REPORTED SPEECH

General points
When we want to express what others have thought or said
we can do it in two different ways:
DIRECTLY INDIRECTLY
◦ Repeating the exact words ◦ Reporting what the person has said
(using quotation marks) (the quotation marks disappear, but there
are other changes too)

Examples: Examples:

‘I must get my hair cut’, Sandra said. Sandra said that she had to get her hair cut.

‘I will come back tomorrow’, Marc said. Marc said that he would come back the
following day.
 Direct-Indirect changes
◦ The conversion from Direct speech to Indirect or Reported speech entails various
changes, especially when there’s a change of time. Pay attention to the following
aspects:

1. Identify the type of sentence (statement, question...)

Important: The structure of the reported speech depends on the reporting verb.

2. Remove quotation marks

3. Go one step/tense back in time (backshift)

4. Change subject pronouns, possessive adjectives, demonstrative pronouns, and

adverbs of place and time
Reporting in the same tense
◦ We sometimes use the same tenses as the original speaker if the situation is still
true or when the reporting verb is in the present, present perfect or future and
when the statement is a regular habit or a universal truth.
Use common sense!

DIRECT SPEECH: ‘I have three sisters,’ said Robert.

INDIRECT SPEECH: Robert said he has three sisters.
OR
DIRECT SPEECH: ‘I don’t eat meat.’ Mary told us.
INDIRECT SPEECH: She told us that she doesn’t eat meat.
Place and time changes
 Basic reporting verbs
◦ The most common verbs are SAY and TELL. They have the same meaning but are
used differently.

►When we use SAY, we don’t normally indicate the person who is being spoken to. If
we do mention the person, however, we must put to before the indirect object.
They said (that) they had done some research (to me).

►When we use TELL, we indicate the person who is being spoken to.
They told me (that) they had done some research.
‘That’ is
usually
ommitted
in informal
language
Verb tense changes in statemets
Present Simple Past Simple Present Continuous Past Continuous
Past Simple Past Perfect Past Continuous Past Perfect Continuous
Present Perfect Past Perfect Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect
Past Perfect Past Perfect Past Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Cont.

MODALS
will would can could may might must/have to had to
shall should
Example: ‘We have moved to Rome’, the company informed.
The company informed that they had moved to Rome.
(see self study grammar notes p.140 Initiative 1 for more examples)
 Questions
◦ We use the word order of a statement. There’s no inversion. We can use verbs like ASK,
INQUIRE, WONDER, or WANT TO KNOW to report questions.

1. YES/ NO QUESTIONS (if/whether + S + V)

He asked us if we had enjoyed our meal.
Rachel wanted to know whether the weather was good.

2. WH-QUESTIONS (WH + S+ V)
He asked me where I was from.
Rachel asked me what the weather was like in Barcelona.
 Commands and requests
o Commands can be given in the imperative.
o Requests are questions.
o Some verbs include ORDER, TELL, ASK, PERSUADE, INVITE, WARN, ENCOURAGE, REMIND…
Both are reported in the same way: S+ reporting verb + IO + to+ V infinitive +…

Examples: ‘Come here!’, she told me.

She told me to go there.

‘Could show me your ID, please?’asked the supervisor.

The supervisor asked the passenger to show him the ID.

‘Let me see your bag’, the policewoman told the burglar.

The policewoman “invited” the burglar to show her his bag.
 Offers, advice, promises, orders
◦ After some reporting verbs like OFFER, ADVICE, PROMISE and ORDER the TO
INFINITIVE is used.
They offered to help me.
He adviced us to vote for him.
He promised to be a good leader.
The teacher ordered them all to sit down.

◦ If we want to talk about a negative command in reported speech, we add NOT

before TO INFINITIVE.
She reminded him not to forget to send her a text message.
The student promised not to use the phone in class again.
Suggestions
◦ When we report suggestions we often use the verb SUGGEST. It can be followed by
an ‘–ing form’ or by a ‘that clause’.
DIRECT SPEECH: ‘Let’s go for a swim,’ suggested John.
‘Why don’t we go for a swim?’ suggested John.

INDIRECT SPEECH: John suggested going for a swim.

John suggested that we should go for a swim.
John suggested that we go for a swim.

We often
omit the
modal verbs
 Verb patterns
FOLLOWED BY FOLLOWED BY AN FOLLOWED BY FOLLOWED BY A
(NOT) TO OBJECT + (NOT) TO THE –ING FORM THAT CLAUSE
INFINITIVE INFINITIVE
Agree Advise Admit Claim
Claim Ask Apologize Complain
Decide Beg Deny Confess
Offer Forbid Recall Decide
Promise Invite Recommend Deny
Refuse Order Suggest Explain
Threaten Persuade Insist
Remind Mention
Tell Promise
Recommend
Reply
Say
Suggest
Threaten