Reported speech

We use reported speech to report what another person has said (be it a secret
or not!!!).

We have to transform:
verb tenses
personal pronouns
possessive determiners
place and time expressions
demonstratives
 Changes
Verb tenses:

Present simple Past simple

Present continuous Past continuous
Present perfect Past perfect
Present perfect continuous Past perfect continuous
Past simple Past perfect
Past continuous Past perfect continuous
Will/can/may/must Would/could/might/had to
 Changes
Personal pronouns:

I he / she
me him / her

we they
us them

Possessive determiners:

my his / her
our their
 Changes
Place expressions:
here there

Time expressions:
now then
today that day
ago before
yesterday the previous day / the day before
tomorrow the next / following day
 Changes
Demonstratives:

this that

these those
 Examples
Karen: “I have been tidying up
my room this morning”.

Karen said (that) she had

been tidying up her room
that morning.

Paul: “I don’t like to live here”.

Paul said (that) he didn’t like to

live there.
 Reporting verbs
To report statements, we usually use verbs like admit, announce, claim,
declare, explain, mention, promise, say, suggest, tell and warn.
These verbs are usually used in the past.
Say or tell?
Say – when we don’t mention the hearer
He said that he was going to university.
Tell – when we want to mention the hearer
He told his friends that he was going to university.
 Reporting questions
To report questions, we
usually use the verbs ask,
want to know and wonder.

Teacher: “What are your

plans for the future?”

The teacher asked what my

plans for the future were.
 Reporting questions
The changes are the same as in statements.
However, the word order is different because you are changing a question into
a statement.

if + subject + verb
Sarah: “Do you have a Facebook account?”
Sarah asked me if I had a Facebook account.

wh- word + subject + verb

Sarah: “How many friends have you got?”
Sarah asked me how many friends I had got.
 Reporting commands
and requests
To report commands and requests, we
usually use the verbs ask, order and tell.

Teacher: “Read the text”.

The teacher told me to read the text.

 Reporting commands
and requests
Imperative Infinitive

Positive commands:
Coach: “Get ready”.
The coach told us to get ready.

Negative commands:
Coach: “Don’t lose concentration”.
The coach told us not to lose
concentration.
 Exercise
Report the following.

1. “I’ve got a date tonight.”

She said…

2. “We don’t like this song.”

My friends admitted…

3. “Close the door behind you.”

She told me…

4. “What are you doing here?”

My mother asked me…
 Exercise
5. “Don’t talk to me like that.”
Mary told Peter…

6. “I am interested in these topics.”

John explained…

7. “Does Laura have an addiction?”

My friend wanted to know…

8. “Where have you been this week?”

He wondered…

9. “My boyfriend left me a long time ago.”

She complained…

10.“I will always tell you the truth.”

He promised me…
 Exercise - Answer
1. She said he had got a date that night.
2. My friends admitted they didn’t like that song.
3. She told me to close the door behind me.
4. My mother asked me what I was doing there.
5. Mary told Peter not to talk to him like that.
6. John explained he was interested in those topics.
7. My friend wanted to know if Laura had an addiction.
8. He wondered where I had been that week.
9. She complained her boyfriend had left her a long time before.
10. He promised me he would always tell me the truth.