Ripasso inglese

Reported Speech
Before you start

Reporting speech directly

1. We report speech directly in writing by using the exact words between inverted commas, i.e. we
quote the original words. We do not use that to introduce direct speech
e.g. He leaned towards them and whispered, ‘be sure to lock your door tonight’.
2. The reporting verb (said, replied, etc.) can go in any of these position
e.g. Lovell said, ‘Houston, we have a problem’ / ‘Houston we have a problem’, Lovell said /
‘Houston’, said Lovell (or Lovell said), ‘we have a problem’
3. When we put the reporting verb after direct speech, it can go before the subject, unless the subject
is a pronoun
e.g. ‘The operation was a success’, said she / she said / said the surgeon

Tense changes in reported (indirect) speech

Tense in direct speech Tense in reported speech

Present simple:
The concert starts at eight
Present to past Present continuous:
I’m leaving in ten minutes
Present perfect:
We’ve been living here for years
Past simple:
It rained heavily today
Past to perfect
Past continuous:
We were waiting for hours
Modal verbs I can pick the parcel up.
Spike will call you tomorrow
Past simple:
She said the concert started at eight
Past continuous:
She decided she was leaving in ten minutes
Past perfect:
He revealed they’d been living there for years
Past perfect simple:
Sarah mentioned that it had rained heavily that
day
Past perfect continuous:
They complained that they had been waiting for
hours
I said I could pick the parcel up
She promised Spike would call me next day

Reporting questions, commands, etc.

1. The most common verbs for reporting question are ask and want to know
e.g. She asked what piracy was
Laura wanted to know if anybody had seen the incident
We don’t use a question mark in reported questions
2. We also use enquire for formal questions and wonder for ask ourselves
e.g. The receptionist enquired whether we would be requiring breakfast
The concert was boring and Karl wondered when he could leave
3. To report commands, requests, advice, etc., we use a reporting verb + to + infinitive
e.g. The guard told us to hand over our cameras
My boss advised me to not apply for that job
Changes in reported speech
No backshift
Although we often change the sense of the original words in reported speech (backshift), we do not when:
 The reporting verb is in a present tense: he says that these fish do not survive in salt water
 The reported verb is in the past perfect: they’d arrived an hour early  I said they’d arrived an
hour early
 The direct speech includes an unreal past: I wish I were younger  Janice said that she wished she
had been were younger

Obligatory backshift
We always change the tense if we no longer believe the direct speech statement is true
e.g. Where’s Tom this evening?:
- He said he’s going to join us, but I don’t think he will
- He said he was going to join us, but I don’t think he will
e.g.
- Kim just called. She said she’s going on holiday with Paula (still true)
- She said she was going with Paula, but Paula can’t get time off

Optional backshift
In some cases when we choose to change the tense or not. This often depends on the relationship of the
reported event to the time of reporting it. For example, if we report ‘I’m going to Rome tomorrow morning’
on the day it is said, we are likely to say:
- Susanna said she’s going to Rome tomorrow morning
But reported a few days later, we are more likely to say:
- Susanna said she was going to Rome the next morning

We don’t usually change the tense when:

 The reported action is still happening or going to happen
e.g. I’m working on a tentative settlement
- The negotiator said he’s working on a tentative settlement (still working on it)
e.g. There is darkness everywhere
- Nehru said there is darkness everywhere (that is still the situation at the time of reporting speech)
 The reported verb expresses a fact or situation that cannot or is unlikely to change:
e.g. He explained that these animals roamed the earth millions of years ago
He told us that counselling is not the answer for everyone
 The verb comes after a time conjunction
e.g. Martin replied that he had started the job immediately after he left school

Note that in all of these cases, it is also possible, and correct, to change the tense:
e.g. The negotiator said he was working on a tentative settlement
Martin replied that he had started the job immediately after he had left school

Changes and additions with adverbs

If the place or time of reporting is significantly different from that in original speech, we often need to
make changes to adverbs or place and time

Now  Then Here  There Today  That day Tomorrow  The next day
Yesterday  The day before Ago  Before Last Monday  The last/previous Monday

e.g. Alex said, ‘I’ll meet you here again tomorrow at 3.30’
Alex said she would meet us there the next day at 3.30
But if the statement is reported on the same day and in the same place, we would say
e.g. Alex said she will/would meet us here again tomorrow at 3.30
He finished by announcing that the cremation will take place on Saturday in Delhi

We often use adverbs in reported speech to indicate how the original words were said
e.g. ‘Jewellery is not allowed’  She told us very sharply that jewellery wasn’t allowed
‘Oh, add my name if you must’  Dad reluctantly agreed that we could add his name

Modal verbs
Ought to, used to, might, would, need, could and should do not change in reported speech
e.g. ‘You ought to listen to your father’  Mum told me that I ought to listen my father
‘You needn’t stay if you don’t want to’  My boss said I needn’t stay if I didn’t want to

But we need to make changes to other modal verbs

e.g. ‘The new law will be in place soon’  She said the new law would be in place soon
‘Publication may be delayed’  The editor said that publication might be delayed
‘Julian can’t have written the letter’  I told them Julian couldn’t have written the letter

Shall becomes would when it refers to the future, but should when it is a suggestion
e.g. ‘I shall tell them everything’  I decided I would tell them everything
‘Shall we tell the manager?’  She suggested that they should tell the manager

We can use both must and had to in reported speech

e.g. ‘You must lose twenty kilos!’  The doctor said that I must/had to lost twenty kilos
‘They must have finished’  We thought that they must/had to have finished

Reporting with nouns

As well as reporting speech with a reporting verb, we can use a noun + that to report someone’s words
when we want to add more information
e.g. Prime minister – The recession will soon be over
- The prime minister said that the recession would soon be over
- The prime minister’s statement that the recession would soon be over was ridiculed by the
..Opposition
Kenny – You should try the new Chinese restaurant. It’s excellent.
- Kenny recommended that we try the new Chinese restaurant
- What do you think of Kenny’s recommendation that we try the new Chinese restaurant?

We do not usually leave out that after reporting nouns

More examples Advice Allegation Announcement Answer Argument
Assertion Claim Comment Complaint Denial Explanation Forecast
Point Remark Response Suggestion Admission

Reported questions, commands and requests

Reported questions
Reported question word order is the same as in statements
If/whether/wh-word – subject – verb (+ object/complement)
e.g. He asked if we were feeling hungry
She asked what piracy was
The word order above is fixed: She asked what was piracy
We don’t use auxiliary do, does or did in reported questions:
e.g. They asked the driver where did the bus stop where the bus stopped
We introduce indirect closed (yes/no) questions with if or whether
e.g. Lester wondered if/whether there was anything better in life

We can present alternatives with whether/if… or not. We can put or not immediately after whether but not
immediately after if
e.g. Deborah asked whether or not there was a lift in the apartment block
Deborah asked whether/if there was a lift in the apartment block or not

In indirect questions we use a question word

e.g. The nurse asked when exactly the pain had started

We report negative questions which express surprise or criticism with a functional verb
e.g. ‘Wasn’t the play fantastic?’
- She asked if the play hadn’t been fantastic
- She exclaimed that the play had been fantastic
e.g. ‘Isn’t the rule stupid?’
- He asked if the rule wasn’t stupid
- He complained that the rule was stupid

Reported commands, requests, etc.

In indirect commands we use a reporting verb, e.g. tell, order, command, forbid + to + infinitive
e.g. When the vet had finished, he told them to let the animal sleep
He forbade us to pass on any of the information to the authorities

We use ask for reporting requests, and beg or urge with urgent requests
e.g. ‘Please come back later’  His secretary asked me to come back later
We can use ask for + passive infinitive if ask has no object
e.g. The cinema manager asked for the culprit to be brought to his office

Note that to report a negative command or request, we put not to before the verb (except with forbid,
which already has a negative meaning)
e.g. Several members of the royal family urged Edward VIII to his office
I asked you not to bring a present (= I said ‘Please don’t bring a present’)
This is different from: I didn’t ask you to bring a present (no request made)

We can report statements that fulfil other functions in the same way
e.g. ‘Come on. I’ll give you a lift’  Geoff offered to give me a lift