REPUBLICA BOLIVARIANA DE VENEZUELA

MINISTERIO DEL PODER POPULAR PARA LA EDUCACIÓN SUPERIOR

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL EXPERIMENTAL ‘‘FRANCISCO DE MIRANDA’’
CORO – ESTADO FALCÓN
ÁREA: CIENCIAS DE LA EDUCACIÓN
PROGRAMA: EDUCACIÓN
MENCIÓN: INGLES

Reported Speech
Teacher: Migkailk Freitez Author: María Beltrán
English IV ID: 26.437.504

Coro, March 2018

 What is Reported Speech?

Reported speech means to communicate what

someone else said without quoting them or using their
exact words.
 How to report

To report we use reporting Also, we use the word

verbs such as: ‘‘that’’ after a reporting
verb to begin a statement.
• Say, tell, ask, explain…
It is optional.

Irene told me
that she likes
me
 Reporting Statements
A few changes may be necessary when we report a statement, so
it is important to be aware about the following elements. In
addition, there are some examples.

Present tense verbs Demonstratives,

Pronouns (3rd person singular) Tenses (Backshift) place and time
expressions

Direct He says, ‘‘My name is She says, ‘‘I like He said, ‘‘My mom is Wendy said, ‘‘James
Kevin.’’ flowers.’’ cooking soup’’ kissed me last
Speech night.’’

Reported He says his name is She says she likes He said his mom was Wendy said James
Kevin. flowers. cooking soup. had kissed her the
Speech previous night.
 Backshift
It is the changing of a tense when reporting what someone said.
Reported speech is usually used to talk about a statement said in the
past, therefore we transform the tense.

Direct Speech Reported Speech

Simple Present Simple Past
Present Progressive Past Progressive
Simple Past Past Perfect
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Past Progressive Past Perfect Progressive
Present Perfect Progressive
Past Perfect Progressive
 No Backshift

✓ Do not change the tense if the introductory clause is in present tense.

She says that

She says,
George is her
‘‘George is my
best friend.
best friend.’’

✓ If you are reporting facts or something that is still true you can keep the verbs
in present tense

Jake said that

Jake said, ‘‘Paris
Paris is in France
is in France’’
 Backshift in Modals
✓ Backshift also works in certain modal verbs:

Modal Direct Speech Reported Speech

Can Ashton said, ‘‘I can sing a Ashton said that he could
song’’ sing a song
May Joshua asked, ‘‘May I go Joshua asked if he might go
out?’’ out
Must Clare said, ‘‘Eli must go to Clare said Eli had to/must
work’’ go to work.
Shall He told me ‘‘I shall come He told me that he would
later’’ come later.

➢ The modal verbs could, should, would, might, ought to do not change.
Demonstratives, place and time expressions

These elements change if the context of the reported statement

(for example the location or the period of time) is different from that
of the direct speech.

Noah said that

he was going to
A few weeks later a party that
I’m going to a day
party today
Some demonstratives, place and time expressions

Demonstratives Place Time Expressions

Direct Speech Reported Direct Speech Reported Direct Speech Reported
Speech Speech Speech
This That Here There Today Yesterday/
That day
Now Then

Yesterday The day

These Those before
Last week The previous
week
Tomorrow The following
day
 Another transformation
✓ The expression ‘‘Let’s’’ is usually reported using ‘‘suggest’’. In this case there
are two possibilities for reported speech: gerund or statement with should.

Mark said,
‘‘Let’s go to
cinema’’

Mark suggested
Mark suggested
that we should
going to cinema
go to cinema
 Exercises
Direct Speech Reported Speech
Jerry said, ‘‘English is spoken in United States.’’ Jerry said English is spoken in United States.

Luke said, ‘‘I love this movie.’’ Luke said he loved that movie.

Michelle said, ‘‘Helen blamed me for everything last year.’’ Michelle said that Helen had blamed her for everything the
previous year.

Kendall told me, ‘‘I have been waiting for you.’’ Kendall told me that he had been waiting for me.

Victoria said, ‘‘ I had been working at this restaurant until I got Victoria said she had been working at that restaurant until she got
fired.’’ fired.

Alicia asked, ‘‘Could you give me a cup of coffee?’’ Alicia asked me if I could give her a cup of coffee.

Helen told me, ‘‘ You should cut your hair, it is very long.’’ Helen told me that I should cut my hair because it is very long.

Marie said, ‘‘ Let’s take a picture together!’’ Marie suggested taking a picture together .

Emily said, ‘‘They can dance with me.’’ Emily said that they could dance with her.

Jake said, ‘‘ Melanie have ate my lunch.’’ Jake said Melanie had ate his lunch.