THE REPORTED

SPEECH
GRAMMAR
 introduction
FIRST, WE HAVE TO DIFFERENTIATE DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH (REPORTED SPEECH)

DIRECT SPEECH: INDIRECT SPEECH:

What someone says. Telling another person what someone said.

“I like football” David said David said he likes football

 REPORTED SPEECH
• Reported speech is used to tell someone what somebody said without quoting him.
• It is also called indirect speech
• It conveys the same meaning, but not the exact words
Direct speech: ‘I work in a bank’ Daniel said
Indirect speech: Daniel said that he worked in a bank
 Click on the
video to see some
examples:

https://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=EHzsmf2vgws
 POSSIBLE CHANGES
In order to use it correctly we must have a few things into account:
- TENSE CHANGES
- PERSONAL PRONOUNS AND POSSESIVE ADJECTIVES
- TIME EXPRESSIONS
- OMISSION OF WORDS
- SELECTING THE APPROPIATE VERB
 PERSONAL PRONOUNS & Possessive
• The most frequent mistakes with the reported speech is the use of personal
pronouns and he possessive adjectives.
• You always have to change them according to the meaning of the sentence:
Direct: John said, “I still haven’t done my homework”
Reported: Tim said (that) he still hadn’t done his homework.
Click on the video
to see some
examples:

https://www.youtube.com/w
atch?v=o6h_BFeCA04&t=2s
 VERBAL TENSES

PRESENT SIMPLE PAST SIMPLE

PRESENT CONTINUOUS PAST CONTINUOUS
PRESENT PERFECT PAST PERFECT
PAST SIMPLE PAST PERFECT
PAST CONTINOUS PAST PERFECT CONTINOUS
FUTURE (WILL) CONDITONAL (WOULD)
 VERBAL TENSES
“My train arrives at 3 o’clock” He said that his train arrived at 3 o’clock

I am playing chess this afternoon He said that he was playing chess that afternoon

He made roast beef He said that he had made roast beef

I paid five pounds for the books He said that he had paid five pounds for the book

I was walking to the bus stop He said that he was walking to the bus stop

I will return the videos tomorrow He said that he would return the videos the next day
 TIP!
Los tiempos en presente pasan a ser el mismo tiempo pero en pasado.
Por ejemplo, el presente continuo pasa a ser pasado continuo.

Los tiempos en pasado pasan a ser el mismo tiempo pero en modo perfecto.
Por ejemplo, el pasado continuo pasa a ser pasado perfecto continuo.
 TENSE CHANGES
The tense can remain if it reports a general truth:
“I am from Ohio” Jen said
Jen said that she is from Ohio

The teacher said “Malta is an island”

The teacher said that Malta is an island
 Click on the
video to see some
examples:

https://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=ZBLdduB_qa0
 TIME EXPRESSIONS
DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH
NOW THEN, INMEDIATELY
TODAY THAT DAY
YESTERDAY THE DAY BEFORE, /THE PREVIOUS DAY
TOMORROW THE NEXT DAY / THE FOLLOWING DAY
THIS WEEK THAT WEEK
LAST WEEK THE WEEK BEFORE / THE PREVIOUS WEEK
NEXT WEEK THE WEEK AFTER / THE FOLLOWING WEEK
AGO BEFORE
HERE THERE
COME GO
BRING TAKE
 Click on the
video to see some
examples:

https://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=P4GgZosNQl0
 SAY vs. tell
SAY TELL
We use it when there is no indirect object: It is used to indicate who received the message.
He said he was tired Therefore, we use it when there is a direct
object in the phrase:
We can use it with and indirect object if we
use ‘to’:
He said to us that he was tired He told us he was very tired
 Omission of words
• ‘that’ CAN BE omitted:
John said (that) he was having his bike repaired

• In reported questions, interjections and polite expressions ARE be omitted:

Direct: Can you tell me when the next bus to Leeds is, please?
Reported: She asked when the next bus to Leeds was.
Reported
Questions
 ask
They are usually introduced
with the verbs: inquire
wonder
want to know
 YES / NO QUESTIONS:

When the direct question begins with an auxiliary verb (be, do, have) or a modal verb (can, may…)
then the reported questions is introduced with ‘if’ or ‘whether’:

Direct: Are there any oranges left?

Reported: He asked me whether/if there were any oranges left
 WH- QUESTIONS
When the direct question begins with a question word (who, where, when…) the reported question is
introduced by the same word.

Direct: What time is it, please?

Reported: He asked me what time it was
 Click on the
video to see some
examples:

https://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=g2C7-nLkZ8I
Reported commands
 REPORTED COMMANDS
To report commands and
requests we usually use order
or tell and:
to-infinitive
not + to -infinitive
 Reported COMMANDS
Examples:
• Direct speech: “Open the door!”
• Reported speech: He ordered me to open the door.

• Direct speech: “Don’t be back late”

• Reported speech: He told me not to be back late
Click on the video
to see some
examples:

https://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=vpkuDSzd-
vY&t=6s
 REPORTING VERBS

There are a wide variety of verbs to use in

reporting sentences different from “say” and
“tell”. Some are followed by an infinitive, others
by –ing, and some are followed by “that”
To + infinitive
• *Agree • *Promise
• *Claim
• Refuse
• *Demand

• Offer • *Threaten
To + infinitive
• He agreed to lend me the CD
• He claimed to be working on a secret
project.
• He demanded to be served immediately
• He offered to buy tickets for the concerts
• He promised to call me as soon as he got
home
• He refused to do what his boss wanted
• He threatened to give us extra homework if
we weren’t quiet
Somebody + To + infinitive
• advise • forbid
• allow • invite
• ask • order
• beg • *remind
• command
• *warn
• encourage
Somebody + To + infinitive
• He advised me to try to get more • He forbade me to listen to music at night.
exercise.
• He invited me to go to his wedding
• He allowed me to watch the film on TV. reception.
• He asked me where I live. • He ordered me to do 20 press ups.
• He begged me to do something.
• He reminded me to lock the door.
• He commanded her to put the gun down.
• He warned me not to believe everything
• He encouraged me to go to the party.
she says.
-ing form
• Accuse sb of… • complain (to sb) of/about
• Deny
• Admit (to)
• Insist on
• Apologise for • suggest
-ing form
• He accused her of telling his secret to • He complained (to me) of feeling very
hungry.
Mary.
• He denied stealing / having stolen the
• He admitted to dropping/having dropped money.
• He insisted on giving me a lift home.
the glass.
• He suggested playing badminton the next
• He apologised for being late. day.
+ that clause
• Explain: He explained that it was quicker
to take the train than the bus. * The verbs marked with an asterisk can also be
followed by a that-clause in reported speech.
• Inform sb: He informed us that the flight
had been cancelled due to bad weather.