THE REPORTED

SPEECH
What is it? How do we use it?

We use the Reported

Speech:

To report what another person has said,

but not using the speakers exact words;
To give someone a telephone message; or
to tell something you have read in a
newspaper...
The structure is a little different depending
on whether we want to transform a
statement, question or request.
Ex: Mark said that he wanted to live in London.

Please, note that:

Quotation/speech marks are not used in
reported speech.
Verb tenses, pronouns and some time and
place words may change because the time,
place and speaker may be different.

When we report a statement, we use

reported verbs such as say, tell, explain,
inform, answer, decide, etc. often
followed by that. When we use reported
speech we are usually talking about the
past. Therefore, verbs in reported
speech usually change to the past.
Reported speech usually uses the
following structure:
-Someone said that.
--Someone told me that

Verb tense changes:

DIRECT SPEECH

REPORTED SPEECH

Present Simple

Past Simple

Past Simple

Past Perfect

Present Continuous

Past Continuous

Past Continuous

Past Perfect

Present Perfect

Continuous
Past Perfect

Ex: I prefer my own friends, said Paul.

Paul said (that) he preferred his own
friends.

Verb tense changes:

Past Perfect

Past Perfect

Future (shall, will)

Conditional

May

(should, would)

Can

Might

Must -

Could

prohibitions/probability

Had to

necessity
/obligationEx: They will go to the concert, said John
John said (that) they would go to the
concert.
I must go to the doctor , said Mary.
Mary said (that) she had to go to the

PLACE CHANGES
DIRECT SPEECH

REPORTED SPEECH

here

there

this place

that place

Ex: Here is your coat, said Mary.

Mary said (that) there was my coat.

TIME CHANGES
DIRECT SPEECH
now
today
tonight
yesterday
last month
next week
tomorrow

REPORTED SPEECH
then
that day
that night
the day before
the month before
the following week
the next day/the
following day

Ex: Yesterday we went to the beach, they

said.
They said (that) the day before they had
gone to the beach.

POSSESSIVES CHANGES
DIRECT SPEECH
my
your
our
mine
yours
ours

REPORTED SPEECH
his, her
my, his, her, our,
their
their
his, hers
mine, his, hers,
ours, theirs
mine, his , hers,
ours, theirs

PERSONAL PRONOUNS
CHANGES
DIRECT SPEECH
I
you
we
me
you
us

REPORTED SPEECH
he, she
I, she, he, we,
they
they
him, her
him, her, us,
them

them
Ex: I am going to London,
said Peter.
Peter said (that) he was going to
London.

QUESTIONS
1. Yes/No Questions
If + Subject + Verb

Is it raining? The old lady asked if it was raining.

Do you have any stamps? I asked them if they had any
stamps.
Can I borrow your pen? He asked her if he could
borrow her pen.
NB: In Reported questions there is no question mark
and the order of words is like in a simple
statement.

2. Wh-Questions
Wh-word + Subject + Verb
Where are you going? He asked her where she
was going.
When do you get up in the morning? I asked
him when he
got up
in the morning.

REQUESTS
When we put an IMPERATIVE sentence into
Indirect Speech, we usually use a verb like
tell,
followed by a TO-INFINITIVE CLAUSE.
Give me the money. He told /ordered me to give
him the
money.
Come in, please. The manager asked me
to come in.

Exercises:
A

Rewrite the sentences in reported speech:

I watch a film on Saturdays. Caroline said
He is my best friend. Fred told me
The scarf is in my bag. Janice said
This film wasn't very interesting Tom told me
This isn't my school. Jerry said
'We will walk for half an hour. Yesterday Jennifer told me
These T-shirts don't fit me. Mike said
We are parking our car here They said
It is my boyfriend's birthday party tomorrow. Helen told
me
I think there will be a students' meeting very soon. He
said

B Put into Reported Speech:

Shes the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. Peter said
He didnt come in for tea. She said
Well have to wait until she comes. They said
I went to the theatre with my parents yesterday night. She
said
I know we dont have enough money. He said
They tried to make him leave the office. She said
The farmer doesnt know why the weather is going to
change. They said
Carol wasnt invited to the party. They said
They divided the cake into three pieces. She said
There was a terrible accident near my school two weeks ago.
She said
The robbery wasnt discovered until the evening. They said