Reported Speech

What is the meaning of “Report”?

Analyse this dialogue...

Thus we can say that to report is to say/describe what

someone else said
 From Direct Speech to Reported Speech
Normally, when we report what someone said we change the tense to an
immediate past tense.

Why do we change tenses?

Because what the person

said (direct speech) is now in
the past - “Out-of-date
reporting”
From Direct Speech to Reported Speech
But sometimes we keep the same tense when no time has gone by between the
direct and reported speech or we are talking about general truths(facts).

Now (this present time)

A few seconds later (but it is still this
present time) - “Up- to-date reporting”
From Direct Speech to Reported Speech
So, how do we make a reported sentence?

DIRECT SPEECH
REPORTED SPEECH

“I love pizza” he said He said (that) he loved pizza

No quotation marks “ ”
Use an introductory verb: said
Use “that” to connect the two
clauses.*optional
Change the verb to the past: loved
 From Direct Speech to Reported Speech
So, how do we report a question?

REPORTED SPEECH
DIRECT SPEECH
He asked If I liked pizza

No quotation marks “ ”
“Do you like pizza?”- he asked
Use an introductory verb: asked

Use “if” with yes/no questions and “WH word”

with WH questions

Change the verb to the past: loved

Change the question word order to statement

From Direct Speech to Reported Speech
The most common introductory verbs:
He said (that) he loved pizza
Say
Affirmative/negative
He said to me(that) he loved pizza statements

Tell He told me(that) he loved pizza

Questions/polite
Ask He asked (me) if I loved pizza commands/favors
From Direct Speech to Reported Speech
In the Out-Of-Date Reporting, we change the tenses as follows:
From Direct Speech to Reported Speech
In the Out-Of-Date Reporting, we change the tenses as follows:
From Direct Speech to Reported Speech
Time expressions change as follows:
From Direct Speech to Reported Speech
The reported sentence is structured as follows:

Introductory V that Reported sentence

Subject
Practice:
1. “I am tired”, Alex said.
Alex said he was tired.
2. “I’ll come back tomorrow”, Sarah told her mom.
Sarah told her mom she would go/come back the next/following day.
3. “Karen has left her backpack here”, Tony said.
Tony said Karen had left her backpack there.
4. “We watched a movie yesterday”, Sam and Ted said.
Sam and Ted said they had watched a movie the day before.
5. “My mom is busy, she can’t pick up the phone now”, the kid said.
The kid said his mom was busy, (that) she couldn’t pick up the phone
then
Reported speech:
Questions
From Direct Speech to Reported Speech
The reported YES/NO question is structured as follows:

Auxiliar Verb Complement

Subject

“Do you like English?” she asked us

Make the question a sentence and
change it to its reported version
Introductory V IF Reported sentence

Subject

She asked us if we liked English

From Direct Speech to Reported Speech
The reported WH question is structured as follows:

WH Auxiliar Verb Complement

Subject

“ Why do you like English?” she asked us

Make the question a sentence and
change it to its reported version

Introductory V WH Reported sentence

Subject

She asked us why we liked English.

Practice:
1. “Are you ok?”, She asked me.
She asked me if I was ok.
2. “What are you doing?”, Diana asked us.
Diana asked us what we were doing.
3. “Does she live here”, Peter asked me.
Peter asked me if she lived there.
4. “Where have you been?”, Gina asked John.
Gina asked John where he had been.
5. “Is this clear?”, the teacher asked.
The teacher asked if it was clear.
Reported speech:
Commands
From Direct Speech to Reported Speech
The reported command is structured as follows:
Bare Inf

DO NOT Verb Complement

“Open the door, please.” she asked us

“Don’t speak Spanish.” she told us
Turn the command into INFINITIVE

*Introductory Reported Infinitive sentence

V
*Tell
Subject
Remind
She asked us to open the door She told us not to speak Spanish Order
Refuse
Practice:
1. “Don’t open the window, please.”, She asked him.
She asked him not to open the window.
2. “Stop bothering me”, she ordered him.
She ordered him to stop bothering her.
3. “Don’t cheat on the exam or I’ll give you a FIA”, She warned us.
She warned us not to cheat on the exam or she would give us a FIA .
4. “Come with me to the party, please.”, George asked Jane.
George asked Jane to come with him to the party.
5. “Don’t step on the grass.”, My mom asked us.
My mom asked us not to step on the grass.
Other special introductory verbs with GERUND

Introductory V Reported gerund sentence *

Apologize for
Suggest
Subject

“I’m sorry I was late” she told us She apologized for being late.

