What is reported speech? Reported speech is also called indirect speech. It’s called reported or indirect speech because we are reporting what another person said, like a news reporter would do. Quoted or direct speech is when we say exactly what the other person said, word for word. We don’t do that with reported speech, but it’s important to know the difference! Usually, there’s what we call a BACKSHIFT in reported speech. Another associated lesson is SAY versus TELL which are used in reported speech. Here are some examples of how reported speech works… Quoted Speech- Joe: ‘‘I travel a lot for work.’’ Reported Speech- Joe said that he traveled a lot for work. Quoted Speech- Monica: ‘‘The baby is sleeping.’’ Reported Speech- Monica told me that the baby was sleeping. Quoted Speech- Jeffery: ‘‘We really liked it there’’ Reported Speech- Jeffery commented that they had really liked it there. Quoted Speech- Scott: ‘‘Did you know I was in the army?’’ Reported Speech- Scott asked me if I knew he had been in the army. The Backshift! Let’s go back to this example… Quoted Speech- Joe: ‘‘I travel a lot for work.’’ Reported Speech- Joe said that he traveled a lot for work. In reported speech/indirect speech we often use a tense that can be described as FURTHER BACK (traveled) in the past than the tense that was originally used (travel) by the speaker. This is called the BACKSHIFT. There’s a predetermined backshift for each tense*. *We’ll look at those predetermined backshifts later. But… we don’t always use the backshift… Sometimes, when what the speaker said is still true, the backshift is not utilized. Quoted Speech- Jill: ‘‘I’m working in Italy for the next six months.’’ Reported Speech- Jill says she’s working in Italy for the next six months. Jill is still in Italy, so we’re reporting on a current, true situation Pronouns Pronouns also usually change when using reported speech. Bob: ‘‘I enjoy working in my garden on weekends.’’ Bob said that he enjoyed working in his garden on weekends. Bob spoke using the first person (I) but we report what he said using the third person singular masculine (he). Demonstratives (this, that, these, those) We also change demonstratives and adverbs of time and place with reported speech. Tom: ‘‘This is my house.’’ Tom said this was his house. (You are currently in front of the house) Tom said that was his house. (You are not currently in front of the house) Adverbs of Time Tom: ‘‘I’m planning to do it today.’’ Tom told me he’s planning to do it today. (It is currently the same day) Tom told me he was planning to do it that day. (It is not currently the same day) Adverbs of Place (here vs. there) Tom: ‘‘We like it here.’’ Tom told me they like it here. (You are currently in the place they like.) Tom told me they like it there. (You are not currently in the place they like.) Present Tense Backshifts… Present Simple > > > > > Past Simple ‘‘I always drink coffee’’ / She said she always drank coffee. Present Simple (be) > > > > > Past Simple ‘‘I am tired!’’ / She exclaimed that she was tired. Present Continuous > > > > > Past Continuous ‘‘I’m reading a book.’’ / He explained he was reading a book. Present Continuous (be) > > > > > Past Continuous ‘‘I’m being a good boy.’’ / Little Joey said that he was being a good boy. Past Tense Backshifts… Past Simple > > > > > Past Perfect ‘‘Bill arrived on Saturday.’’ / He told me that Bill had arrived on Saturday Present Perfect > > > > > Past Perfect ‘‘I’ve been to Spain!’’ / He exclaimed that he had been to Spain. Past Perfect > > > > > Past Perfect ‘‘We had just turned off the lights.’’ / He said that they had just turned off the lights. More Past Tense Backshifts… Present Perfect Continuous > > > > > Past Perfect Continuous ‘‘We have been waiting for hours.’’ They complained they had been waiting for hours. Past Continuous > > > > > Past Perfect Continuous ‘‘We were living in Paris.’’ They told me they had been living in Paris. Future Time Backshifts… Future > > > > > Present Conditional ‘‘I’ll be in Geneva on Monday.’’ He said he would be in Geneva on Monday. Future Continuous > > > > > Conditional Continuous ‘‘I’ll be using the car next Friday.’’ He informed me that he would be using the car next Friday. Modal Verb Backshifts… Can > > > > > Could ‘‘I can help.’’ / She said that she could help. The following modal verbs do not have a backshift… Might, could, should, would, ought to ‘‘I might bring a friend to the party.’’ She said she might bring a friend to the party. Let’s practice… A. Write down three sentences using three different tenses. B. Each student will tell a second classmate one sentence, one at a time. C. The second classmate will report to a third classmate what the first classmate said using reported speech to a third classmate. D. Each classmate will take a turn.
