Reported Speech

LEVEL 2 • INSTITUTO DE IDIOMAS • UNIVERSIDAD DE SEVILLA • LEVEL 2 • INSTITUTO DE IDIOMAS • UNIVERSIDAD DE SEVILLA • LEVEL 2
REPORTED SPEECH
USE
Using reported speech involves changes in verb tenses and other logical changes, such as personal pronouns
and references to time and place.
Direct speech: “I’m tired,” he said.

Reported (indirect) speech: He said he was tired.
REPORTING VERBS
1. These are usually in the Past Simple in English.
2. Affirmative and negative statements: the usual reporting verbs are say (without an indirect object) and tell
(with an indirect object), although many others are possible. The conjunction that after these verbs is often
omitted. Answer and reply are not normally used in reported speech; omission of that and inclusion of
indirect object are not possible with these verbs.
Mike: “My sister is at the beach.”
Mike said (that) his sister was at the beach. [no indirect object]
Mike told me (that) his sister was at the beach. [indirect object]
Brad: “Todd, the library is closed on Fridays.”
Brad told Todd (that) the library was closed on Fridays. [indirect object]
3. Questions: the usual verb is ask. (Others, such as want to know, are possible.) Say and tell are not possible
in questions. The conjunction that is also not possible.
Sharon: What’s the weather like, Rachel?
Sharon asked Rachel what the weather was like.
4. Commands and requests: tell and ask are used, followed by the appropriate structure. Say is not possible.
The conjunction that is not possible.
Teacher: “Children, do not look at each other’s papers.”
The teacher told the children not to look at each other’s papers.
Mother: “Tom, would you please take out the trash?”
Tom’s mother asked him to take out the trash.
NORMAL TENSE CHANGES:
DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH

Present Simple Past Simple can could
Present Continuous Past Continuous may might
Past Simple Past Perfect must had to (sometimes no
change)
Past Continuous no change mustn’t no change (or shouldn’t)
Present Perfect Past Perfect have to had to
Past Perfect no change don’t have to didn’t have to
am/is/are going to was/were going to might, could, should no change
Future Simple Conditional (would) used to no change
(will)
Conditional no change Imperative Infinitive
OTHER LOGICAL CHANGES

References to people, places and times may change in reported speech.
Example: “I’ll phone you.” Reported by 1st person → I said I’d phone him.
Reported by 2nd person → She said she’d phone me.
Reported by 3rd person → She said she’d phone him.
Example: “I’ll do it tomorrow.” Reported same day → He said he’d do it tomorrow.

Reported next day → He said he’d do it today.
Reported some days later → He said he’d do it the next day.
The usual changes are:
DIRECT REPORTED DIRECT REPORTED

tomorrow the next / the following day today that day
next year, etc. the next / the following year now then
yesterday the day before / the previous here there
day
last week, month, the week before / the previous this that
etc. week
STATEMENTS: examples
• "My brother is studying very hard." → She told me her brother was studying very hard.
• "I always have coffee for breakfast." → He said he always had coffee for breakfast.
• "We haven't seen a good film for ages." → They said they hadn't seen a good film for ages.
• "I can’t swim." → He said he couldn't swim.
• "I could play the piano when I was four." → She told me she could play the piano when she was four.
• "I may not go out tonight" → He said he might not go out tonight (that evening).
QUESTIONS
The interrogative form is not used in reported questions. Examples:
• "Where have you been?" (interrogative form; question mark.)
→ He asked me where I had been. (affirmative form; no question mark.)
• “Why didn’t you tell me?” (interrogative negative)
→ She asked me why I hadn’t told her. (no interrogative)
• "Where do you live?"→ He asked me where I lived.
• "How old are you?" → He asked me how old I was.
• "Who's that funny little man sitting in the corner?" → She asked me who the funny little man sitting in the
corner was.
• "Why are you studying English?" → She asked me why I was studying English.
• "What time will you be back, Bob?" → She wanted to know what time Bob would be back.
• "What will you do when you finish your studies?" → He asked me what I would do when I finished my
studies.
• "What other languages can you speak?" → She asked me what other languages I could speak.
In reporting yes/no questions (i.e. questions without a question word, such as who or what), we use the
conjunction if (sometimes whether):
• "Are you English?" → He asked me if I was English.
• "Are you going to work, Dad?" → I asked my father if he was going to work.
• “Have you got a car, Mary?" → I asked Mary if she had a car.
• "Did you read The 39 Steps?” → The teacher wanted to know if we had read The 39 Steps..
• "Do you still go skiing a lot?" → He asked if I still went skiing a lot.
YES / NO / PERHAPS etc. in reported answers: These are normally represented by the appropriate auxiliary
verb:
• "Are you going?" - "Yes." → He asked me if I was going, and I told him I was.
• "Will you have enough money?" - "Perhaps." → He asked me if I'd have enough money, and I said I might.
• "Do you like vegetables?" - "No." → He wanted to know if I liked vegetables, and I told him I didn’t.
Note other possibilities, such as implied questions:
• I couldn’t send him a letter because I didn’t know where he lived.
• He told me what the problem was. ( "The problem is ...")
Remember: REPORTED QUESTION: NO INTERROGATIVE
INDIRECT COMMANDS AND REQUESTS:

