REPORTED SPEECH
DIRECT VS. INDIRECT SPEECH
* DIRECT SPEECH: The exact words that someone said. (We use
quotations marks or speech bubbles)
* INDIRECT/REPORTED SPEECH: The exact meaning of what
someone said but not the exact words.
TEACHER: MARTA BENÍTEZ
IES NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA CABEZA
Example
DIRECT SPEECH: Exact words
 Mum said to Ben: ‘Don’t worry, Ben. The dentist will be painless’
REPORTED SPEECH: Exact meaning
 Mum told Ben not to worry. She said that the destist would be painless.
TEACHER: MARTA BENÍTEZ
IES NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA CABEZA
1) REPORTED STATEMENTS
 When we tell people what somebody said or thought, we
often use reported speech.
 REPORTING VERBS: SAY and TELL.
- TELL  Followed by a personal object. (She told me…)
- SAY  With or without a personal object. When used
with a personal object, it is followed by ‘to’ (She said to
me…)
TEACHER: MARTA BENÍTEZ
IES NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA CABEZA
WHEN WE USE REPORTED SPEECH
WE HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO:
 PRONOUNS AND POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
 TIME WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS
 PLACE REFERENCES
 DEMONSTRATIVES
 VERB TENSES
- (When the reporting verb is in the past)
- (No changes when we express a general truth)
TEACHER: MARTA BENÍTEZ
IES NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA CABEZA
REPORTED STATEMENTS
Direct speech
said: ‘I can’t drive’
-He said: ‘I have worked hard’
-Mum said: ‘I will never work’
-Peter said to Mary: ‘I love you’
-She told me: ‘I am tired’
-My father told me: ‘It’s raining’
-Kate told Ana: ‘I like your skirt’
-He told the teacher: ‘I feel sick’
Reported speech
-She
TEACHER: MARTA BENÍTEZ
?
IES NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA CABEZA
REPORTED STATEMENTS
Direct speech
-She
said: ‘I can’t drive’
-He said: ‘I have worked hard’
-Mum said: ‘I will never work’
-Peter said to Mary: ‘I love you’
-She told me: ‘I am tired’
-My father told me: ‘It’s raining’
-Kate told Ana: ‘I like your skirt’
-He told the teacher: ‘I feel sick’
TEACHER: MARTA BENÍTEZ
Reported speech
-She
said (that) she couldn’t drive.
-He said (that) he had worked hard.
-Mum said (that) she would never work.
-Peter said to Mary (that) he loved her.
-She told me (that) she was tired.
-My father told me (that) it was raining.
-Kate told Ana (that) she liked her skirt.
-He told the teacher (that) he felt sick.
IES NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA CABEZA
* Report what the Jones family said when they
came home from their holiday.
TEACHER: MARTA BENÍTEZ
IES NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA CABEZA
2) REPORTED QUESTIONS
Examples:
•
DIRECT SPEECH:
1. She asked: ‘Where does my sister go?’
2. He asked: ‘Is it raining?’
•
REPORTED SPEECH:
1. She asked where her sister went.
2. He asked if/whether it was raining.
TEACHER: MARTA BENÍTEZ
IES NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA CABEZA
REPORTED QUESTIONS
 We use affirmative word order
(No inversion, no auxiliary verbs)
 The question mark is omitted.
 Reporting verbs:
ASK, WONDER, ENQUIRE,
WANT TO KNOW…
 WH-QUESTIONS  We use question word
 YES/NO QUESTIONS  We use if/whether
TEACHER: MARTA BENÍTEZ
IES NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA CABEZA
REPORTED QUESTIONS
Direct speech
asked me: ‘How old are you?’
-She asked: ‘Where is he?’
-Peter asked: ‘What is this?’
-She asked: ‘What time do the shops
open?
-He asked her: ‘Did you find the key?’
-She asked: ‘Is there a park here?’
-Dad asked my brother: ‘Have you
finished your homework?’
-The teacher asked the students: ‘Are
you happy with this exam?’
Reported speech
-He
TEACHER: MARTA BENÍTEZ
?
IES NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA CABEZA
REPORTED QUESTIONS
Direct speech
-He
asked me: ‘How old are you?’
-She asked: ‘Where is he?’
-Peter asked: ‘What is this?’
-She asked: ‘What time do the shops
open?
-He asked her: ‘Did you find the key?’
-She asked: ‘Is there a park here?’
-Dad asked my brother: ‘Have you
finished your homework?’
-The teacher asked the students: ‘Are
you happy with this exam?’
TEACHER: MARTA BENÍTEZ
Reported speech
-He
asked me how old I was
-She wanted to know where he was
-Peter asked what that was
-She asked what time the shops
opened.
-He asked her if she had found the key
-She asked if there was a park there
-Dad asked my brother whether he
had finished his homework
-The teacher asked the students if
they were happy with that exam
IES NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA CABEZA
* Report the tourists’ questions to the tour guide.
TEACHER: MARTA BENÍTEZ
IES NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA CABEZA
REPORTED COMMANDS/ORDERS
 He said: ‘Close the door, please’
 He asked me to close the door.
 The teacher said: ‘Don’t open the books’
 The teacher told the students not to open the books.
REPORTING VERBS: TELL, ORDER, ASK
TEACHER: MARTA BENÍTEZ
IES NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA CABEZA
REPORTED COMMANDS/ORDERS
Direct speech
said to me: ‘Go to your room, please’
-She said: ‘Don’t ask me this now’
-Peter said to me: ‘Give me the money’
-Mary said to her sister: ‘Don’t touch my
clothes’
-He said: ‘Take my bag to the station’
-The secretary told me: ‘Write your name
here’
-The teacher ordered: ‘Don’t move these
tables’.
-He said: ‘Could you please open this
door?’
Reported speech
-He
TEACHER: MARTA BENÍTEZ
?
IES NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA CABEZA
REPORTED COMMANDS/ORDERS
Direct speech
-He
said to me: ‘Go to your room, please’
-She said: ‘Don’t ask me this now’
-Peter said: ‘Give me the money’
-Mary said to her sister: ‘Don’t touch my
clothes’
-He said: ‘Take my bag to the station’
-The secretary told me: ‘Write your name
here’
-The teacher ordered: ‘Don’t move these
tables’.
-He said to me: ‘Could you please open
this door?’
TEACHER: MARTA BENÍTEZ
Reported speech
He told me to go to my room.
She ordered not to ask her that then.
Peter ordered to give him the money.
Mary told her sister not to touch her
clothes.
He ordered to take his bag to the station
The secretary told me to write my name
there.
The teacher ordered not to move those
tables.
He asked me to open that door.
IES NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA CABEZA
REPORTED SUGGESTIONS
 He said: ‘Why don’t we go to the cinema?’
 He suggested going to the cinema.
 He suggested that they went to the cinema.
 He said to his friend: ‘Let’s play tennis!’
 He suggested playing tennis.
 He suggested that they played tennis.
REPORTING VERB: SUGGEST
TEACHER: MARTA BENÍTEZ
IES NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA CABEZA
OTHER REPORTING VERBS
 FOLLOWED BY TO-INFINITIVE
 agree, offer, promise, refuse, threaten, decide…
 FOLLOWED BY OBJECT + TO-INFINITIVE
 ask, advise, encourage, invite, order, persuade, recommend,
remind, tell, warn…
 FOLLOWED BY GERUND (-ING)
 Apologize for, deny, recommend, suggest
TEACHER: MARTA BENÍTEZ
IES NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA CABEZA