Scribd
Upload
3 views15 pages

Reported Speech

Reported speech, or indirect speech, is a grammatical structure used to convey what someone said without quoting their exact words, requiring changes in pronouns and verb tenses. The document outlines the rules for converting direct speech to reported speech, including verb tense changes, the use of reporting verbs, and how to handle requests, orders, and questions. Additionally, it explains other necessary changes in pronouns and time expressions when converting to reported speech.

Uploaded by

Miguel Angel Oliver Suarez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
3 views15 pages

Reported Speech

Reported speech, or indirect speech, is a grammatical structure used to convey what someone said without quoting their exact words, requiring changes in pronouns and verb tenses. The document outlines the rules for converting direct speech to reported speech, including verb tense changes, the use of reporting verbs, and how to handle requests, orders, and questions. Additionally, it explains other necessary changes in pronouns and time expressions when converting to reported speech.

Uploaded by

Miguel Angel Oliver Suarez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 15

Reported Speech

SLIDESMANIA.COM
REPORTED SPEECH

Reported Speech (also called Indirect Speech or indirect discourse) is a grammatical


mechanism used to communicate what someone else said, but without using the exact
words, that is to report the content of another speech without directly quoting it. That
is why a few changes are necessary, especially for pronouns and verb tenses. Here you
have an example:

The teacher said she was proud of her students . (reported speech).

The teacher said :"I’m proud of you" . (direct discourse)


SLIDESMANIA.COM
VERB CHANGES
Verbs used in direct speech often change their tense in reported speech, especially when the
“reporting” verb is in the past ( e.g. said ).

Present simple to past simple:


“I am tired”.
She said that she was tired.

Present continuous to past continuous:


“She is writing a novel”.
He said that she was writing a novel.
SLIDESMANIA.COM
VERB CHANGES
Present perfect to past perfect:
“She has had an accident”.
He said that she had had an accident.

Past simple to past perfect:


“I broke his trust”.
She said that she had broken his trust.

Future simple to Present conditional:


“I will send the parcel as soon as possible”.
He said that he would send the parcel as soon as possible.
SLIDESMANIA.COM
NO CHANGES

Some verb tenses used in direct speech do not change in reported speech. The “reporting”
verb is often in the present tense. The verbs do not normally change when:

1-Reporting a present state of affairs


“The electricity bill in Spain is extraordinarily high”.
The journalist says/said that the electricity bill in Spain is extraordinarily high.

2-Reporting things which are always true


“It is always hot in the Canary Islands”.
Leah says it is always hot in the Canary Islands.
SLIDESMANIA.COM
NO CHANGES

3-Reporting something which we believe (or someone believes) will happen


“They are going to make a funeral for the dead miners next week”.
The reporter said that they are going to make a funeral for the dead miners next
week.

4-They are modals such as would, could, might, ought and should…
“It might rain tomorrow”.
She said that it might rain tomorrow.
SLIDESMANIA.COM
REPORTING STATEMENTS
VERB (+ that): say, claim, admit, explain, insist, agree, complain, deny, reply…
“I am sad”.
She said ( that ) she was sad.
“I don’t know the truth”.
He claims ( that ) he doesn’t know the truth.
“I was shoplifting”.
He admitted ( that ) he had been shoplifting.
“I’m hungry”.
He explained ( that ) he was hungry.
SLIDESMANIA.COM

Notice admit and deny can also be followed by the –ing form.
VERB + Pronoun/noun (+ that): tell
“I’m an art student”.
She told him ( that ) she was an art student.
VERB + infinitive: offer, refuse, agree, promise…

“I’ll take you to Paris”.


He offered to take her to Paris.
VERB + for + -ing form: apologize, thank….
“I’m sorry I am late”.
She apologized for being late.
“Thank you for arriving so soon”.
SLIDESMANIA.COM

She thanked him for arriving so soon.


REQUESTS AND ORDERS

When reporting requests and orders you


have to use a to infinitive in the
“Open the door, please”.
affirmative, and a not to infinitive in
She asked me to open the door.
the negative.
You can use reporting verbs such as:
“Please, don’t be childish”.
ask, order, command, tell. However, you
She told him not to be childish.
can never use SAY
SLIDESMANIA.COM
QUESTIONS
There are two types of questions:
When reporting questions, remember to
change the word order in a reported WH-QUESTION WORDS
question to subject followed by verb. “ What time is it?”
There is no subject-verb inversion as in He asked me what time it was.
direct questions.
YES-NO QUESTIONS
“Do you like coffee?”
She asked me if I liked coffee.
SLIDESMANIA.COM

You can use if or whether


IF OR WHETHER?

If is used when you have a conditional sentence and whether when you want to show
that there are two possible alternatives. It is also very important to point out that you
can’t use if after a preposition. You will have to use preposition + whether.

If it rains tomorrow, I won’t go to the beach.


He told me that it depends on whether it is true or false.
He asked me whether I liked coffee (or not).
SLIDESMANIA.COM
SUGGESTIONS

“Let’s go home”.
Suggest can be followed by: “Shall we go home?”
➢ an –ing form (if the subject is Why don’t we go home?”
the same in the main and Why not go home?”
subordinate clauses) How about going home?”
➢ that + should + infinitive What about going home?”
➢ that + bare infinitive
He suggested going home.
He suggested that they should go home.
He suggested that he go home.
SLIDESMANIA.COM
OTHER CHANGES IN REPORTED SPEECH
1-The pronoun often changes e.g. 1-She said that she had washed the dishes.
“I’’ve washed the dishes”.

2-Words like tomorrow change to words 2-He said that he would do it the following
not directly related to present time day / the next day.
e.g.“I’ll do it tomorrow”.

a.“Today”. a.The same day / that day.


b.”Yesterday”. b.The day before / the previous day.
c.”Next week / year” etc. c.The following week / year, etc.
d.”Last week / year” etc. d.The previous week / year, etc.
SLIDESMANIA.COM

e.”Now”. e.Then.
OTHER CHANGES IN REPORTED SPEECH
f.”Here”. f.There.
g.”This” ( in time expressions ) e.g.“This week”. g.That ( e.g. that week ).

3-Other changes are: 3-Changes to:


a.”This, these, that, those” ( as adjectives ). a.The.
b.”This, these, that, those” ( as pronouns ). b.It, they / them.

4-Some words like please, and now disappear 4-He asked her to come in.
e.g. “Please come in.” “Now what do you want She asked him what he wanted to talk to
to talk to me about?” her about.
SLIDESMANIA.COM

5- Verbs such as come and bring 5- They change to go and take


I hope you have enjoyed the lesson
Salomé Iglesias

Digital Notebook made by:


SlidesMania
SLIDESMANIA.COM

You might also like