Reported speech 1 (He said that...

 Study this example situation:

You want to tell somebody what Paul said.
There are two ways of doing this:
You can repeat Paul's words (direct speech); ' Or you can use reported speech:
Paul said that he was feeling ill. Paul said I'm feeling ill.

 When we use reported speech, the main verb of the sentence is usually past (Paul said that…/ I told her that ... etc.), The rest of the
sentence is usually past too:
Paul said that he was feeling ill.
I told Lisa that I didn't have any money.
 You can leave out that. So you can say:
Paul said that he was feeling ill. or Paul said he was feeling ill.
 In general, the present form in direct speech changes to the past form in reported speech:
am/is —> was do/does —» did will —» would are —» were
have/has —> had can —> could want/like/know/go etc. —» wanted/liked/knew/went etc.
 Compare direct speech and reported speech:
You met Anna. Here are some of the things she said in direct speech: Later you tell somebody what Anna said. You use reported speech:

My parents are fine. Anna said that her parents were fine.
I'm going to learn to drive. She said that she was going to Learn to drive.
I want to buy a car. She said that she wanted to buy a car.
John has a new job. She said that John had a new job.
I can't come to the party on Friday. She said that she couldn't come to the party on Friday.
I don't have much free time. She said she didn't have much free time,
I'm going away for a few days. She said that she was going away for a few days and would phone me
I'll phone you when I get back. when she got back.
 The past simple (did/saw/knew etc.) can usually stay the same in reported speech, or you can change it to the past perfect (had done /
had seen / had known etc.):
direct Paul said ‘l woke up feeling ill, so I didn't go to work.'
reported Paul said (that) he woke up feeling ill, so he didn't go to work, or
Paul said (that) he had woken up feeling ill, so he hadn't gone to work.

Exercises
Yesterday you met a friend of yours, Steve. You hadn't seen him for a long time. Here are some of the things Steve said to you:
1 I'm living in London.
2 My father isn't very well.
3 Rachel and Mark are getting married next month.
4 My sister has had a baby
5 I don't know what Joe is doing.
6 I saw Helen at a party in June and she seemed fine
7 j haven't seen Amy recently.
8 I'm not enjoying my job very much.
9 You can come and stay at my place if you’re ever in London.
10 My car was stolen a few days ago.
11 i want to go on holiday, but I can’t afford it.
12 I 'll tell Chris I saw you.
Later that day you tell another friend what Steve said. Use reported speech.
1 Steve said that He was living in London............
2 He said that ........................................................ .............................
3 He .............................................................................................................
4 ..................................................................................................................
5
6 ......
7 ......................................................................... .................
8 ............
9
10 ......................
11 ...................................................
12 .........................................................................................
2 He said (that) his father wasn't very well. 3 He said (that) Rachel and Mark were getting married next month. 4 He said (that) his sister had had
a baby. 5 He said (that) he didn’t know what Joe was doing. 6 He said (that) he'd seen / he had seen Helen at a party in June and she'd
seemed / she had seemed fine, or He said (that) he saw Helen ... and she seemed ... 7 He said (that) he hadn't seen Amy recently. 8 He said
(that) he wasn't enjoying his job very much. 9 He said (that) I could come and stay at his place if I was ever in London. 10 He said (that) his car
had been stolen a few days ago. or ... his car was stolen a few days ago. 11 He said (that) he wanted to go on holiday, but (he) couldn't afford it.
12 He said (that) he'd tell / he would tell Chris he'd seen / he had seen me. or ...he saw me.
Somebody says something to you which is not what you expected. Use your own ideas to complete your answers.
1 a: It's quite a long way from the hotel to the station.
b: Is it? The man on the reception desk said it was only five minutes’ walk.
2 a: Sue is coming to the party tonight.
B: Is she? I saw her a few days ago and she said she . ......... ........... ....
3 a: Sarah gets on fine with Paul.
b: Does she? Last week you said....................... ....... each other.
4 a: Joe knows lots of people.
b : That's not what he told me. He said anyone.
5 a: Jane will be here next week.
b : Oh, really? When I spoke to her, she said ....... away.
6 a: I'm going o u t to night.
b: Are you? I thought you said home.
7 a:John speaks French quite well.
b : Does he? He told me . any other languages.
8 a: I haven't seen Ben recently.
b : That's strange. He told me .. .... last weekend.
2 she wasn't coming / she was going somewhere else / she couldn’t come 3 they didn't like each other / they didn't get on with each other / they
couldn't stand each other 4 he didn't know anyone 5 she would be away / she was going away 6 you were staying at home 7 he couldn't speak /
he didn't speak any other Languages 8 he'd seen you / he saw you last weekend
Reported speech 2
 It is not always necessary to change the verb in reported speech. If the situation is still the same, you do not need to change the verb to
the past. For example:
direct Paul said ‘My new job is boring.'
reported Paul said that his new job is boring. (The situation is still the same. His job is still boring now.)
direct Helen said ‘I want to go to Canada next year.'
reported Helen told me that she wants to go to Canada next year. (Helen still wants to go to Canada next year.)
 You can also change the verb to the past:
Paul said that his new job was boring.
Helen told me that she wanted to go to Canada next year.
 But if the situation has changed or finished, you must use a past verb:
Paul left the room suddenly.
He said he had to go. (not has to go)
 You need to use a past form when there is a difference between what was said and what is really true.
For example:
You met Sonia a few days ago.
She said: Joe is in hospital.
Later that day you meet Joe in the street. You say:
Hi, Joe. I didn’t expect to see you. Sonia said you were in hospital. (not ‘Sonia said you are in hospital', because clearly he is not)
 Say and tell
If you say who somebody is talking to, use tell:
Sonia told me that you were in hospital, (not Sonia said me)
What did you tell the police? (not say the police)
 Otherwise use say:
Sonia said that you were in hospital, (not Sonia told that ...)
What did you say?
 But you can 'say something to somebody':
Ann said goodbye to me and left, (not Ann said me goodbye)
What did you say to the police?
 Tell/ask somebody to do something
We also use the infinitive (to do / to be etc) in reported speech, especially with tell and ask (for orders and requests):
direct ‘Drink plenty of water,' the doctor said to me.
reported The doctor told me to drink plenty of water.
direct ’Don't be late,' I said to Joe.
reported I told Joe not to be late.
direct ‘Can you help me, please,' Jackie said to me.
reported Jackie asked me to help her.
 You can also say ‘Somebody said (not) to do something':
Paul said not to worry about him. (but not Paul said me)
Exercises

