GRAMMAR
Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)
What is reported speech?
Reported speech is when you tell somebody else what you or a person said before.
Distinction must be made between direct speech and reported speech.
Direct speech vs Reported speech:
| Direct speech | Reported speech |
|---|---|
| She says: "I like tuna fish." | She says that she likes tuna fish. |
| She said: "I'm visiting Paris next weekend" | She said that she was visiting Paris the following weekend. |
Different types of sentences
When you use reported speech, you either report:
- statements
- questions
- requests / commands
- other types
A. Reporting Statements
When transforming statements, check whether you have to change:
- pronouns
- tense
- place and time expression
1- Pronouns
In reported speech, you often have to change the pronoun depending on who says what.
Example:
She says, “My dad likes roast chicken.” – She says that her dad likes roast chicken.
2- Tenses
- If the sentence starts in the present, there is no backshift of tenses in reported speech.
- If the sentence starts in the past, there is often backshift of tenses in reported speech.
| Direct speech | Reported speech | |
|---|---|---|
| (no backshift) | “I write poems.” | He says that he writes poems. |
| (backshift) | “I write poems.” |
He said that he wrote poems. |
No backshift
Do not change the tense if the introductory clause is in a present tense (e. g. He says). Note, however, that you might have to change the form of the present tense verb (3rd person singular).
Example:
He says, “I write poems.” – He says that he writes English.
Backshift
You must change the tense if the introductory clause is in a past tense (e. g. He said).
Example:
He said, “I am happy.” – He said that he was happy.
Examples of the main changes in tense:
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
Simple Present He said: "I am happy" |
Simple Past He said that he was happy |
Present Progressive He said: "I'm looking for my keys" |
Past Progressive He said that he was looking for his keys |
Simple Past He said: "I visited New York last year" |
Past Perfect Simple He said that he had visited New York the previous year. |
Present Perfect He said: " I've lived here for a long time " |
Past Perfect He said that he had lived there for a long time |
Past Perfect He said: "They had finished the work when I arrived" |
Past Perfect He said that they had finished the work when he had arrived" |
Past Progressive He said: "I was playing football when the accident occurred" |
Past Perfect Progressive He said that he had been playing football when the accident had occurred |
Present Perfect Progressive He said:"I have been playing football for two hours." |
Past Perfect Progressive He said that he had been playing football for two hours |
Past Perfect Progressive He said: "I had been reading a newspaper when the light went off" |
Past Perfect Progressive He said that he had been reading a newspaper when the light had gone off |
Future Simple (will+verb) He said: "I will open the door." |
Conditional (would+verb) He said that he would open the door. |
Conditional (would+verb) He said: "I would buy Mercedes if I were rich" |
Conditional (would+verb) He said that he would buy Mercedes if he had been rich" |
The modal verbs could, should, would, might, needn't, ought to, used to do not normally change.
Example:
He said, "She might be right." – He said that she might be right.
Other modal verbs may change:
| Modal | Direct speech | Reported speech |
|---|---|---|
| can | "I can do it." | He said he could do it. |
| may | "May I go out?" | He wanted to know if he might go out. |
| must | "She must apply for the job." | He said that she must/had to apply for the job. |
| will | "They will call you." | He told her that they would call her. |
3- Place, demonstratives and time expressions
Place, demonstratives and time expressions change if the context of the reported statement (i.e. the location and/or the period of time) is different from that of the direct speech.
In the following table, you will find the different changes of place; demonstratives and time expressions.
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| Time Expressions | |
| today | that day |
| now | then |
| yesterday | the day before |
| … days ago | … days before |
| last week | the week before |
| next year | the following year |
| tomorrow | the next day / the following day |
| Place | |
| here | there |
| Demonstratives | |
| this | that |
| these | those |
B. Reporting Questions
When transforming questions, check whether you have to change:
- pronouns
- place and time expressions
- tenses (backshift)
Also note that you have to:
- transform the question into an indirect question
- use the question word (where, when, what, how) or if / whether
| Types of questions | Direct speech | Reported speech |
|---|---|---|
| With question word (what, why, where, how...) | "Why" don’t you speak English?” | He asked me why I didn’t speak English. |
| Without question word (yes or no questions) | “Do you speak English?” | He asked me whether / if I spoke English. |
C. Reporting requests / commands
When transforming requests and commands, check whether you have to change:
- pronouns
- place and time expressions
| Direct speech | Reported speech |
|---|---|
| “Nancy,do the exercise.“ | He told Nancy to do the exercise. |
| "Nancy, give me your pen, please." | He asked Nancy to give him her pen. |
| Tenses are not relevant for requests – simply use to / not to + verb (infinitive without "to") |
Example:
She said, “Sit down." - She asked me to sit down.
She said, "don't be lazy" - She asked me not to be lazy
For affirmative use to + infinitive (without to) For negative requests, use not to + infinitive (without to). |
D. Other transformations
- Expressions of advice with must, should and ought are usually reported using advise / urge.
Example:
"You must read this book."
He advised / urged me to read that book. - The expression let’s is usually reported using suggest. In this case, there are two possibilities for reported speech: gerund or statement with should.
Example:
"Let’s go to the cinema."
1. He suggested going to the cinema.
2. He suggested that we should go to the cinema.
Main clauses connected with and/but
If two complete main clauses are connected with ‚and or ‚but, put ‚that after the conjunction.
Example:
He said,“I saw her but she didn't see me.“ – He said that he had seen her but that she hadn't seen him.“
If the subject is dropped in the second main clause (the conjunction is followed by a verb), do not use ‚that‘.
Example:
She said,“I am a nurse and work in a hospital.“ – He said that she was a nurse and worked in a hospital.“
