REPORTED SPEECH

We use reported speech when we want to tell someone what someone said. We usually use a
reporting verb (say,tell,ask) and then change the tense of what was actually said.

Usually indirect speech is introduced by the verb said, as in I said, Bill said, or they said. Using
the verb say in this tense, indicates that something was said in the past. In these cases, the
main verb in the reported sentence is put in the past.

RULES FOR REPORTING SPEECH

To get this kind of sentence right, there are four things you should keep in mind:

The first rule is to choose a reporting verb and tense.

When did the speech happen? With current, repeated or recent events, the reporting verb is in
the present tense. "He says he is hungry, so let's go to lunch." A habitual or repeated
statement is in the present tense: "Everyone says the water is safe to drink." For reporting less
immediate speech, choose the past tense. The reporting verb is often said, but it can also be
told, or other verbs like ordered, stated, or reported, depending on the situation. When
reporting questions, you can use verbs like asked or requested.

The second rule is to change the perspective, or point of view.

That means I becomes he, she, or they.

"Mary said 'I ate the pie."' becomes

"She said that she ate the pie."

"The boys said, 'We are coming tomorrow'" becomes

"They said they are coming tomorrow."
 Next, choose whether to include "that or "if."

You can say, "He says he is at home" or "He says that he is at home." That is a conjunction
here, linking the two parts of the sentence. It is optional. Another conjunction, if, is required
when reporting on a question: "He asked me if I knew how to play tennis."

The fourth rule is to "backshift" the tense.

This is the trickiest part of reported speech. When the reporting verb is in the past tense, the
verb in the reported clause is in the past tense, too. The verb aspect, showing whether the
action is completed, matches. Here are some examples:

"I am buying my ticket." (present continuous)

-> He said he was buying his ticket. (past continuous)

Ashley: "I have fixed my bicycle." (present perfect)

-> She said she had fixed her bicycle. (past perfect)

Reporting on questions

When we report questions, we have to pay attention to the auxiliary verb. These are words
like do, be, and have. Yes or no questions begin with an auxiliary, such as

"Do you like pizza?"

To report that question, drop the auxiliary and add if:

He asked me if I liked pizza.

Learners often make the mistake of leaving the auxiliary verb in the reported speech: He asked
me do I like pizza.

Information questions start with a question word:

"Where are you going?"

To report on these, simply change the pronoun and word order.

She asked me where I was going.

Here, learners often make the mistake of keeping the same word order: She asked me where
was I going.

A similar word order switch appears with the verb "be" in questions.

They asked, "When is the party?"

-> They asked me when the party was.

The question word "when" remains. "Be" moves from a position before the noun to after the
noun.

Reporting speech with modals

Finally, pay attention to whether the speech you are reporting uses a modal verb. Will, can,
and shall change to would, could, and should when reported. Will is used to make statements
about the future in English. When reporting this kind of statement, will becomes would.
Compare these sentences:

Kelly said, "I will pick up the sandwiches."

-> Kelly said she would pick up the sandwiches.

Modal verbs may appear in questions, as well:

Caty asked, "Can you answer the phone while I'm out?"
-> Caty asked me if I could answer the phone while she was out.

If the modal verb is already in its past form, it does not change when reported.

George stated, "I would not do that."

-> George said he would not do that.
 Present Tenses and Reported Speech

 Present Simple Tense changes into Past Simple Tense

 Present Progressive Tense changes into Past Progressive Tense
 Present Perfect Tense changes into Past Perfect Tense
 Present Perfect Progressive Tense changes into Past Perfect Tense

Past Tenses and Reported Speech

 Past Simple Tense changes into Past Perfect Tense

 Past Progressive Tense changes into Perfect Continuous Tense
 Past Perfect Tense doesn’t change
 Past Perfect Progressive Tense doesn’t change

Past Tenses and Reported Speech

 Future Simple Tense changes into would

 Future Progressive Tense changes into “would be”
 Future Perfect Tense changes into “would have·
 Future Perfect Progressive Tense changes into would have been
 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 day/ the 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