Reported Speech

We use the Reported Speech also called indirect speech when we tell someone what other person have said. We rarely report the exact words, usually we just give a general summary.

If we write down the actual words that someone says we use speech marks. But if we write down a report of the words there are no speech marks.

Peter speaking to Patricia: " Hello, Patricia how's the fund-raising going?"

Patricia reporting the conversation to Emily: " I saw Peter yesterday. He asked me how the fundraising was going."

 Tense Changes

Statements are usually reported with a past tense ( e.g. said/ told) and an optional that.

The form of the verb that follows then "moves back" in time. This is called backshift.

• You - me

Peter: " I'll call you tomorrow."

Patricia:  Peter told me (that) he would call me tomorrow.

• Present Simple to Past Simple

E.g. "I catch the bus at 7:15 every school day."

E.g. He said that he caught the bus at 7:15 every school day.

• Present Continuous to Past Continuous

E.g. " We are having our lunch at the moment."

E.g. She said that they were having their lunch.

• Present Perfect to Past Perfect

E.g. " Unfortunately, I've lost my new umbrella."

E.g. He said that he had lost his umbrella.

• Past Simple to Past Perfect (or stays the same)

E.g. " I wrote three letters to her."

E.g. She said that she had written three letters to her.

•  "Be going to " to was going to

E.g. "They're going on holidays."

E.g. He told me they were going on holidays.

• Will to would

E.g. " I'll be home at 9 PM."

E.g. He said he would be home at 9 PM.

• Can to Could

E.g. " They can win the national championship."

E.g. He told they could win the championship.

• There's no change for must, might, could, should, would.

E.g. " I must study for the exams."

E.g. He said he must study for the exams.

• But in the case of must we can also use had to.

E.g. He said he had to study for the exams.

• No tense changes

If the report is about something which is always true, it isn't necessary to change tenses, but it's possible to change them if we want to.

Teacher: "The Earth goes around the Sun."

Student: The teacher said that the Earth goes around the Sun.

• If the report is about something that has immediate relevance, we usually don't change tenses.

E.g. " I'm arriving to your house."

E.g. He said that is arriving.

• Speakers in reported speech

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When we write down the actual words, the speaker can be mentioned at the beginning or end of the sentence. Notice the position of the comma and the final full stop in relation to the speech marks.

E.g. Jack said, " we're going to miss the bus."

E.g. " We're going to miss the bus" said Jack.

But in reported speech the speaker is only mentioned at the beginning of the sentence.

E.g. Jack said they were going to miss the bus.

• People, Place, Times

In reported speech references to people, places and times often change, because the point of view changes.

E.g. " I'll see you here tomorrow," said Sue.

E.g. Sue said that she would see me there the next day.

E.g. " I bought this book yesterday", said Ted.

E.g. Ted said he had bought the book the day before.

• Say, tell, speak

Say and tell can be followed by the  optional that.

E.g. " It's warm today" she said.

E.g. She told me that it was warm today.

We can use to after say, but we never use to after tell,

E.g. " I come from Senegal."

E.g. He said to me that he comes from Senegal.

E.g. He told me that he comes from Senegal.

Speak describes the act of talking.

E.g. "I saw Helen speaking with him yesterday."

• We can also report questions with verbs like ask, wonder and want to know.

E.g. Where do you live?" he asked.

E.g. He asked me where I lived. ( not where I did live)

E.g." Do you live in London?" he asked

E.g. He wanted to know if I lived in Athens. ( not If I did live)

• We can also report questions using " wh-questions", (using when, what, why, how, etc...).

The word order in a reported question is like a normal statement, with the subject before the verb.

E.g. "Where is the Tube station?" she asked.

E.g. She asked where the Tube station was. ( not where was the bus station).

E.g. " What are you doing?" he asked.

E.g. He wanted to know what I was doing.

E.g. " Why did you go there?" she asked.

E.g. She wondered why I had gone there.

E.g. " Where have you come from?" he asked.

E.g. He asked me where I had come from.

• When we report Yes/No questions ( Do you, Did you, Are you, etc...), we use if or whether.

E.g. " Does the London train stop here?" she asked.

E.g. She asked me if the London train stopped here.

E.g. " Did you speak to Rachel ?" he asked.

E.g. He wanted to know whether I had spoken to Rachel.

E.g. "Are you a student?" she asked.

E.g. She asked me if I was a student.

• Reporting commands and requests

Commands are reported with tell and the infinitive.

E.g. " Close the door, please"

E.g. I told him to close the door.

E.g. " Wait a minute please."

E.g. I told her to wait a minute.

Request are reported with ask and the infinitive.

E.g. " Write your contact details in this paper".

E.g. I asked him to write his contact details in the paper.

E.g. "Wait for me at the first floor."

E.g. I asked him to wait for me at the first floor.

• Besides say as the reporting verb, there are many others reporting verbs.

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Reporting verbs can have one or more different patterns.

• Verb + to infinitive : agree, decide, offer, promise, refuse.

 E.g." Yes, Charles, I think you're right" said Jackie.

Jackie agreed with Charles.

E.g."I'll buy the brown jacket" said Tina.

Tina decided to buy the brown jacket.

E.g." Shall I close the window, teacher?" said George

George offered to close the window.

E.g." No, I won't borrow you money! " said Zoe

Zoe refused to borrow money.

• Verb + object + to infinitive : advice, ask, invite, remind.

E.g. " I wouldn't buy that house, Ronald, if I were you."

I advised Ronald not to buy the house.

E.g. " Do you could answer this question, Bill?"

I asked Bill, to answer the question.

E.g. " Would you like to come to the dinner tonight, Sarah?"

I invited Sarah to the dinner tonight.

E.g. " Don't forget to send your mother a mother's day card, Tom?"

I reminded Tom to send his mother a mother's day card.

• Verb + ing form: deny, suggest

E.g. " No, I didn't lie! I always say the truth" said Marie.

Marie denied lying.

E.g. "How about going to the cinema, Saturday night"? said Sally.

Sally suggested going to the cinema Saturday night.

• Verb + preposition + ing form: apologize for, congratulate, etc...

E.g." I'm really sorry for being so late", said David.

David apologized for being late.

E.g. " Well done, Anthony, you've passed the driving exam."

I congratulated, Anthony on passing him driving exam.

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