REPORTED SPEECH

1. REPORTED STATEMENTS
The two main verbs to report a statement are 'say' and 'tell'.
• Say can't take an object: She said (that) she would drive me to the festival
• Tell must take an object: She told me (that) she would drive me to the festival

We usually change the tenses in the reported speech:

Direct Speech Reported Speech

present simple I like ice cream past simple She said (that) she liked ice cream.

She said (that) she was living in

present continuous I am living in London Past continuous
London.

past simple I bought a car Past perfect She said (that) she had bought a car

Past perfect She said (that) she had been walking

past continuous I was walking along the street
continuous along the street.

present perfect I haven't seen Julie Past perfect She said (that) she hadn't seen Julie.

I had taken English lessons She said (that) she had taken English
past perfect Past perfect
before lessons before.

will I'll see you later would She said (that) she would see me later.

would I would help, but... would She said (that) she would help but...

She said (that) she could speak perfect

can I can speak perfect English could
English.

She said (that) she could swim when

could I could swim when I was four could
she was four.

shall I shall come later should She said (that) she would come later.

She said (that) she should call her

should I should call my mother should
mother

might I might be late might She said (that) she might be late

She said (that) she had to study at the

must I must study at the weekend Had to
weekend

* (that) is optional in reported statements and it is most commonly omitted.

* We needn't change the present simple into the past if the information is still true (general facts)
• Direct speech: The sky is blue.
• Reported speech: She said (that) the sky is/was blue.
2. REPORTED QUESTIONS
The main verb to report a question is 'ask'
2.1 WH- questions
a) The tense changes are the same as with statements.
b) We keep the question word.
c) We must change the word order to a normal positive sentence.

Direct Question Reported Question

Where is the Post Office, please? She asked me where the Post Office was.
What are you doing? She asked me what I was doing.
Who was that fantastic man? She asked me who that fantastic man had been.

2.2. YES/NO questions

a) The tense changes are the same as with statements.

b) We use IF to introduce the reported question.
c) We must use the word order of a normal positive sentence.

Direct Question Reported Question

Do you love me? He asked me if I loved him.
Have you ever been to Mexico? She asked me if I had ever been to Mexico.
Are you living here? She asked me if I was living there.

3. REPORTED REQUESTS
a) Affirmative requests: we use the structure 'ask me + to + infinitive':
b) Negative request requests: we use the structure 'ask me + not + to + infinitive':

Direct Request Reported Request

Please help me. She asked me to help her.
Please don't smoke. She asked me not to smoke.
Could you bring my book tonight? She asked me to bring her book that night.
Could you pass the milk, please? She asked me to pass the milk.
Would you mind coming early tomorrow? She asked me to come early the next day.

4. REPORTED ORDERS
a) Affirmative orders: we use the structure 'tell me + to + infinitive':
b) Negative request requests: we use the structure 'tell me + not + to + infinitive':

Direct Order Reported Order

Go to bed! He told the child to go to bed.
Don't worry! He told her not to worry.
Be on time! He told me to be on time.
Don't smoke! He told us not to smoke.
5. TIME EXPRESSIONS WITH REPORTED SPEECH

Direct speech Reported speech

now then / at that time
today yesterday / that day / Tuesday / the 27th of June
yesterday the day before yesterday / the day before / Wednesday / the 5th of December
last night the night before, Thursday night
last week the week before / the previous week
tomorrow today / the next day / the following day / Friday

6. REPORTING VERBS

Reporting verbs which take a TO-INFINITIVE

With an object:
• Advise: The teacher advised the students to arrive earlier
• Ask: My parents asked me to pick my little sister from school
• Beg: The driver begged the police officer not to fine him
• Convince: We convinced Matt to come to the beach with us
• Encourage: The teacher encouraged us to practice the reported speech
• Forbid: The Government forbade citizens to smoke next to playgrounds
• Invite: Our boss invited his employees to have a party before Christmas
• Order: The judge ordered the convict to sit down
• Persuade: My lawyer persuaded me to sign the documents
• Remind: My grandparents reminded me to phone them every weekend
• Recommend: She recommended us to take a taxi to the airport
• Warn: The police officer warned drivers to slow down
Without an object:
• Agree: Everybody agreed to have the exam on Friday
• Claim: The trade unions claimed to increase salaries
• Offer: They offered to help us finish our coursework
• Promise: My parents promised to take me to NY next summer
• Refuse: The suspect refused to answer any questions.

Reporting verbs which take an -ING verb

• Admit: She admitted phoning us at three in the morning
• Deny: The boys denied throwing trash on the floor
• Propose: Jack proposed working together on the project
• Recommend: She recommended taking a cab to the airport
• Suggest: Jack suggested working together on the project