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Reported Speech

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7 views

Reported Speech

Uploaded by

israh.nafeesa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Reported speech puts the speaker's words or ideas

into a sentence without quotation marks. Noun


clauses are usually used. In reported speech, the
reader does not assume that the words are the
speaker's exact words; often, they are a
paraphrase of the speaker's words.
4 rules for Reported speech in English
The 4 rules for Reported speech in English. ...
Reported speech rule #1: changing pronouns.
Direct speech.
Reported or indirect speech.
Reported speech rule #2: changing locations.
Reported speech rule #3: changing timing.
Reported speech rule #4: changing the tense
The 4 rules for Reported speech in English.
Reported speech, also called indirect speech, is
what happens when we are telling someone about
what another person said.

Here is an example of direct and reported speech:

Direct speech: I don’t like this party.


Reported or indirect speech: He said (that) he
didn’t like the party.

When changing direct speech into reported speech,


there are four rules you need to consider:
Reported speech rule #1: changing pronouns

If the speaker uses a pronoun that does not work if


reported by you, it needs to be changed. For
example:

Direct speech

“I don’t like homework,” he said.

“My mum told me to study,” she said.

Reported or indirect speech

He said (that) he didn’t like homework.

She said (that) her mum told her to study.


Reported speech rule #2: changing locations
A change of place between when the conversation
was held and when it was reported may mean that
the ‘place’ words need changing.

Direct speech > Reported or indirect speech

For example:

“I don’t like it here,“ he said. – reported from


somewhere else – He said (that) he didn’t like it
there.

“This party is boring,” he said. – reported from


somewhere else – He said (that) the party was
boring.

“My mum told me to come home,” she said. > She


said (that) her mum told her to go home.

“You should spend the weekend here,” he said. >


He said (that) I should spend the weekend there.

Reported speech rule #3: changing timing

NOTE: imagine that the speech below is being


reported one month later than the direct speech.

Direct speech >> Reported or indirect speech


“I met her this morning,” she said. >> She said
(that) she had met her that morning.

“I can see you now,” the teacher said. >> The


teacher said (that) he could see me then.

“I changed jobs a month ago,” John said. >> John


said (that) he had changed jobs the month before.

“I’ll see you next week,” the doctor said. >> The
doctor said (that) she would see me the following
week.

“We’ll tell you tomorrow,” they said. >> They said


(that) they would tell me the following / the next
day.

Reported speech rule #4: changing the tense

Often you will need to change the tense from the


direct speech. The list below shows the common
changes between tenses.

Direct speech – Reported speech

Present simple changes to past simple: “It is


lovely!” she said. – She said (that) it was lovely.
Present continuous changes to past continuous: “I
am studying,” she said. – She said (that) she was
studying.

Present perfect changes to past perfect: “I have


finished,” she said. – She said (that) she had
finished.

Present perfect continuous changes to past perfect


continuous: “I’ve been cooking,” she said. – She
said (that) she had been cooking.

Past simple changes to the past perfect: “I saw Jim


at work,” she said. – She said (that) she had seen
Jim at work.

Past continuous changes to Past perfect


continuous: Preeti said,’I was cooking pasta.’ -
Preeti said that she had been cooking pasta.

Past perfect doesn’t change: “I had already missed


the bus,” she said. – She said (that) she had
already missed the bus.

Past perfect continuous doesn’t change: “I had


been waiting for 10 minutes,” she said. – She said
(that) she had been waiting for 10 minutes.

Will changes to would: “I will see you later,” she


said. – She said (that) she would see me later.
Can changes to could: “I can help,” she said. – She
said (that) she could help.

Must changes to had to: “I must go,” she said. –


She said (that) she had to go.

Shall changes to should: “What shall we do today?”


she said. – She asked what we should do that day.

May changes to might: “I may have a day off


today,” she said. – She said (that) she might have a
day off that day.

Has/have change to had

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