REPORTED SPEECH

In the English language, there are two

ways of conveying what someone else
has said:
direct/quotedspeech and
indirect/reported speech.

REPORTED SPEECH
What is it ?

How do you use it?

Where
s Tom?

He said
he was
feeling ill.

It is the grammar we use if we want to tell another person about

a conversation that took place in the past (e.g telephone call,
news or story that someone told us etc.)

 We

us RS to report what someone has

said by changing some of the words
said, but retaining the same
meaning.

Look at the example.

My favourite film is on TV
tonight. I love comedies.

Mrs Brown said that her favourite film was

on TV that night. She said that she loved
comedies.

What has changed?

Pronoun:

My
I

Tense:

am
love

Time words:

tonight

becomes

becomes

becomes

her
she
was
loved
that night

In the Reported Speech we

preferably use the past tense.
am /is

becomes

was

are

becomes

were

has / have

becomes

had

see

becomes

saw

can(t)
will/wont

becomes
becomes

could(nt)
would(nt)

Changes in verb tenses

do

did

becomes

(Present Simple)

am /is doing
(Present Continuous)

(Past Simple)

was doing

becomes

(Past Continuous)

are doing werebecomes

doing
(Present Continuous)

(Past Continuous)

becomes
has / havedone had
done

(Present Perfect)

(Past Perfect)

If we want to report a sentence that

is already in the Past Tense, we
normally use the Past Perfect.
I saw the film last
week.

He said he had seen the film the

week before.

Changes
Time

Place

now

then

here

there

today

that day

this

that

this week

that week

these

those

tomorrow

the next day

yesterday

the day before

last week

the week before

Reported requests,
offers.
When we report
offers, promises,
threats etc, we can use the
structure:

Reporting verb + toinfinitive

What did the

woman say to
us?
She offered to help
us.
reporting
verb

Can I
help
you?

to-infinitive

***Notice***
The reporting verbs that we
can use in this structure
include:
Offer, promise, agree, refuse
etc.

Ill work
harder

What did Jacky say?

He promised
to work harder.

Reported orders,
requests.
When we report orders, requests,
warnings, advice, invitations etc,
we can use the structure:
Reporting verb + object + to
infinitive

Can you tell

me how to
read the
word, John?
What did the girl say?
The girl asked John to tell her how to read the
word.
Notice :
reporting
verb

+ object + to-infinitive

The change of
pronouns

***Notice***
The reporting verbs that we can
use in this structure include:

tell, ask, order, warn, remind,

advise, invite etc.

Amy, I think you

should do your
homework.

What did mother say to

Amy?
Mother advised Amy to
do her homework.

Reporting negative orders,

promises, advices..
In negative orders, promises,
requests,etc, we use the
structure:

not + to-infinitive

Dont eat too

much sweet.

What did the

dentist tell Joe?
The dentist told Joe not to eat too much
sweet.
not + to-infinitive

Indirect Speech of Imperative

Sentence
A sentence which expresses command,
request, advice or suggestion is called
imperativesentence.
For example,
Open the door.
Please help me.
Learn your lesson.

To change such sentences into indirect speech,

the word ordered or requested or advised or
suggested or forbade or not to do is added
to reporting verb depending upon nature of
imperative sentence in reported speech.
Examples

Direct speech
He said to me, please help me.

Indirect Speech
He requested me to help him.

She said to him, you should work He suggested him to work hard
hard for exam.
for exam.
They said to him, do not tell a
lie.

They said to him notto tell a lie.

He said, open the door.

He ordered to open the door.

The teacher said to student, do

not waste time.

The teacher advised the students

not to waste time.

Indirect Speech for Interrogative

(Question) Sentence
For changing interrogative (question) sentence into indirect
speech we have to observe the nature of question and then
change it into indirect speech according to it rules for
indirect speech.
A question can be of two types:
One type which can be answered in only YES or NO and
Other type which needs a little bit explanation for its
answer and cannot be answered in only YES or NO.

For example:
Direct speech: They said to me, did u go to school?
Indirect Speech: They asked me if I had gone to school.

EXERCISES.

A comedy show called Dont look

now! has just closed after five years
at a theatre in Londons West End.
This is what the critics said when it
opened five years ago.

Exercises
Its a marvellous show. The Daily Mail
The Daily Mail said
it was a marvelous show.
Youll love it The Guardian
The Guardian said people would love it.

Exercises
The production is brilliant The Times
The Times said the production was
brilliant.
Its the funniest show Ive ever seen
Joan Proctor
Joan Proctor said it was the funniest
show she had ever seen.

Exercises
It made me laugh Ben Walsh
Ben Walsh said it had made him laugh.
You shouldnt miss it Time Out
Time Out said people shouldnt miss it.

Exercises