eported Speech 1 - Reporting Statements

A. REPORTING STATEMENTS
We use Direct Speech to quote someones words as they were spoken. It is important
to use quotation marks.
Example: She said: Ill call you tomorrow
We use Reported or Indirect Speech to report the exact meaning of someones
words. In this case we dont use quotation marks.
Example: She said (that) she would call me the following day.
Note the different ways we use SAY and TELL discussed earlier on this blog.

Reporting Statements:

To report statements we need a reporting verb such as say / tell / explain / promise
/ advise etc followed by that which can be omitted in spoken English.

Joanna said (that) she had already been to Paris.

Sometimes pronouns and possessive adjectives change to make good sense:

(1) Direct Speech: Tom said, I never work on Saturdays.

Reported Speech: Tom said he never worked on Saturdays.
(2) Direct Speech: Maria said, My car has broken down.
Reported Speech: Maria said her car had broken down.

PHOTO CREDIT

When the reporting verb is in the past tense, tenses change as follows:

DIRECT SPEECH

REPORTED SPEECH

Present Simple

Past Simple

I love science fiction films, she said.

She said that she loved science fiction films.

Present Continuous
My sister is learning French, he said.

Past Continuous
He said (that) his sister was learning
French.

Past Simple

Past Perfect /Past Simple

Julia spent all her money, he said.

He said that Julia had spent all her money.

I always carried an umbrella when I lived He said he always carried an umbrella when
in London, he said
he lived in London.
Future Simple

Conditional

Ill do my homework later, she said.

She said (that) she would do her homework

later.

Present Perfect

Past Perfect

Ive finished my project, he said.

He said (that) he had finished his project.

When the reporting verb is in the past tense, time expressions change as
follows:

DIRECT SPEECH

REPORTED SPEECH

Today

That day

Tonight

That night

This week / month / year

That week / month / year

Now

Then / at that time / at once

Yesterday

The day before

Last night / week / month

The previous night / week / month

Two years / days / weeks ago

Two years / days / weeks before

Tomorrow

The day after / the following day

Next week / month / year

The following / the next week / month /

year

Now that

Since

EXAMPLES
Im in a good mood today, he said.
He said he was in a good mood that day.
Were having dinner out tonight, she said.
She said they were having dinner out that night.
Im going to work by bus this week, she said.
She said she was going to work by bus that week.
I met Susan five years ago, I said
I said that I met / had met Susan five years before.
Bob will have to work harder now that he has an exam to pass, the teacher said.
The teacher said (that) Bob would have to work harder since he had an exam to pass.
Were flying to Rome next week, he said.
He said they were flying to Rome the following week.

1.

Tenses do not change when:

The reporting verb is the Present , Present Perfect or Future tense:

Dad says: Im tired.

Dad says (that) he is tired.
1. 2. The reporting verb is in the past tense but the meaning refers to
something which never changes or is always true:
The Earth is round, the teacher explained
The teacher explained that the Earth is round.
Monkeys cant fly, he said.
He said that monkeys cant fly.

1. The modals should / might /could / would / ought to are used:

You should do your homework, mum said
Mum said (that) I should do my homework.
Aunt Helen might visit us, she said
She said that Aunt Helen might visit us.
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eported Speech 3 - Reporting Questions

In Reported Questions, we use affirmative word order and the question

mark is omitted.

To report a Wh-question, we use "ask" followed by the question word

(who, what, where etc).
When there is no question word in direct questions, we use "if" or
"whether".
Pronouns, possessive adjectives, time expressions and tenses change
as in statements.

Examples
(1) Direct Question : He asked, "What time is it?"

Reported Question: He asked what time it was. NOT He asked what was
the time.

(2) Direct Question: He asked me, "Do you know her?"

Reported Question: He asked me if / whether I knew her.

Now your turn!

Report the police officer's questions to the shop owner. The first
one has been done for you.
1. What's your name?
2. Did you see the robbers?
3. What were they wearing?
4. How do you think they got in?
5. What did they take?
6. Has this ever happened before?

1. The police officer asked him what his name was.

2. ---------------------------------------------------------3. ---------------------------------------------------------4. --------------------------------------------------------5. --------------------------------------------------------6. ---------------------------------------------------------

SOURCE: Round-Up 4 by Virginia Evans

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