Direct Speech Reported Speech

today that day

this morning that morning
this afternoon that afternoon
this evening that evening
this week that week
this month that month
this year that year
tonight that night
tomorrow the next day/ the following day
tomorrow morning the next morning/ the following morning
tomorrow afternoon the next afternoon/ the following afternoon
tomorrow evening the next evening/ the following evening
next week the next week/ the following week
next month the next month/ the following month
next year the next year/ the following year
yesterday the day before/ the previous day
yesterday morning the morning before/ the previous morning
yesterday afternoon the afternoon before/ the previous afternoon
yesterday evening the evening before/ the previous evening

We can't say here or this or come or bring in reported speech because they are words which
are used for a certain place you are at the time you speak.

Direct Speech Reported Speech

"Come here and bring me your book!" He told me to go there and take my book.
"This is a great book." He said it was a great book.

Reporting verbs according to the pattern they follow:

verb + infinitive: promise, offer

verb + sb + infinitive: ask, remind, encourage, persuade, invite, advise

verb + that + clause: explain, complain

Some other verbs according to the pattern they follow:

admit (that) + clause

accuse (someone) of (verb) + - ing

deny (verb) + ing

remind (someone) that (+ clause)

Note the difference between "say" and "tell". We say something, but we tell someone
something.

Similar to 'say' Similar to 'tell'

mention, explain, point out, agree, promise, threaten, pretend, claim, promise, advise,
recommend, suggest, admit, deny, boast, complain, insist, propose, reply warn, remind

Here are some common reporting verbs with the patterns which follow them. You should
learn and remember these. (good luck - there are a lot!!!)

Subject Verb to do
offered
agreed This pattern is common with verbs which mean "I'll
refused do it!"
to make a cup of
I promised Here, the person who is speaking does the action.
tea.
threatened
pretended
claimed

Subject Verb Object to do

told
ordered This pattern is common with verbs which mean
asked "You do it!".
begged Here, the person who is listening does the
advised to make me a action.
I him
reminded cup of tea. Note that "warn" is usually used with a negative.
persuaded ("I warned him not to go.")
encouraged
warned
invited

Subject Verb doing

admitted A lot of students make mistakes with "suggest" and
denied eating all "recommend" so make sure you learn these.
I
suggested the cake
recommended

Finally, there are a lot of reporting verbs which use prepositions. Again, you have to
remember all these patterns.

I blamed him for doing it. I confessed to doing it.

I accused him of doing it. I apologised for doing it.
I congratulated him on doing it. I insisted on doing it.
Time words
If we report something around the same time, then we probably do not need to make any
changes to time words. But if we report something at a different time, we need to change
time words. Look at these example sentences:

 He said: "It was hot yesterday." → He said that it had been hot the day before.
 He said: "We are going to swim tomorrow." → He said they were going to swim the
next day.

Here is a list of common time words, showing how you change them for reported speech:

direct speech reported speech

now then / at that time

today that day, on Sunday, yesterday

tonight that night, last night, on Sunday night

tomorrow the next/following day, on Sunday, today

yesterday the day before/the previous day, on Sunday

last night the night before/the previous night, on Sunday night

this week that week, last week

last month the month before/the previous month, in May

next year the following year, in 2014

two minutes ago two minutes before

in one hour one hour later

Place words
If we are in the same place when we report something, then we do not need to make any
changes to place words. But if we are in a different place when we report something, then we
need to change the place words. Look at these example sentences:

 He said: "It is cold in here." → He said that it was cold in there.

 He said: "How much is this book?" → He asked how much the book was.

Here are some common place words, showing how you change them for reported speech:

direct speech indirect speech

here there, in Starbucks

this that

this book the book, that book, War and Peace

in this room in the room, in that room, in the kitchen