REPORTED SPEECH

DC3 UNIT 8
LET’S BEGIN WITH AN EXAMPLE, SHALL
WE?
1 In direct speech what tense is the
verb in?
2 How has the pronoun I changed in
reported speech?
3 Look at the reported speech. What
tense are the verbs in? Which of the
verbs in bold is the reporting verb?

4 In direct speech what tense is the

verb in?
5 What tense is the reporting verb in?
6 How has go changed in reported
speech?
7 How has I changed in reported
speech?
SO, WHAT IS REPORTED SPEECH?

• Reported speech is the action of communicating what

someone else said in the past.
• Reported speech can be up-to-date or out-of-date:
• Up-to-date means the information is communicated right after the
speech; for example, you could be repeating the information to
someone because they could not listen.
• Out-of-date is used when the information is transmited at a later
time.
 UP-TO-DATE REPORTED SPEECH

This another example; in

The boy was not listening to the phone call, so his both you can see the tense
mother is telling him what Granma said just a moment does not change in
ago. This is an example of Up-to-date reported speech. reported speech.
 OUT-OF-DATE REPORTED SPEECH
The following day

This another example; in

The blond woman talked to the redhaired woman both you can see the tense
some time in the past; now she is passing the does change in reported
information on to Peter. speech.
SOME EXAMPLES OF UP-TO-DATE REPORTED
SPEECH
• Mom said “I am going home late”. • Mom says (that) she is
coming/going home late.

• Fred said to her “I love you”. • Fred says (that) he loves her.

• Alice said “I’m asking John out”. • Alice says (that) she is asking John
out.
SOME EXAMPLES OF OUT-OF-DATE
REPORTED SPEECH

• Mom said “I am going home late”. • Mom said (that) she was
coming/going home late.

• Fred told her (that) he loved her.

• Fred told her “I love you”.
• Fred said (that) he loved her.

• Alice said “I’m asking John out”. • Alice said (that) she was asking John
out.
HOW DO THE TENSES CHANGE IN OUT-OF-
DATE REPORTED SPEECH?
Direct Speech Reported Speech
1 “She is late,” he said. He said (that) she was late.
2 “Tina’s coming,”
2 “Tina’s coming,” he he said.
said. He
He said
said (that)
(that) Tina was
Tina was coming.
coming.
3 “Mr.
3 “Mr. Johnson has
Johnson has gone home,”
gone home,” she
she She
She said
said (that)
(that) Mr.
Mr. Johnson had
Johnson had
said.
said. gone home.
gone home.
4 “She traveled around
4 “She traveled around Europe
Europe last
last Tony
Tony said
said (that)
(that) she had
she had
year,” Tony said.
year,” Tony said. traveled around
traveled around Europe
Europe last
last year.
year.
5 “I’ll go to the Sports Center,” she She said (that) she would go to the
5 “I’ll go to
said. the Sports Center,” she She said
Sports (that) she would go to the
Center.
said. Sports Center.
WHEN DO WE USE TOLD AND WHEN DO WE
USE SAID?
• Told is always used with an indirect object, for example:
• Fred told her (that) he loved her.
• Andrew told his boss he was feeling sick.

• Said can be use with a direct object or with to + indirect

object, for example:
• Alice said (that) she was asking John out.
• Elizabeth said to her teacher she had a family issue.
TENSE CHANGE FROM DIRECT SPEECH TO
REPORTED SPEECH
Simple present Simple past
Present continuous Past progressive
Simple past Past perfect
Present perfect Past perfect
Past perfect Past perfect
Present perfect continuous Past perfect progressive
Past continuous Past perfect progressive
Future Present conditional (would + bare inf)
Future continuous Conditional progressive (would + be + ing)
LET’S PRACTICE!
1. "I always drink coffee", she said 1. She said that she always drank coffee.
2. "I am reading a book", he explained. 2. He explained that he was reading a book

3. "Bill arrived on Saturday", he said. 3. He said that Bill had arrived on Saturday.

4. "I have been to Spain", he told me. 4. He told me that he had been to Spain.

5. "I had just turned out the light," he 5. He explained that he had just turned out the
explained. light.

6. They said, "We have been waiting for
hours".
7. "We were living in Paris", they told me.
8. "I will be in Geneva on Monday", he
said.
9. She said, "I'll be using the car next
Friday".
6. They said that they had been waiting for hours.
7. They told me that they had been living in
Paris.
8. He said that he would be in Geneva on
Monday.
9. She said that she would be using the car next
Friday.