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Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)

What is reported speech?
Reported speech is when you tell somebody else what you or a person said before.
Distinction must be made between direct speech and reported speech.

Direct speech vs Reported speech:

Direct speech

Reported speech

She says: "I like tuna fish."

She says that she likes tuna fish.

She said: "I'm visiting Paris next

weekend"

She said that she was visiting Paris the following

weekend.

Different types of sentences

When you use reported speech, you either report:

statements

questions

requests / commands

other types

A. Reporting Statements
When transforming statements, check whether you have to change:

pronouns

tense

place and time expression

1- Pronouns
In reported speech, you often have to change the pronoun depending on who says what.
Example:
She says, My dad likes roast chicken. She says that her dad likes roast chicken.

2- Tenses

If the sentence starts in the present, there is no backshift of

tenses in reported speech.

If the sentence starts in the past, there is often backshift of

tenses in reported speech.
Direct speech

Reported speech

(no backshift)

I write poems.

He says that he writes poems.

(backshift)

I write poems.

He said that he wrote poems.

No backshift
Do not change the tense if the introductory clause is in a present tense (e. g. He says).
Note, however, that you might have to change the form of the present tense verb (3rd
person singular).
Example:
He says, I write poems. He says that he writes English.
Backshift
You must change the tense if the introductory clause is in a past tense (e. g. He said).
Example:
He said, I am happy. He said that he was happy.
Examples of the main changes in tense:
Direct Speech

Reported Speech

Simple Present

Simple Past

He said: "I am happy"

He said that he was happy

Present Progressive
He said: "I'm looking for my keys"

Past Progressive
He said that he was looking for his keys

Simple Past
He said: "I visited New York last year"

Past Perfect Simple

He said that he had visited New York the
previous year.

Present Perfect
He said: " I've lived here for a long time "

Past Perfect
He said that he had lived there for a long
time

Past Perfect
He said: "They had finished the work
when I arrived"

Past Perfect
He said that they had finished the work when
he had arrived"

Past Progressive
He said: "I was playing football when the
accident occurred"

Past Perfect Progressive

He said that he had been playing football
when the accident had occurred

Present Perfect Progressive

Past Perfect Progressive
He said:"I have been playing football for He said that he had been playing football for
two hours."
two hours
Past Perfect Progressive
He said: "I had been reading a newspaper
when the light went off"

Past Perfect Progressive

He said that he had been reading a
newspaper when the light had gone off

Future Simple (will+verb)

He said: "I will open the door."

Conditional (would+verb)
He said that he would open the door.

Conditional (would+verb)
Conditional (would+verb)
He said: "I would buy Mercedes if I were He said that he would buy Mercedes if he had
rich"
been rich"
The modal verbs could, should, would, might, needn't, ought to, used to do not
normally change.
Example:
He said, "She might be right." He said that she might be right.
Other modal verbs may change:
Modal

Direct speec

Repored speech

can

"I can do it."

He said he could do it.

may

"May I go out?"

He wanted to know if he might go out.

must

"She must apply for the job." He said that she must/had to apply for the job.

will

"They will call you."

He tod her that they would call her.

3- Place, demonstratives and time expressions

Place, demonstratives and time expressions change if the context of the reported
statement (i.e. the location and/or the period of time) is different from that of the
direct speech.
In the following table, you will find the different changes of place; demonstratives and
time expressions.
Direct Speech

Reported Speech
Time Expressions

today

that day

now

then

yesterday

the day before

days ago

days before

last week

the week before

next year

the following year

tomorrow

the next day / the following day

Place

here

there
Demonstratives

this

that

these

those

B. Reporting Questions
When transforming questions, check whether you have to change:

pronouns

place and time expressions

tenses (backshift)

Also note that you have to:

transform the question into an indirect question

use the question word (where, when, what, how) or if / whether

Types of questions

Direct speech

Reported speech

With question word (what, "Why" dont you

why, where, how...)
speak English?

He asked me why I didnt

speak English.

Without question word (yes Do you speak

or no questions)
English?

He asked me whether / if
I spoke English.

C. Reporting requests / commands

When transforming requests and commands, check whether you have to change:

pronouns

place and time expressions

Direct speech

Reported speech

Nancy,do the exercise.

He told Nancy to do the exercise.

"Nancy, give me your pen, please."

He asked Nancy to give him her pen.

Tenses are not relevant for requests simply use to / not to + verb (infinitive without
"to")

Example:
She said, Sit down." - She asked me to sit down.
She said, "don't be lazy" - She asked me not to be lazy

For affirmative use to + infinitive (without to)

For negative requests, use not to + infinitive (without to).

D. Other transformations

Expressions of advice with must, should and ought are usually reported
using advise / urge.
Example:
You must read this book.
He advised / urged me to read that book.

The expression lets is usually reported using suggest. In this case, there
are two possibilities for reported speech: gerund or statement with
should.
Example:
Lets go to the cinema.=
1. He suggested going to the cinema.
2. He suggested that we should go to the cinema.

Main clauses connected with and/but

If two complete main clauses are connected with and or but, put that after the
conjunction.
Example:
He said,I saw her but she didn't see me. He said that he had seen her but that she
hadn't seen him.
If the subject is dropped in the second main clause (the conjunction is followed by a
verb), do not use that.
Example:
She said,I am a nurse and work in a hospital. He said that she was a nurse and
worked in a hospital.