• "Take your shoes off!" → He told me to take my shoes off.
• "Don’t be late again!" → She told me not to be late again.
• "You mustn't talk in the library" → She told me not to talk.
• "Please don’t tell anyone" → He asked me not to tell anyone.
• "Can you speak louder, please?" → He asked me to speak louder.
Also, "to ask someone for something":

• "Will you give me some money?" → He asked me for some money.
if I would give him some money.
• "Can you give us some advice?" → They asked us for advice.
if we could give them some advice.
EXERCISE:
Put the following sentences into reported speech, using an introductory verb in the past tense and making all
the possible changes.
1. Jim: I’ll see you tomorrow, Mary.

Jim
2. Mike: What's the time, Jane?
Mike
3. Jean: It's raining.
Jean
4. Fred: Shut the door.
Fred
5. Joe: Are you going to the match on Saturday, Michael?
Michael: No, I’ve got to work at the weekend.
Joe
6. Helen: It rains a lot in this part of the country.
Helen
7. Rick: Did you see 'Pretty Woman', Anne?
Anne: Yes.
Rick
8. Mrs Smith: You should act your age.

Mrs Smith
9. Peter: Don’t touch that oven, Philip. It’s hot.
Peter
10. Mr Jones: Bob, you must visit me sometime.
Mr Jones
11. Teacher: Have you brought your textbook today, Jimmy?
Jimmy: Oh, yes.
The teacher
12. Mrs Jackson: There might be some bread in the freezer.
Mrs Jackson
13. Mark: Please come as soon as you can.
Jenny: I’m too busy.
Mark
14. Charles: Do you love me?
Fiona: No.
Charles
15. Nick: I studied French at school, but I haven't spoken it since.
Nick
16. Bruce: How many euros are there to the pound?
Bruce
17. The Joneses: We'll go to the seaside if it stops raining.
The Joneses
18. Mrs Smith: Where would you like to go next summer, Jennifer?
Mrs Smith
19. Mr Brown: Susan, I can’t come tomorrow. Please tell your father.
Mr Brown
20. Mrs Black: What would you do if there were a fire?
Mrs. Black
ANSWERS
1. Jim told Mary he would see her the next day.

2. Mike asked Jane what the time was.
3. Jean said it was raining.
4. Fred told me/him/etc. to shut the door.
5. Joe asked Michael if he was going to the match on Saturday, and/but Michael said he
wasn’t, because he had to work at the weekend.
6. Helen said it rained a lot in that part of the country.
7. Rick asked Anne if she had seen ‘Pretty Woman’ and she said she had.
8. Mrs Smith said I/he/etc. should act my/his/etc. age.
9. Peter told Philip not to touch the oven because it was hot.
10. Mr Jones told Bob he must visit him sometime.
11. The teacher asked Jimmy if he had brought his textbook (that day) and Jimmy said he had.
12. Mrs Jackson said there might be some bread in the freezer.
13. Mark asked Jenny to come as soon as she could, but she said she was too busy.
14. Charles asked Fiona if she loved him, but she said she didn’t.
15. Nick said he had studied French at school, but he hadn’t spoken it since.
16. Bruce asked how many euros there were to the pound.
17. The Joneses said they would go to the seaside if it stopped raining.
18. Mrs Smith asked Jennifer where she would like to go the next summer.
19. Mr Brown told Susan he couldn’t come the next day and asked her to tell her father.
20. Mrs Black asked me/him/etc. what I/he/etc. would do if there were a fire.

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LEVEL 2 • INSTITUTO DE IDIOMAS • UNIVERSIDAD DE SEVILLA • LEVEL 2 • INSTITUTO DE IDIOMAS • UNIVERSIDAD DE SEVILLA • LEVEL 2

Direct speech: “I’m tired,” he said.

NORMAL TENSE CHANGES:

DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH

OTHER LOGICAL CHANGES

Example: “I’ll do it tomorrow.” Reported same day → He said he’d do it tomorrow.

The usual changes are:

DIRECT REPORTED DIRECT REPORTED

Remember: REPORTED QUESTION: NO INTERROGATIVE

INDIRECT COMMANDS AND REQUESTS:

Also, "to ask someone for something":

1. Jim: I’ll see you tomorrow, Mary.

8. Mrs Smith: You should act your age.

1. Jim told Mary he would see her the next day.

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