“Why don’t we watch a movie?” she said She suggested watching a movie.
 Special
reporting/Introductory
Verbs
Special reporting Verbs
 Special Introductory Verbs with INFINITIVE (to do)
Introductory V infinitive + complement

Subject

Direct Speech Reported Speech

Int. verb

Agree “Yes, I’ll give you a ride.” He agreed to give me a ride

Demand “Show me some proof!” He demanded to be shown some proof.
Offer “Would you like me to help you?” He offered to help me.
He promised to love me always.
Promise “I’ll always love you.”
He refused to lend me money.
Refuse “No, I won’t lend you money” He threatened to tell mom if I didn’t stop
Threaten “Stop bothering me or I’ll tell mom” bothering him.
Claim “I saw her cheat on the exam.” He claimed to have seen her cheat on the
exam
 Special Introductory Verbs with INFINITIVE (to do)
Introductory V Sb + infinitive + complement

Subject

Int. verb Direct Speech Reported Speech

Advise “You should see a doctor.” He advised me to see a doctor.

Allow “You can go out!” He allowed me to go out.
Ask “Please, turn down the music.” He asked me to turn down the music.
Beg “Please, stay with me” He begged me to stay with him.
command “Get out of my office!” He commanded me to get out of his office.
encourage “Go ahead, try it.” He encouraged me to try it.
Forbid “You mustn’t stay out late.” He forbade me to stay out late.
instruct “Type in your password” He instructed me to type my password.
 Special Introductory Verbs with INFINITIVE (to do)
Introductory V Sb + infinitive + complement

Subject

Int. verb Direct Speech Reported Speech

Invite “Would you like to watch a movie?” He invited me to watch a movie.

order “Go to your room!!” He ordered me to go to my room.
permit “You may leave the classroom” He permitted me to leave the classroom.
remind “Don’t forget to do homework” He reminded me to do homework.
He urged me to be careful.
urge “Be careful.”
He warned me not to play with fire.
warn “Don’t play with fire” He wanted me to take extra lessons.
want “I’d like you to take extra lessons.”
 Special Introductory Verbs with GERUND (doing)
Introductory V Gerund + complement

Subject

Int. verb Direct Speech Reported Speech

Accuse sb of “You stole my charger” He accused me of stealing/ having stolen

Apologise for “I’m sorry I was rude” He apologised for being/having been rude.
Admit (to) “Yes, I broke the cup.” He admitted (to) breaking/having broken the cup.
Boast about “I cook better than you” He boasted about cooking better than me.
He complained to me about me/my never listening
Complain to sb about “You never listen to me” to him.
deny “No, I didn’t lie.” He denied lying/having lied.
Insist on “You must come to the party” He insisted on me/my coming to the party.
suggest “Let’s watch a movie.” He suggested watching a movie.
 Special Introductory Verbs with (THAT) + clause
Introductory V Reported speech sentence/clause

Subject

Int. verb Direct Speech Reported Speech

Agree “Yes, it is a good idea” He agreed that it was a good idea.

Boast “I’m an excellent chef” He boasted that he was an excellent chef.
Claim “I came first in the race.” He claimed that he had come first in the race.
complain “You never listen to me” He complained that I never listened to him.
Deny “No, I didn’t lie.” He denied that he had lied.
exclaim “It’s fantastic.” He exclaimed that it was fantastic.
Inform sb “Your request was rejected He informed me that my request had been rejected.
Promise “I’ll call you tomorrow.” He promised that he would call me the next day.
Suggest “You should leave early” He suggested that I leave early.
Special Introductory Verbs: EXPLAIN
EXPLAIN HOW + INFINITIVE

Subject

Direct Speech Reported Speech

“This is how you make a crepe” He explained to me how to make a crepe.

Special Introductory Verbs with WONDER
WONDER Reported speech sentence/clause

Subject 1 Subject 2
Direct Speech Reported Speech
He asked himself “Where is she?” He wondered where she was.
He asked himself “What is Carl doing?” He wondered what Carl was doing.
He asked himself “Why is she here?.” He wondered why she was there.
He asked himself “HOw did she do that?” He wondered how she had done that.

WONDER Infinitive / Reported speech clause

Subject 1
Direct Speech Reported Speech
He asked himself “should I hire her?” He wondered whether to hire her.
He wondered whether he should hire her.
Special Introductory Verbs with WONDER
WONDER Infinitive + complement

Subject 1 Subject 1

Direct Speech Reported Speech

He asked himself “Where should I go?” He wondered where to go.

He asked himself “What can I do?” He wondered what to do.
He asked himself “HOw can I fix this?” He wondered how to fix that.