Reported speech

What is Reported Speech?

When you “report” what someone else has said to you

Reported speech verbs: said, explained, told,

suggested, recommended, asked, admitted, claimed,
insisted, theorized, noted, complained, reported, wrote,
continued, stated, etc.

Direct/normal sentence: Mike said, “I like your hat!”

indirect/reported speech sentence: Mike said
(that) he liked my hat.
 Rules - Present tenses

Present Simple ---> Past Simple

Sandra admitted, “I always wear jeans.”
Sandra admitted that she always wore jeans.

Present Continuous ---> Past

Continuous
Sandra told her, “I am looking for my keys.”
Sandra told her (that) she was looking for her
keys.
 Rules - Present tenses

Present Perfect ---> Past Perfect

Sandra claimed, “He has written 4 letters.”
Sandra claimed (that) he had written 4 letters.
Present Perf. Continuous ---> Past Perf.
Continuous
Sandra wrote, “We have been waiting for hours.”
Sandra wrote that they had been waiting for
hours.
“
Sandra said, “ Angela likes fashion magazines.”

Sandra told me, “ Charles is a

wonderful person.”
Sandra stated, “These are my
favorite books.”

Change the quotes into

reported speech

Sandra admitted, “We are having a

great time today.” Sandra insisted, “Peter is
driving his new bike tonight.”
 Rules - Past Tenses

Past Simple ---> Past Perfect

Sandra added, “My friend gave me an apple
yesterday.”
Sandra added that her friend had given her an apple
the day before.

Past Continuous ---> Past Perfect Continuous

Sandra stated, “We were living in London.”
Sandra stated that they had been living in London.
 Rules - Past Tenses

Past Perfect ---> Past perfect

Sandra said, “Mary had cooked a big cake.”
Sandra said that Mary had cooked a big cake.
Past Perf. Continuous ---> Past Perf.
Continuous
Sandra told the class, “He had been teaching for
15 years.”
Sandra told the class that he had been teaching
for 15 years.
 Rules - Future Tenses
Will ---> Would
Sandra said, “I will finish my report in two days.”
Sandra said that she would finish her report in
two days.

would ---> would

Sandra stated, “He would work in the garden.”
Sandra stated that he would work in the garden.
 Rules - Future Tenses

Can ---> Could

Sandra admitted, “I can speak English.”
Sandra admitted that she could speak English.
Could ---> Could
Sandra told her, “He could play in the match.”
Sandra told her that he could play in the match.
 Rules - Future Tenses
Should ---> Should
Sandra said, “I should go to the doctor next week”.
Sandra said that she should go to the doctor the following
week.

May ---> Might

Sandra told her family, “I may invite them to the dinner.”
Sandra told her family that she might invite them to the dinner.

Might ---> Might

Sandra insisted, “Carlos might get a new car next year.”
Sandra insisted that Carlos might get a new car the following
year.
 Rules - Future Tenses

Must ---> had to

Sandra said, “I must go to the bank.”
She said she had to go to the bank.

Have to ---> Had to

Sandra told her students, “You have to study
for the midterm.”
She told her students that they had to study for
the midterm.
 Exceptions

When a reporting verb is in the simple past tense,

backshifting is optional when the statement refers to
something just said, something that's still true, or a
scientific or general truth.

 Tom just called. He said that the director is (OR was) leaving.
[something just said]
 Ann told me that she needs (OR needed) to renew her
passport. [something still true]
 He noted that the Earth is (OR was) the fifth largest planet in
the solar system. [a scientific or general truth]
 Questions
Meg asked, “Do you know how to get to the station?”
Meg asked if I knew how to get to the station.
Meg asked whether I knew how to get to the station.

▸ Start with the subject + asked + if/whether

▸ Change the subject according to the speaker:
you  I
▸ Put the verb in the correct past tense:
do ... know  knew
 Questions

Question words:
who, what, where, when, why, which, how

Trish asked Paul, “Where do you live?”

Trish asked Paul where he lived.

Jaime asked, “How did you react to that offensive

joke?”
Jaime asked me how I had reacted to that offensive
joke.