But later Sarah says something different to you. What do you say?
Sarah you
Dave works very hard. But you said he was lazy.
Let's have fish for dinner. But
I'm going to buy a car
Jane is always short of money
My sister lives in Paris
I think New York is a great place.
Let's go out tomorrow evening.
I've never spoken to Jane.
 2 But you said you didn't like fish. 3 But you said you couldn’t drive. 4 But you said she had a very wellpaid job. 5 But you said you didn't
have any brothers or sisters. 6 But you said you'd / you had never been to the United States. 7 But you said you were working tomorrow
evening. 8 But you said she was a friend of yours.
Complete the sentences with say or tell (in the correct form). Use only one word each time
. 1 Ann said, goodbye to me and left.
2 us about your holiday. Did you have a nice time?
3 Don't just stand there! something!
4 I wonder where Sue is. She she would be here at 8 o'cLock.
5 Dan ... ...... me that he was bored with his job.
6 The doctor that I should rest for at least a week.
7 Don't anybody what I . . It's a secret just between us.
8 'Did she you what happened?’ ‘No, she didn't anything to me.'
9 Cary couldn't help me. He ........... me to ask Chris.
10 Gary couldn't help me. He to ask Chris.
2 Tell 7 tell…said 3 Say 8 tell…say 4 said 9 told 5 told 10 said 6 said

The following sentences are direct speech:

Now choose one of these to complete each of the sentences below. Use reported speech.
1 Will was taking a long time to get ready, so I told him to hurry up
2 Sarah was driving too fast, so I asked .. .....
3 Sue was nervous about the situation. I told ...... ............................................
4 I couldn't move the piano alone, so I ................................................................................
5 The security guard Looked at me suspiciously and
6 Tom was going to the shop, so I ..................................................................................

7 The man started asking me personal questions, so I ..... ........................

8 John was in love with Marianne, so he
9 I didn't want to delay Helen, so I
2 her to slow down 3 her not to worry 4 asked Tom to give me a hand or ...to help me 5 asked me to open my bag 6 asked him to get (me) a
paper 7 told him to mind his own business 8 asked her to marry him 9 told her not to wait (for me) if I was late

Direct speech and reported speech

Tell or say?

TELL SAY
 We use tell if we want to mention the hearer (the person spoken to).  When we do not mention the hearer, we use say.
Sarah's boss told her she could leave early. Sarah's boss said she could leave early.
NOT -Sarah's boss told she could leave early. NOT Sarah's boss-said her she could leave early.
Daniel tells me he's ready. Daniel says he's ready.
 We use tell without an indirect object (e.g. her, me) only in the expressions  We sometimes use to after say, especially when the words are not reported.
tell a story, tell the truth and tell a lie. The boss wanted to say something to Sarah.
What did Matthew say to you?

Exercise

She says she gets pains in her leg.

1 She says......................................................................

2 He says ......................................................................

3 …………………………………

4 ....................................................

Who said what? Match the words to the people and report what they said. If you can't match them, look at the answers at the bottom of the page.
► Mrs Thatcher a) 'All the world's a stage.'

1 Stokeley Carmichael b) 'Black is beautiful'

2 Galileo c) 'Big Brother is watching you.'

3 Shakespeare d) 'There is no such thing as society.'

4 George Orwell e) 'The earth moves round the sun.'

► Mrs Thatcher said that there is no such thing as society.

Put in tell or say

? All the experts say the earth is getting warmer.

? Did you tell Mark and Sarah how to find our house?

1 The Sales Manager is going to.................. everyone about the meeting.

2 Vicky, why don't you just…………… what the matter is?

3 They……………. they're going to build a new Disney World here.

4 What did Natasha……………. about her holiday plans?

5 Could you………….. me the way to the train station, please?

6 The company should……………. its employees what's going on.

7 You shouldn't……………..lies, you know, Matthew.

8 Did you …………… anything to Melanie about the barbecue?

Reported speech: person, place and time

Changes in reported speech

 Changes from direct speech to reported speech depend on changes in the situation. We may have to make changes when we are reporting something another
person has said, or when we report it in a different place or at a different time.

Person
1 he/she
my his/her
Place: there, at the flat
here

Time: now then, at the time today that day, on Monday, etc yesterday the day before, the previous day tomorrow the next/following day, on Saturday, etc this
week that week last week an hour ago the week before, the p

Reporting people’s words and thoughts

Qouting and reporting in our own words

Exercise