Reported

Speech

Definition
Reported Speech (also called Indirect
Speech) is generally used to communicate
what someone else has said, but without
using their exact words. A few changes are
necessary; often a pronoun has to be
changed and the verb is usually moved
back a tense, where possible. We will
explain these changes in more detail later.
He said that he was going to come.
(The person's exact words were "I'm going to
come.")

Changes in Verb tenses

Present Simple Past Simple
I love him, said the girl. The girl said that she loved
him.

Present Continuous Past Continuous

I am feeling hungry, he said. He said that he was
feeling hungry.

Present Perfect Simple Past Perfect

Simple
I have eaten, she said. She said that she had eaten.

Changes in Verb tenses

Past Continuous Past Perf. Cont.
She was crying, he said. He said that she had been crying.

Past Perfect Past Perfect (No Change)

I had seen enough, she said. She said that she had seen
enough.

Past Perf. Cont. Past Perf. Cont. (No

Change)
I had been cleaning, I said. I said that I had been cleaning.

Other Verb Forms

Will Would
I will come along, she said. She said that she would
come along.

Can Could
I can read!, said the girl. The girl said that she could
read.

Must Had to
I must do my chores, he said. He said that he had to
do his chores.

Other Verb Forms

Shall Should
Shall I go to work?, he asked. He asked if he should
go to work.

May Might
We may go out, they said. They said that they might
go out

Time And Place References

Time and place references often have to
change:

Direct
Speech

Indirect
Speech

Now
Today
Here
This
This week
Tomorrow

Then
That Day
There
That
That Week
The Following Day
The Next Day
The Day After

Time And Place References

Direct Speech Indirect
Speech
Next Week

Yesterday
Last Week
Ago

The Following Week

The Next Week
The Week After
The Previous Day
The Day Before
The Previous Week
The Week Before
Previously

Time And Place References

Direct Speech

Indirect
Speech

Tonight
Last Saturday

That Night
The Previous Saturday
The Saturday Before
The Following
Saturday
The Saturday After
The Next Saturday
That Saturday

Next Saturday

Personal Pronoun
Changes(I):

They need to be altered according to the

context.
Pronouns and possessive adjectives normally
change from first or second person to third
person except when the speaker is reporting his
own words.
- He said, Ive forgotten my keys at home.
He said that he had forgotten his keys at home.
- Youve overcooked the steak again, Mary, he said.
He told Mary that she had overcooked the steak again.
- I said, I like my new house.
I said that I liked my new house.

Personal Pronoun Changes

(II)
However, confusions can arise when we change from direct
to indirect Speech.
I am going to buy a new car, said Mara.
Mara said that she was going to buy a new car.
In this case, the subject in the direct speech and the pronoun
refer to the same person. In order to avoid ambiguity, a noun
could be inserted:
He entered the room by breaking the window, Tom told me.
Tom told me he/the burglar had entered the room by
breaking the window.

Uses of That
In reported speech, the word that is
often used, but it is optional.

He told me that he lived in Valencia.

He told me he lived in Valencia.

Questions
If you put a question into Reported speech there
are some steps you should follow; changing of
the person, backshift of tenses and changing of
expressions of time.
In Reported speech there is no question
anymore, the sentence becomes a statement.
That's why the word order is: subject -verbobjects(direct and indirect)
That is never used in questions, instead we
use if.
He asked me if I would come to the party.

Questions
Yes/No Questions: use of if
Peter: "Do you play the piano?"
Peter asked me whether (if) I played the piano.
Wh- Questions: repetition of wh- word in reported
speech

Peter: "When do you play the piano?"

Peter asked me when I played the piano.

Verbs
We can use a wide variety of different verbs
to introduce reported speech:

Verb clause

Example

Advise + to + inf

She advised us to go
home.

Agree +
that(optional)/ to +
inf

-He agreed (that) we

should go home.
-He agreed to go home.

Ask + if/whether+
to+infinitive

-We asked if we could go

home.
- We asked to go home.

Verb clause
Complain +that
Offer + to + infinitive
Promise + (that) / to +
infinitive

Regret+(that)/-ing

Say + (that)

Example
she complained that her
soup was cold.
They offered to do the
shopping.
-He promised (that) he
would love me eternally.
- He promised to love me
eternally.
-Laura regrets (that) she
dyed her hair.
-Laura regrets having
dyed her hair.
-The personal trainer
said that I should do
more exercise.

Other verbs
Deny + (that)/ -ing
Insist + (that)/ on + -ing
Invite + to + infinitive
Recommend+ (that) / -ing
Suggest+ (that) / -ing
Tell+ (that)/ to + infinitive
Threaten + (that) /to +infinitive
Warn + (that) /to + infinitive/about+-ing

Exceptions to the Verb Change rule

When something is reported that is a
general truth, or if the situation
hasnt changed yet, there is often no
tense change.
Anna said that the sun is hot.
Anna said that she is studying at the
University.

Exercises
1.) James said, I am watching TV.
Answer: James said that he was watching TV.
2.) Professor Jones said, I worked all day!
Answer: Professor Jones said he had worked
all day.
3.) The president said, I will be visiting
Italy in December.
Answer: The president said that he would be
visiting Italy in December.

Exercises
4.) The weatherman announced, It may
rain today.
Answer: The weatherman announced that it
might rain that day.
5.) My father screamed, I have to go to
the airport, now!
Answer: My father screamed that he had to
go to the airport then.

Group Members:
Anna Andjar Forner
Annabel Kay Ruiz
Ernesto Maravilla Fras
Laura Pons Fernndez
Mara Ruiz Peris
Rut Villar Snchez
If you have any queries, please ask our
dearest teacher, Beatriu Cardona.