Reported Speech

1. What is it?

Reported speech​​ is when we report or repeat somebody’s words or sentences. We can report​​ directly​​ by simply repeating the exact sentence we heard:

Joe:​​ ‘It is very hot today.’

‘It is very hot today’, Joe said.

Or​​ indirectly,​​ when report somebody’s sentence from our point of view:

Peter to Anne:​​ ‘I like your new dress.’

Anne:​​ ‘Peter says that he likes my new dress.’

2. What can we report?

We can report many different types of sentences:​​ statements, thoughts, questions, instructions, offers, advice, promises, suggestions

Frank to Bill: ‘Stop using my bike!’

Frank told Bill to stop using his bike.

‘You shouldn’t smoke so much’, said Fred.

Fred suggested that I shouldn’t smoke so much.

‘Do you like blue cheese?’ , asked Mary.

Mary asked Phil if he liked blue cheese.

3. Tense change or not?

When we report somebody’s sentences which​​ relate to the present, we do​​ not have to change​​ the tenses. Usually the reporting verb (eg. say, tell) is in the present.

Chris to Liza: ‘I love you.’

Liza to her friend: ‘Chris says that he loves me.’​​ 

When we report somebody’s sentences which​​ relate to the past, we​​ have to change​​ the tenses. Usually the reporting verb is in the past.

 ‘I went on an excursion around the city’, said Bill.

 Bill said that he had gone on an excursion around the city.

4. Statements, thoughts, etc.

When we report somebody’s words and thoughts, we have to pay attention to the following:

• Tense change

• Pronoun change

• Changing words of time and place

Study the examples carefully:

‘I​​ can​​ swim very fast’, said Frank.

Frank said that​​ he​​ could​​ swim very fast.

‘I​​ am going to​​ travel to Paris​​ next year’, insisted Bill.

Bill insisted that​​ he​​ was going to​​ travel to Paris​​ the following year.

5. Wh-question

When we report somebody’s wh-question, we have to pay attention to the following changes:

• Tense change  

• Pronoun change   

• Changing words of time and place

• Word order change from question to​​ statement

Look at the example sentences, and study how the word order changes:

 ‘Where​​ are​​ you​​ going?’​​ asked mum.

 Mum asked​​ where​​ I​​ was​​ going.

 When​​ does​​ the plane​​ arrive?’​​ asked the passenger.

 The passenger asked​​ when​​ the train​​ arrived.​​ 

6. Yes/no questions

When we report somebody’s question, we have to pay attention to the following changes:

• Tense change   

• Pronoun change   

• Changing words of time and place

• Word order change from question to statement

• Add if/whether in reported speech

Study how the word order changes in yes/no questions:

 ‘Do​​ you​​ have​​ a car?’

 She asked​​ if/whether​​ I​​ had​​ a car.

 ‘Have​​ you​​ ever​​ been​​ to New York?’

 He asked​​ if/whether​​ I​​ had​​ ever​​ been​​ to New York.

7. Reporting advice, promise, etc.

When reporting advice, command/instruction, promise, request, warning, etc, we use:

advise / ask / tell / warn / promise / beg / expect / want / allow / command / tell / invited / offer, etc (+ pronoun) + the to-infinitive

 ‘Open, the door, please.’​​ He told​​ me to open​​ the door.

 ‘Can you help me?’​​ He asked​​ me to help​​ him.

 ‘You shouldn’t smoke.’​​ He advised​​ me not to smoke.

 ‘I’ll will visit you.’ ​​ She promised​​ to visit me.

 ‘We could do it for you.’​​ They offered​​ to do it​​ for us.

 ‘Don’t tell him anything.’​​ She instructed​​ me not to tell​​ him anything.

8. Suggestions

When we report suggestions and recommendations with the word​​ suggest, we can use four constructions:

 ‘Let’s order pizza.’

 He suggested that​​ we order pizza.

 He suggested that​​ we should order pizza.

 He suggested that​​ we ordered pizza.

 He suggested​​ ordering pizza.

Note:​​ We​​ cannot use ‘to-infinitive’ after suggest!​​ 

9. Tense changes

When we report somebody’s speech and the reporting verb is in the past, we have to move the tense one step back in time:

present simple    past simple

present continuous   past continuous

past simple  ​​    past perfect

present perfect (continuous)  past perfect (continuous)

past perfect    past perfect

past continuous    past perfect continuous

am going to     was going to

will      would

can/could     could

may/might     might

must      had to

mustn’t     couldn’t

shall/should    should

10. Time, place word changes​​ 

When the reporting verb is in the past tense, we usually have to change the following words:

today    that day

tonight   that night

tomorrow   the next day, the following day

yesterday  ​​​​   the previous day, the day before

two days ago  two days before, two days earlier

next (week/day)  the following (week/day)

last (week/month) the (week/month) before

now    then

here    there

come    go

this/these   that/those/that

ago    before

before   earlier

11. Other changes

In reported speech, pronouns can change depending on the speaker’s viewpoint.

 Peter to his son:​​ ‘I​​ will buy​​ you​​ a video game.’

 Son to his friend:​​ ‘Dad said that​​ he​​ would buy​​ me​​ a video game.’​​ 

This/that/these/those​​ may change to​​ the.​​ This/that​​ may change to​​ it.

 ‘I love​​ this ice-cream’, said Clara.

 Clara said that she loved​​ the ice-cream.

 ‘Please, give me​​ that book’, asked Fred.

 Fred asked me to give​​ it​​ to him.

12. Common reporting verbs: