Reported Speech
English Grammar
4ºESO
Montse Flores Adeva & Ana Hernández Bartolomé
IES Hoces del Duratón
Outline
Introduction
Statements (that-clause)
1.
2.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Questions
3.
1.
2.
4.
Tense changes
Conjunction ‘that’
Pronouns and possessive adjectives
Place and time changes
Interrogative>affirmative construction
Linking words
Commands
1. Introduction
Direct vs. Indirect speech
In direct speech we repeat the exact
meaning through the words actually
spoken by the speaker. We place these
words between inverted commas
and a comma or a colon is placed
immediately before.

John said: “I am ready.”
John asked: “Can I open it?”
1. Introduction
Direct vs. Indirect speech
In indirect speech or reported
speech, we give the exact meaning
of a remark or speech, without using
the speaker's exact words. That is, we
report the bit of language in our own
words.

John said that he was ready.
John asked if he could open it.
1. Introduction

Reporting clause: it can appear in any
position (beginning, middle or end)
John said: “That’s mine.”
“That’s mine,” John said ,“and I’m not giving it to anyone.”
“That’s mine,” John said.
The subject of the reporting clause can be placed
after the introductory verb, if it is not a pronoun.
“That’s mine,” John said.
“That’s mine,” he said.
“That’s mine,” said John.
***“That’s mine,” said he.

1. Introduction
Reporting verbs
Say and tell are the most common ones, but other
are also possible: agree, advise, complain, explain,
greet, refuse, swear, warn…
Remember:

Say + (to I.O.) + D.O.He said (to me) he was leaving.
Tell + I.O. + D.O. He told me he was leaving.
2. Statements
When we turn direct speech into reported
speech some changes are necessary
because the speech is turned into the
grammatical object of a reporting verb.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Tense changes
Conjunction ‘that’
Pronouns and possessive adjectives
Place and time changes
2. Statements
2.1 Tense changes
a) No changes
When the introductory verb (say, tell, remark,
etc.) is in the present, present perfect or
future, direct statements can be reported with
no changes of tense:
“This task is easy”
He says
He is saying
that this task is easy.
He has said
He will say
2. Statements
2.1 Tense changes
b) Back-shift
When the introductory verb is in the past
tense, it is normal for the verb in the
reported clause to be back-shifted (i.e.
changed to an earlier time reference).
2. Statements
2.1 Tense changes
b) Back-shift
Present simple  Simple past
Present continuous  Past continuous
Present perfect  Past perfect
Present perfect cont.  Past perfect cont.
Past simple Past perfect
Future  Conditional
Conditional Conditional
2. Statements
2.1 Tense changes
b) Back-shift: exceptions
Universal truths and habitual uses:
present is kept.
“John drinks a cup of tea every
afternoon,” Sue said.
Sue said that John drinks a cup of tea every
afternoon.
2. Statements
2.1 Tense changes
b) Back-shift: exceptions
Unreal past tenses after ‘wish’, ‘would
rather’, ‘would sooner’, ‘it is time’… do
not change.
"We wish we didn't have to take exams",
said the students.
The students said that they wished they
didn't have to take exams.
2. Statements
2.1 Tense changes
b) Back-shift: exceptions
Past modal auxiliaries do not change.
He said: “I might be there by 6.”
He said that he might be there by 6.
She said: “I would go if I could.”
She said that she would go if she could.
2. Statements
2.2 The conjuction ‘that’
The conjunction “that” can be placed
immediately after the introductory verb,
but it is not essential and is often
omitted.
2. Statements
2.3 Pronouns and possessive adjectives
They change from the first into the second or
third person except when the speaker is
reporting his own words.
I said: “I’m the winner”
I said I was the winner.
She said: “I’m the winner”
She said she was the winner.
2. Statements
2.3 Place and time shifts
Words denoting ‘nearness’ change to ‘remotedness.’
This  that
These  those
Here  there
Now  then
Ago  before
Today  that day
Yesterday the previous day, the day before
Tomorrow  the following day, the day after
The day after tomorrow  in two days’ time
2. Statements
2.3 Place and time shifts
He said: "My brother graduated a year ago"
He said that his brother had graduated a year
before.
"I am leaving the day after tomorrow," Ron
announced.
Ron announced that he was leaving in two days'
time.
We met at the pub and he said: “I'll be here
again tomorrow”
We met at the pub and he said that he'd be
there again the next day.
3. Questions
Rules for change of verbal tenses,
pronouns and adverbs apply.
We must also add:
1.
2.
Interrogative>affirmative construction
Linking words
Verbs change to: asked, wondered,
enquired/inquired, wanted to know…
3. Questions
3.1 Interrogative>affirmative construction

“Do” is not used in the indirect question

The question mark (?) is also omitted

(Wh)ASV order becomes (Wh-/if)SV
“Where do you come from?” he asked.
He asked her where she came from.
She asked: “Did you see him?”
She asked if she had seen him.
3. Questions
3.2 Linking word
In this case the linking word is not ‘that’, but
changes to:

‘If/whether’ for yes/no questions.
She asked: “Did you meet him?”
She asked if she had met him.

Wh-word for wh-word questions.
“Where do you come from?” he asked.
He asked her where she came from.
3. Questions
3.3 Special cases
Polite requests: verb + object + to infinitive
“Do you think you could help me?”
She asked me to help her.
“Could you open the window, please?”
He asked me to open the window.
4. Commands


The rules affecting pronouns, adjectives and
other changes apply, except that there is no
tense back-shift because they contain
non-finite verbs, as they are infinitive clauses.
There are many ways of expressing “a
command” in direct speech in English, for
instance: “will you” either at the beginning or at
the end of a sentence can express a command.
Shut the door, will you?”
He told us angrily to shut the door.
4. Commands
Additional changes
The introductory verb “say”, changes to a
verb of command or request, such as
“tell, order, command ... ”
-
A direct object, representing the person
ordered, must be introduced.
“Be quiet!”
I told the children to be quiet.
4. Commands
Additional changes
Tense change: imperative  (not) to + inf
“Run quickly!”
He told me to run quickly.
“Don't move, boys!”
She told the boys not to move.