GERUNDA AND INFINITIVES

Verbs Followed by an Infinitive

She agreed to speak before the game.
agree
aim
appear
arrange
ask
attempt
be able
beg
begin
care
choose
condescend

consent
continue
dare
decide
deserve
detest
dislike
expect
fail
forget
get
happen

have
hesitate
hope
hurry
intend
leap
leave
like
long
love
mean
neglect

offer
ought
plan
prefer
prepare
proceed
promise
propose
refuse
remember
say

shoot
start
stop
strive
swear
threaten
try
use
wait
want
wish

love
motivate
order
pay
permit
persuade
prepare
promise

remind
require
send
teach
tell
urge
want
warn

Verbs Followed by an Object and an Infinitive

Everyone expected her to win.
advise
allow
ask
beg
bring
build
buy
challenge

choose
command
dare
direct
encourage
expect
forbid
force

have
hire
instruct
invite
lead
leave
let
like

Note: Some of these verbs are included in the list above

and may be used without an object.

Verbs Followed by a Gerund

They enjoyed working on the boat.
admit
advise
appreciate
avoid
can't help
complete
consider

delay
deny
detest
dislike
enjoy
escape
excuse

finish
forbid
get through
have
imagine
mind
miss

permit
postpone
practice
quit
recall
report
resent

resist
resume
risk
spend (time)
suggest
tolerate
waste (time)

Verbs Followed by a Preposition and a Gerund

We concentrated on doing well.
admit to
approve of
argue about
believe in
care about
complain about
concentrate on
confess to

depend on
disapprove of
discourage from
dream about
feel like
forget about
insist on
object to

plan on
prevent (someone) from
refrain from
succeed in
talk about
think about
worry about

QUESTION FORMS
1) Yes/No questions - be
Subject and verb change their position in statement and question.
statement

You are from Germany.

question

Are you from Germany?

We always use the short answer, not only "Yes" or "No". This sounds rude.
NOTE:
If the answer is "Yes", we always use the long form.
Example: Yes, I am.
If the answer is "No", we either use the long or the contracted form (short form).
Example: No, I am not - No, I'm not.

Are

you

Yes,

am.

No,

am not.
'm not.

from Germany?

Is

he

your friend?

Yes,

he

is.

Are

Peter and John

from England?

Yes,

they

are.

2) Questions with question words - be

Question word

Verb

Rest

Answer

Where

are

you from?

I'm from Stuttgart.

What

is

your name?

My name is Peter.

How

are

Pat and Sue?

They're fine.

3) Yes/No Questions and short answers - have

Auxiliary

Subject

Verb

Rest

Yes/No

Subject

Auxiliary

(+ n't)
Have

you

got

a cat?

Yes,

have.

Have

you

got

a new car?

No,

we

haven't.

Has

your brother

got

a bike?

Yes,

he

has.

Do

you

have

a cat?

Yes,

do.

Do

you

have

a new car?

No,

we

don't.

Does

your brother

have

a bike?

Yes,

he

does.

4) Questions with question words - have

Question word

Auxiliary

Subject

Verb

Rest

Answer

Where

have

you

got

your ruler?

I've got it in my pencil case.

Where

do

you

have

your ruler?

I have it in my pencil case.

5) Questions without question words in the Simple Present

Auxiliary

Subject

Verb

Rest

Do

you

read

books?

Does

Peter

play

football?

Yes/No

Subject

Auxiliary (+ n't)

Yes,

do.

No,

don't.

Yes,

he

does.

6) Questions with question words in the Simple Present

Question word

Auxiliary

Subject

Verb

Rest

Answer

What

do

you

play

on your computer?

I play games on my computer.

When

does

your mother

go

to work?

She goes to work at 6 o'clock.

Where

do

you

meet

your friends?

I meet them at the bus stop.

7) Questions without question words in the Simple Past

Auxiliary

Subject

Verb

Rest

Did

Max

play

football?

Did

watc
h

you

Yes/No

Subject

Auxiliary (+ n't)

Yes,

he

did.

No,

he

didn't.

Yes,

did.

No,

didn't.

the film yesterday?

BUT:

to be

Subject

Were

you

xxx

Rest

Yes/No

Subject

Auxiliary (+ n't)

Yes,

was.

No,

wasn't.

in Leipzig last week?

8) Questions with question words in the Simple Past

Question word

Auxiliary

Subject

Verb

Rest

Answer

What

did

you

do

yesterday evening?

I did my homework.

When

did

she

meet

her boyfriend?

She met him yesterday.

Where

did

they

go

after the match?

They went to a caf.

BUT:

Question word

to be

Subject

Where

were

you

xxxxx

Rest

Answer

yesterday?

I was at the cinema.

9) Subject question
Question word

Verb

Rest

Subject

Verb

Object - Place - Time

Who

runs

to the shop?

Peter

runs

to the shop.

Question word

Auxiliary

Subject

Verb

Who

do

you

like?

Who

did

Mandy

phone

10) Object question

Rest

Answer
I like my mum.

last Monday?

Mandy phoned her uncle.

NOTE!

Subject question
Who

phoned

Answer:
Peggy phoned John.

Object question
John?

Who

did

Answer:
John phoned Peggy.

John

phone?