Reported Statements

We usually introduce reported statements with "reporting verbs" such as "say" or "tell”

He said, "I am sick." He said that he was sick.

When we report a statement, we can say "He said that..." or simply "He said...". Both are possible.
"He said that..." is more formal.

When we use our own words to report speech, there are one or two things that we sometimes
change:

pronouns may need to change to reflect a different perspective

tense sometimes has to go back one tense (eg, present becomes past) - this is called backshift

He said, "I am sick." He said (that) he was sick.

There are sometimes other things too that we may need to change, such as time or place. Look at
these examples:

Jane said, "I was sick yesterday." Jane said (that) she had been sick the day before.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Simple Present Simple Past

Greg said, "I am an English teacher." Greg said that he was an English teacher.

Present Continuous Past Continuous

Edward said, "I am watching the news." Edward said that he was watching the news.

Simple Past Past Perfect

Silva said, "I went to school yesterday." Silva said that she had gone to school the day before.

Present Perfect Past Perfect

Captain said, "I have built a ship." Captain said that he had built a ship.

Future Future in the past

Eli said, "I will buy the book tomorrow" Eli said that she would buy the book tomorrow.
Eli said, “I am going to buy the book tomorrow” Eli said that she was going to buy the book tomorrow.

Present Perfect Progressive Past Perfect Continuous

She said, "I have been waiting for two hours." She said that she had been waiting for two hours.

Conditional (Future Possible) Conditional (Present Unreal)

My mom said to her, "If you come tomorrow, I will My mother told her that if she came the next day, she
introduce you to my husband." would introduce her to her husband.

Conditional (Present Unreal) Present Unreal/DOES NOT CHANGE/

 Lori said to William, "If you loved me, you would say
Lori told William that if he loved her, he would tell her.
it."

Questions in reported speech

Word order

It is characteristic that affirmative word order is used in reported questions, that is, the subject comes before
the verb, and if the question is in present simple or past simple it is not necessary to use 'do' or 'did':

Yes / no questions

This type of question is reported by using 'ask' + 'if / whether' + clause ,plus necessary charge of tense,
pronouns, adverbs:

Examples

Direct speech Indirect speech

"Do you speak English?" He asked me if I spoke English.

"Are you British or American?" He asked me whether I was British or American.

"Is it raining?" She asked if it was raining.

"Have you got a computer?" He wanted to know whether I had a computer.

"Can you type?" She asked if I could type.

"Did you come by train?" He enquired whether I had come by train.

"Have you been to Bristol before?" She asked if I had been to Bristol before.

Question words

This type of question is reported by using 'ask' (or another verb like 'ask') + WH question word + clause. The
clause contains the question, in normal word order and with the necessary tense change.

Examples

Direct speech Indirect speech

"What is your name?" he asked me. He asked me what my name was.

 Direct speech Indirect speech

"How old is your mother?", he asked. He asked how old her mother was.

The policman said to the boy, "Where do you live?" The policeman asked the boy where he lived.

"What time does the train arrive?" she asked. She asked what time the train arrived.

"When can we have dinner?" she asked. She asked when they could have dinner.

Peter said to John, "Why are you so late?" Peter asked John why he was so late.

**** ONLY IN THE CASE OF SUBJECT QUESTIONS YOU DO NOT HAVE TO CHANGE THE WORD ORDER

Example:

“Who has opened the door? “ He asked who had opened the door .

The most common reporting verb for questions is ask, but we can also use verbs like enquire, want to know
or wonder.

Exaples:

'Did you bring your passports?'

She wanted to know if they'd brought their passports.

'When could you get this done by?'

He wondered when we could get it done by.

Offers, requests and suggestions in Reported Speech

If the question is making an offer, request or suggestion, we can use a specific verb pattern instead, for
example offer + infinitive, ask + infinitive or suggest + ing.

‘Come here’

She asked me to come there

'Would you like me to help you?'

He offered to help me.

'Can you hold this for me, please?'

She asked me to hold it.

'Why don't we check with Joel?'

She suggested checking with Joel.

**** ZERO, SECOND AND THIRD CONDITIONAL DO NOT CHAGE FRO DIRECT TO REPORTED SPEECH

****QUOTES OF FAMOUS PEOPL DO NOT CHAGE FRO DIRECT TO REPORTED SPEECH

****WHEN WE REPORT LIVE WE USE INTRODUCTORY VERB IN PRESENT AND THERE IS NO CHANGE OF TENSE
(bakeshift)

Example: The actor says“ I am delighted”. The actor says that he is delighted.

https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/reported_speech/backshift.htm

https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/reported_speech/questions.htm

https://www.esl-lounge.com/student/grammar/4g11-reporting-verbs-exercise.php