INDIRECT / REPORTED SPEECH

Indirect Speech (also known as Reported Speech) refers to a sentence reporting what
someone has said. It is almost always used in spoken English.

In reported speech a 3rd person is saying someone else’s words, without reproducing them
strictly as they were.
ex. “Take a sheet of paper”, said the teacher.
►► He told / asked us to take a sheet of paper.
So, the reproduced sentence is a direct object of the main sentence.

IMPERATIVE ↔ LONG INFINITIVES

In reported speech, the Imperatives become Infinitives.
ex. a). He said: “Sit down.”
►► He told me to sit down.
b). She said: ”Don’t interrupt the speaker, please.”
►►He asked them not to interrupt the speaker.
The verb in the main sentence (say, tell) can be substituted by a verb that expresses:
1). an order: tell; order; command...
2). a request: ask; request; urge; beg.
3). an advice: to warn; to advise; to recommend.
ex. Mother to Ann: Pass me the salt, will you? (it’s a request)
►► Mother asks Ann to pass her the salt.

Indirect Speech can be introduced by a verb in a Present Tense: He says that …..
ex. I”ll never get married. ►► Tom says that he’ll never get married.

☻When the reporting verb say or tell is in the Present or Present Perfect Tense, the verb
that comes after it doesn’t change its tense:
ex. “I’m ill.” ►► She says she is ill.
If the reporting verb (i.e. said) is in the past, the reported clause will be in a past form.
This form is usually one step back into the past from the original.

PRESENT SIMPLE PAST TENSE

ex. “I never eat meat”, he explained.
►► He explained that he never ate meat.

☻When the reporting verb (say, tell, explain) is in the Past Tense, the Present Tense
Simple that follows almost always becomes a Past Tense.
ex. The weather is very bad. What did he say? ►►He said the weather was very bad.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS PAST CONTINUOUS
ex. "I'm reading this magazine today.", he explained.
►► He explained that he was reading that magazine that day.

☻When the reporting verb (say, tell, explain) is in the Past Tense, the Present Tense
Continuous that follows almost always becomes a Past Tense Continuous.

PRESENT PERFECT PAST PERFECT

ex. “I have found a flat”, he explained.
►► He explained that he had found a flat.

☻When the reporting verb (say, tell, explain) is in the Past Tense, the Present Perfect
that follows almost always becomes a Past Perfect.
ex. Has Tom cleaned his room? ►►Well, he said he had cleaned it .

PAST TENSE Simple PAST PERFECT

ex. “I wrote the letter”, he told me. ►► He told me that he had written the letter.

☻When the reporting verb (say, tell, explain) is in the Past Tense, the Past Tense Simple
that follows almost always becomes a Past Perfect.
ex. Tom rang Alice up and then he told mother about it.
►►Tom told mother he had rung Alice up.
FUTURE SIMPLE FUTURE in the PAST

Future in the Past: Subiect + should (I sg, pl) / would + verb

ex. He told me: “I’ll stay home and do my homework.”
►► He told me that he would stay home and do his homework.
 ☻When the reporting verb (say, tell, explain) is in the Past Tense, the Future Simple
that follows almost always becomes a FUTURE in the PAST.
ex. He said: “I’ll be in Paris on Monday.” ► He said that he would be in Paris on
Monday.

Indirect Speech – Tense Changes

Nr. Direct speech Indirect Speech

Imperative/Short Infinitive Long infinitive

0. ex.: "Tell me the poem !” She told / asked me to tell the poem.

ex. : I’m ill. She says she is ill.

A. Present Tense Simple Present Simple

„I’m a policeman”, he says. He says he is a policeman.

Present Tense Past Tense

ex: ”I don’t know what to say.” He said he didn’t know what to say.

B. ex: I have a cup of tea every He said that he had a cup of tea every morning.
morning.

Present Tense Continuous Past Tense Continuous

“I am doing my homework now, He told his mum that he was doing his homework
mum!” then.

Present Perfect Past Perfect

ex: ”I have learnt the poem.” He said he he had learnt it.

I have found a flat, he said. He said (that) he had found a flat.

Past Tense Past Perfect

ex: I learnt the poem yesterday. She said she had learnt the poem the day before.
I wrote a letter. He told me he had written the letter.
Future Simple Future in the Past

ex: ”I’ll be in Paris on Monday.” He said he would be in Paris on Monday.

Some changes take place when we put the sentences into Indirect Speech:

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

This That

Now Then

Here there

These those

Today that day

yesterday the day before

two days ago two days before

last week the week before

last year the year before

last month the month before

last Friday the Friday before

tomorrow the next day

next week the next week / the following week

tonight that night

Indirect Questions

► We introduce reported questions with ask or want to know. In reported questions, the verb is in the
affirmative and the question mark is omitted. Verb tenses, pronouns and possessive adjectives change as in
statements.

► When the direct question begins with a question word (who, where, when, why, what, etc.), the reported
question begins with the same word.

Direct speech: "Where do you live?” she asked me.

Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.
► When the direct question is a yes/no question and begins with an auxiliary verb (do, be, etc.) or a modal
verb (can, will), then the reported question begins with if or whether.

Direct speech: "Have you got a pet?” he asked me.

Reported speech: He asked me if/whether I had a pet.
 Exercises:
I. Transform into Reported Speech:

1. “Go to school early!“ 9. “I have learnt the poem”, Julia said.

2. “Don’t play with the dog!“ 10. “Tim has cleaned his room” granny said.

3. “I’m a teacher”, she says. 11. “Robert bought a new umbrella“, Anne
says.
4. “He is ill”, she says.
12. “Tom will come home early”, Dan said.
5. “You are a very good pupil“, the teacher
said. 13. “I’ll do the washing up”, Diana offered
her help.
6. “The weather is very bad”, mother said to
Sylvia. 14. “I’ll never get married”, John said.

7. “I’m watching TV in the living-room 15. “I never eat meat”, he explained.

now”, Tom said.
16. “I have found a flat”, George said.
8. “They are writing a composition”, the
teacher explained.

II. Report the following sentences using the verb say, tell or ask in the Past Tense :

1. “My brother has already been here“. She said…………………………………

2. “Please don’t make too many phone calls.” She asked me……………………………

3. “Don’t play music after 10 at night.” She asked me……………………………

4. “I haven’t met your sister yet. “ Tom said ………………………………..

5. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.

6. “My name is Christine Stan”, she said.

7. “I will work harder next term.”

8. “My brother will take an exam tomorrow”, Tom said.

9. “I met Ann at the cinema”, my mum said.

10. “I am very good at languages”, John said.

11. “Susan got married 2 weeks ago“.

12. “The car has a very good engine”, the mechanic said.