Reported speech

(INDIRECT SPEECH)
 Direct and reported
speech “I will come to She said(that)
the party’, she she would come
 Directspeech is the said. to the party
exact words
someone said.
 Reported speech is
the exact meaning
of what someone
said, but with
different words
 Say-tell-ask

Say Tell Ask

Say+ no personal object Tell+ personal object Ask is used in reported
ex: Sarah said (that) John was ex: ‘’I can do it’’, he told me. questions and commands
always late for work (direct speech) ex: He said to me, ’’Please don’t
Say+ to + personal object He told me he could do it. go”
ex: He said to me ,’’I can fix it’’. (reported speech) He asked me not to go.
(direct speech) “Are you OK?’’, he asked
Expressions with tell He asked me if I was OK.
He said (that) he could fix it.
the truth, a lie, a story, a secret, a Expressions with ask
(reported speech)
joke, the time, the difference, one a question, a favour , the price,
Expressions with say from another, someone’s name,
hello, good morning/evening etc., about someone, the time,
someone the way, someone so, around, for something/someone,
something/nothing, so, a few words,
someone’s fortune, etc. etc.
no more, for certain/sure, sorry etc.
 Reported statements

Up-to-date repor Out- of date

ting reporting
The tenses can ch The reportin
ange or g verb is in
remain the same past simple a
nd the tense
change as fo s
llows:
 Direct speech Reported speech
Present simple Past simple
“I work hard” She said (that) she worked hard
Present continuous Past continuous
“I am working hard” She said (that) she was working hard
Present perfect Past perfect
‘’I have worked hard’’ She said (that) she had worked hard.
Present perfect continuous Past perfect continuous
‘’I have been working hard’’ She said (that) she had been working hard
Past simple Past perfect
“I worked hard” She said (that) she had worked hard
Past continuous Past perfect continuous
“I was working hard” She said (that)she had been working hard.
Future simple Would
“I will work hard” She said (that) she would work hard
Future continuous Would+ be+verb-ing
“I will be working hard” She said (that) she would be working hard
Future perfect Would have+ p.p
‘’I will have worked hard’’ She said (that) she would have worked hard
Modal verbs in reported speech

Can- could
May-might
Must-must  I can speak English- She said she could speak English.
oul d- sh ou ld
Sh  It may be late- She said it might be late.
d
Shall-woul  I must study at the weekend- She said she must study at the
weekend.
 I shall come later- She said(that) she would come later
 I should call my boss- She said (that) she should call her
boss.
 Change of certain words and expressions

This w
ee
Last w k-that wee
e k
d iately before ek-the week
- t he n , im m e Ago-before , t he p
now d ay d ay reviou
t h a t
today- re, the prev y
i o u s Here-there week s
Next w
e d a y befo lo w in g da after, eek-th
er d a y - th e n e x t/fol the fo e w e ek
yest o r ro w -th llowin
g week
tom
 Changing tenses in reported speech

Verb tenses change, when: Verb tenses remain the same:

a) We consider what the speaker said to be a) When the introductory verb is in the
untrue. ex: Canada is a present, future, present perfect.
poor country He said (that) Canada ex: Sarah says, “I only have
was a poor country milk for breakfast.”
b) When we report a general truth or law Sarah says (that) she only has milk for
of nature, verb tenses can either change breakfast
or remain the same. b) When the verb in the direct speech is in the
ex: Water turns into ice past perfect
He said (that) water turns/turned c) In type 2 and 3 conditionals
into ice. d) The Past simple changes into Past perfect
or remains the same. When the reported
sentence contains a time clause, it remains
the same.
 Reported questions
 Questions beginning with a question word( who, where, how, when, what)

Direct speech Reported speech

Where is the post office, please? She asked me where the post office was.
What are you doing? She asked me what I was doing.
Who was that child? She asked me who that child had been.

► Questions beginning with an auxiliary verb(be, do,have) or a modal verb ( can, may,
should,etc.), the reported question is introduced with if or whether

Direct speech Reported speech

Has Paul moved to his new flat? He asked me if Paul had moved to his new flat.
Have you ever been to Paris? He asked me if I had ever been to Paris.
Can you speak Spanish? He asked me whether I could speak Spanish
Reported requests/suggestions/orders/advices
 Reported requests- ask+ personal object +to + infinitive

Direct speech Reported speech

Please help me She asked me to help her
Please turn off your phones He asked us to turn our phones off
Could you pass the sugar, please? She asked me to pass the sugar

 To report a negative request, use not: ex: Don’t

come, please! -She asked me not to come
 Reported suggestions- suggest+ verb-ing
ex: Let’s make a salad! She suggested making a salad for dinner.
 Reported order- tell+ personal object + to + infinitive
ex: Go to bed!- Mum told her children to go to bed
 Reported advice- advice+ to + infinitive
ex: You should see a doctor!- She advised me to see a doctor
 Exercise 1
 1. “He works in a bank”
She said (that) he worked in a bank.
 2. “I’m coming!”
She said(that) she was coming.
 3. “He hasn’t eaten breakfast”
She told me (that) he hadn’t eaten his breakfast.
 4.“I hadn’t travelled by underground before I came to London”
She said (that) she hadn’t travelled by underground before she came to
London.
 5.“I can help you tomorrow”
She said(that) she could help me the next/following day
 Exercise 2

 “Please get me a cup of tea”

She asked me to get her a cup of tea.
 “How was the journey?”
He asked me how the journey had been.
 “Do you work in London?”
He asked me if I worked in London.
 “Let’s go to the cinema!”
He suggested going to the cinema.
 ‘’Come here!”
She told me to come here.
Gergana Ilieva- 11 e class