Reported Speech

Direct Speech: gives the exact words

someone said. We use inverted commas in
Direct Speech.
E.g. its a nice day he said.

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Reported Speech: gives the exact meaning of
what someone said but not the exact words. We
do not use inverted commas in Reported Speech.
E.g He said it was a nice day.

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 Reported commands are often reported
with infinitives. We use tell when we add
who we are speaking to (tell + person +
infinitive) We use say when we dont say
who we are speaking to (say + infinitive).
Negative commands use not before
infinitive.

E.g. The doctor told me not to take some

medicine.
The doctor said not to take some medicine.


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 Reported
Speech(positive/negative
statements : present to past)
Direct Reported
statement statement
From
Present simple Past simple

She said , I like dieting. She said that she liked

Positiv dieting.
e .
.
She said , I dont take sugar She said that she didnt
Negati in my tea take sugar in her tea.
ve
.
.
 Reported questions ; Wh-
questions (using the verb to
be)
he/she/it + asked
. to be .
Direct question Reported
question
Form
Present simple Past simple

She asked , What is your She asked what my name

name? was.
Singular ? ?
. .
She asked, What are She asked what our names
your names? were.
Plural ? ?
. .
 Tenses change in Reported
Speech as follows
Present simple Past simple
E.g. She plays the piano , He said. He
said (that) she played the piano.
Present continuous Past continuous
e.g. She is playing the piano , he said.
He said (that) she was playing piano.
Past simple/Present perfect Past
perfect
e.g. She played/has played the piano, he
said.
He said (that) she had played the piano.
 Past continuous/present perfect
continuous Past perfect continuous
e.g. She was playing /has been playing
the piano, he said. He said (that) she
had been playing the piano.
Future simple would + bare infinitive
e.g. Shell play the piano, he said. He
said (that) she would play the piano.
Future continuous would be + verb
ing
e.g. Shell be playing the piano, he said.
He said (that) she would be playing the
piano.
 Time words can change or remain
the same depending on the time
reference:
DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH
Tonight , today , this That night , that day , that
Week/month/year Week/month/year
Now Then , at the time , at once ,
Immediately
Now that Since

Yesterday , last night/ The day before , the previous

week/month/year Night/week/month/year
Tomorrow , next week/ The following day/the day
Month/year After , the following/next
Week/month/year
Two days/months/ Two days/months/years etc
Years etc ago before
 Example
He is leaving next week, she said.
She said (that) he was leaving the
following week. (out-of-date
reporting) I visited Pam last week,
she said. She said (that) she
visited Pam last week. (up-to-date
reporting)
 Exercise
1. As we were walking down the
street, someone stopped in front of
us, he said.

Reported Speech or Direct

Speech
Exercise

Direct Speech
 Exercise

2. She said that she kept to a few

simple rules.

Reported Speech or Direct

Speech
 Exercise

Reported Speech
 Exercise
Rewrite the sentences. Use reported
speech.

3. Direct speech
The doctor said, Use this cream, Josh
.

Reported speech
.
 Exercise
3. Direct speech
The doctor said, Use this cream, Josh
.

Reported speech
The doctor told Josh to use the cream
on his knee.
 Exercise
Rewrite the sentences. Use reported
speech.

4. Direct speech
The trainer said, Dont work too
hard, .

Reported speech
.
 Exercise
4. Direct speech
The trainer said, Dont work too
hard, .

Reported speech
The trainer told the sportsman not to
work too hard.