’:
Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.
- To report a negative request, use 'not’:
Direct speech: Please don't be late.

Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.
C. Reported Orders
- When someone tells you very directly to do something. For example:
Direct speech: Sit down!
- We make this into reported speech in the same way as a request. We just use 'tell' instead of 'ask’:
Reported speech: She told me to sit down.
Direct Order Reported Order

Go to bed! He told the child to go to bed.
Don't worry! He told her not to worry.
Be on time! He told me to be on time.
Don't smoke! He told us not to smoke.
D. Time expressions with Reported Speech
- Sometimes when we change direct speech into reported speech we have to change time expressions
too. à It depends on when we heard the direct speech and when we say the reported speech.
It's Monday. Julie says "I'm leaving today".
If I tell someone on Monday, I say "Julie said she was leaving today".
If I tell someone on Tuesday, I say "Julie said she was leaving yesterday".
If I tell someone on Wednesday, I say "Julie said she was leaving on Monday".
If I tell someone a month later, I say "Julie said she was leaving that day".
now then / at that time

today yesterday / that day / Tuesday / the 27th of June
the day before yesterday / the day before / Wednesday / the 5th of
yesterday
December
last night the night before, Thursday night
last week the week before / the previous week
tomorrow today / the next day / the following day / Friday

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REPORTED SPEECH

- When do we use reported speech?

Direct speech: I like ice cream.

Direct speech: I like ice cream.

She said (that) she was living in

She said (that) she had bought a car

She said (that) she had been walking

She said (that) she had taken English

She said (that) she could speak perfect

She said (that) she could swim when she

might* I might be late She said (that) she might be late

She said (that) she must study at the

Direct speech: The sky is blue.

Direct speech: Where do you live?

Direct Question Reported Question

Direct speech: Close the window, please

Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.

- To report a negative request, use 'not’:

Direct speech: Please don't be late.

- When someone tells you very directly to do something. For example:

Direct speech: Sit down!

Reported speech: She told me to sit down.

Direct Order Reported Order

It's Monday. Julie says "I'm leaving today".

now then / at that time

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