INDIRECT (REPORTED) SPEECH



REPORTED (Indirect) SPEECH

Reported Statements

In Reported Speech, verbs in Present Tenses usually change to a form of the Past,

e.g. am / is – was, live – lived, have / has – had, do – did.

E.g.: “She is my best friend.” (Direct)

He said (that) she was his best friend. (Reported)

|Direct Statement |Reported Statement |

|“I’m thirty – five.” |He said (that) he was thirty – five. |

|“I want to go home.” |She said (that) she wanted to go home.” |

|“I’m working this afternoon.” |He said (that) he was working this afternoon.” |

|“I’ve been here before.” |She said (that) she had been here / there before. |

|Verbs in the Simple Past usually change to the Past Perfect. |

|“I met him a year ago.” |She said (that) she had met him a year ago. |

|Note: The use of that is optional. |

Reported Requests and Commands

Reported requests and commands are made by using verbs like want, would like, ask and

tell with an object and an infinitive.

Direct (Affirmative)

“Can you come and see me about the job?” (request)

“Talk to Bob about the job.” (command)

Reported

Clare asked / wants / would like me to go and see her about the job.

Clare told me to talk to Bob about it.

Direct (Negative)

“Please don’t call me.” (request)

“Don’t call me.” (command)

Reported

Alan asked / told me not to call him.

|Said is also possible with the infinitive: |

|The doctor said to stay in bed for a few days. (but not said me) |

What’s the difference in meaning?

1 – He asked me to go.

2 – He told me to go.

Reported Questions

In Reported Questions, the word order of the question always changes.

|Direct Question |Reported Question |

|He asked, ”What are you doing?” |He asked me what I was doing. |

|He asked, “What is your name?” |He asked me what my name was. |

|If there is no question word (where, how, when, etc.) in the question, |

|IF is used instead. |

|“Are you American?” |He asked if I was American. |

|Do / Does / Did are not used in Reported Questions. |

|“Do you live in Boston?” |He asked me if I lived in Boston. |

|Direct Statement |Reported Statement |

|Simple Present |Simple Past |

|Present Continuous |Past Continuous |

|Simple Past |Past Perfect |

|Past Continuous |Past Perfect Continuous |

|Present Perfect |Past Perfect |

|Present Perfect Continuous |Past Perfect Continuous |

|Past Perfect |Past Perfect |

|Past Perfect Continuous |Past Perfect Continuous |

|Must, Might, Could, Would, Should and Ought to stay the same in Reported Speech. May|

|in Direct Speech normally changes to Might in Reported Speech. |

Say and tell

If you say who you are talking to, use tell:

• Ted told me (that) he didn’t see Brian. (not Ted said me ... )

Otherwise use say:

• Ted said (that) he didn’t see Brian. (not Ted told (that) he ... )

Also: you can’t say “Ted told about his holiday.” You have to say:

• Ted told us (or me/them/Ann, etc) about his holiday.

If you don’t say who he told, you have to say:

• Ted talked (or spoke) about his holiday. (but not said about)

Adverbs of time and place and a few other expressions also change.

Here are some examples:

Here = there

This = that

Now = then

Ago = before

Yesterday = the day before

Next week = the following week

It’s not always necessary to use any equivalent at all, as the past tense of the introducing verb is quite sufficient.

Ex: I’m coming to see you now. / He said he was coming to see me. (then is not wanted)

INDIRECT (REPORTED) SPEECH

TENSE CHANGE LIST

|DIRECT QUOTE |INDIRECT (REPORTED) SPEECH |

| SIMPLE PRESENT changes to SIMPLE PAST |

|"I work at Welcome."  |He said he worked at Welcome. |

|"I don't work at HME." |He said he didn't work at HME. |

|"I am a manager." |He said he was a manager. |

|"I'm not a clerk." |He said he wasn't a clerk. |

|PRESENT PROGRESSIVE changes to PAST PROGRESSIVE |

|"I'm cleaning my house today." |He said he was cleaning his house today. |

|"I'm not going to work today." |He said he wasn't going to work today. |

|"Mary is dancing in the show." |Lee said that Mary was dancing in the show. |

|"She isn't singing in the show." |He said she wasn't singing in the show. |

|PRESENT PERFECT changes to PAST PERFECT |

|"I've already seen that movie."  |She said she had already seen that movie. |

|"I haven't heard that song before." |She said she hadn't heard that song before. |

|"Gary has called three times." |Jackie said Gary had called three times. |

|"He hasn't left any messages though." |He said Gary hadn't left any messages though. |

|PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE changes to PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE |

|"Joe has been exercising." |She said Joe had been exercising. |

|"He hasn't been studying." |She said he hadn't been studying. |

|"Celia and Leo have been working." |Ling said they had been working. |

|"They haven't been sleeping." |She said they hadn't been sleeping. |

| SIMPLE PAST changes to PAST PERFECT |

|"I saw my friend." |She said she had seen his friend. |

|"I didn't see Monica." |She said she hadn't seen Monica. |

|"I was late." |He said he had been late. |

|"I wasn't on time." |He said he hadn't been on time. |

|-MODALS- |

|PRESENT MODALS change to PAST MODALS |

|"I will wash the dishes." |She said she would wash the dishes. |

|"I won't go." |He said he wouldn't go. |

|"I can dance." |He said he could dance. |

|"I can't swim." |He said he couldn't swim. |

|"There may be a problem."  |She said there might be a problem. |

|"There may not be any milk left." |She said there might not be any milk left. |

|                 (No contraction) |                 (No contraction) |

|HAVE TO / HAS TO and MUST change to HAD TO |

|"I have to clean my room."  |He said he had to clean his room. |

|"I don't have to clean the kitchen." |He said he didn't have to clean the kitchen. |

|"Sarah has to work today." |Peter said Sarah had to work today. |

|"She doesn't have to go to class." |He said she didn't have to go to class. |

|"I must go to the store."  |She said she had to go to the store. |

|(No negative form possible) | (No negative form possible) |

|THESE MODALS DO NOT CHANGE: |

|would, could, might, ought to, should |

|"I would like a sandwich."  |He said he would like a sandwich. |

|"I couldn't go to the party." |She said she couldn't go to the party. |

|"It might rain today." |The weatherman said it might rain today. |

|"You really ought to do your homework." |The history teacher said I really ought to do my homework. |

|"You should be nicer to your brother." |My dad said I should be nicer to my brother. |

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