REPORTED SPEECH

There are two ways of relating what a person

has said: direct and indirect.
 In direct speech we repeat the original
speaker’s exact words:
 Example:
He said, “I have lost my umbrella.”
 In indirect speech we give the exact meaning
of a remark or a speech, without necessarily
using the speaker’s exact words:
 Example:
He said (that) he had lost his
umbrella.
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When we turn direct speech into indirect,
some changes are usually necessary:
 PRONOUNS AND ADJECTIVES: CHANGES
NECESSARY
A. First and second person pronouns and
possessive adjectives normally change to
the third person. (I = he, she; me = him,
her; my = his, her; mine = his, hers; we =
they...)
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 Example:
 She said, “he’s my son”.  She said that he was her son.
 “I’m ill”, she said.  She said that she was ill.
 B. THIS / THESE
 This used in time expressions usually becomes that.
 Example:
 She said, “She’s coming this week”.  She said that she
was coming that week.
 This and that used as adjectives usually change to the.
 Example:
He said, “I bought this pearl/these pearls for my
mother”.
He said that he had bought the pearl/the pearls for his
mother
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This, these used as pronouns can become
it, they/them.
Example:
 He came back with two knives and said, “I
found these beside the king’s bed”.
  He said he had found them beside the
king’s bed.
 He said, “We will discuss this tomorrow”. 
He said that they would discuss it (the
matter) the next day
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EXPRESSIONS OF TIME AND PLACE IN

INDIRECT SPEECH
A. Adverbs and adverbial phrases of time
change as follows:
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DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH

today that day

yesterday the day before

the day before yesterday two days before

tomorrow the next day/the following day

the day after tomorrow in two day’s time

next week/year etc. the following week/year etc.

last week/year etc. the previous week/year etc.

a year etc. ago a year before/the previous year

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 Examples:
“I saw her the day before yesterday”, he
said.  He said he’d seen her two days
before.
 “I’ll do it tomorrow”, he promised.  He
promised that he would do it the next day.
 She said, “My father died a year ago”. 
She said that her father had died a year
before/the previous year.
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B. But if the speech is made and reported on the same day these
time changes are not necessary:
Examples:
At breakfast this morning he said, “I’ll be very busy today”. At
breakfast this morning he said that he would be very busy today.
C. here can become there but only when it is clear what place
is meant:
Example:
At the station he said, “I’ll be here again tomorrow”.  He said
that he’d be there again the next day.
Usually here has to be replaced by some phrase:
She said, “You can sit here, Tom”. She told Tom that he could
sit beside her.
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A. Indirect speech can be introduced by a
verb in a present tense:
He says that ... This is usual when we are:
a. reporting a conversation that is still going
on
b. reading a letter and reporting what it says
c. reading instructions and reporting them
d. reporting a statement that someone
makes very often,
e.g. Tom says that he’ll never get
married.
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When the introductory verb is in a present, present
perfect or future tense we can report the direct
speech without any change of tense:
PAUL (phoning from the station): I’m trying to get a
taxi.
ANN (to Mary, who is standing beside her): Paul
says he is trying to get a taxi.
B. But indirect speech is usually introduced by a
verb in the past tense. Verbs in the direct speech
have
then to be changed into a corresponding past tense.
The changes are shown in the following table.
 ……continue…
DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH

Simple Present Simple Past

“I never eat meat”, he = He explained (that) he never
explained. ate meat.
Past Continuous
Present Continuous
= He said (that) he was
“I’m waiting for Ann”, he said.
waiting for Ann.
Past Perfect
Present Perfect
= He said (that) he had found
“I have found a flat”, he said.
a flat.
Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous
He said, “I’ve been waiting for = He said (that) he had been
ages”. waiting for ages.
Simple Past Past Perfect
“I took it home with me”, she = She said (that) he had taken
said. it home with her.
 ….continue….
All those changes represent the distancing
effect of the reported speech, Common
sense, together
with the time aspect from the speaker’s point
of view, are more important than the rules
when
making the usual changes.
QUESTIONS IN INDIRECT SPEECH
Direct question: He said, “Where is she
going?”
Indirect question: He asked where she was
going.
A. When we turn direct questions into indirect
speech, the following changes are necessary:
1. Tenses, pronouns and possessive
adjectives, and adverbs of time and place
change as in statements.
2. The interrogative form of the verb changes
to the affirmative form.
3. The question mark is omitted in indirect
questions.
 ….continue….
 Questions are of two types.

1. WH questions are information seeking questions

 He said, “When will Ritu come for dinner?”
 He asked when Ritu would come for dinner.
 He said, “Why are you angry?”
 He asked why I was angry
1. Yes/No questions
 He said, “Are you okay?”
 He enquired if I was okay.
 He asked, “Have you done your homework?”
 He asked if I had done my homework.
 Examples:
 He said, “Why didn’t you put on the brake?”  He asked
(her) why she hadn’t put on
the brake.
She said, “What do you want?”  She asked (them) what
they wanted.
 If there is no question word, if or whether must be used:
“Is anyone there?” he asked  He asked if/whether
anyone was there.
 ‘’if’’ is more commonly used in everyday conversation and
informal writing
 Example: direct question: ‘’are you coming to the party?’’
indirect speech: he asked if I was coming to the party
 ‘’Whether’’ is more formal and is used when there are two
possible options or alternatives.
 Example: Direct question ‘’will she go to the school or the
market?’’
 Indirect speech: she asked whether she would go to the
COMMANDS, REQUESTS, ADVICE IN INDIRECT
SPEECH

 Direct command: He said, “Lie down, Tom”.

Indirect command: He told Tom to lie down.
 Indirect commands, requests, advice are usually
expressed by a verb of command/request/advice +
object + infinitive.
A. The following verbs can be used: advise, ask, beg,
command, order, remind, tell, warn etc.
 Example:
He said, “Get your coat, Tom!”  He told Tom to get
his coat.
B. Negative commands, requests etc. are usually
reported by not + infinitive:
“Don’t swim out too far, boys”, I said  I warned/told
the boys not to swim out too far.
EXCLAMATIONS IN INDIRECT SPEECH

Exclamations usually become statements in

indirect speech.
The exclamation mark disappears.
a. Exclamations beginning What (a) ... or
How ... can be reported by: -
exclaim/say that:
Examples:
He said, “What a dreadful idea!” or “How
dreadful!”  He exclaimed that it was a
dreadful idea/was dreadful.
‘’where’’ is more formal and is often used
when there are two possible options or
alternatives.
Example: direct question: ’will she go to
the market or the school’’
Indirect speech: she asked whether would
go to the market or the school.
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B. Other types of exclamation such as Good!
Marvellous! Splendid! Heavens! Oh! etc. can
be reported as in (b) or (c) above:
“Good!” he exclaimed.  He gave an
exclamation of pleasure/satisfaction.
C. Note also:
He said, “Thank you!”  He thanked me.
He said, “Good luck!”  He wished me luck.
He said, “Happy Christmas!”  He wished me a
happy Christmas.
He said, “Congratulations!”  He congratulated
me.
He said, “Liar!”  He called me a liar.
YES AND NO IN INDIRECT SPEECH
yes and no are expressed in indirect speech
by subject + appropriate auxiliary verb.
Examples:
He said, “Can you swim?” and I said “No” 
He asked (me) if I could swim and I said I
couldn’t.
He said, “Will you have time to do it?” and I
said “Yes”  He asked if I would have
time to do it and I said that I would.
OFFERS AND SUGGESTIONS IN INDIRECT
SPEECH

A. OFFERS
“Shall I bring you some tea?” could be
reported He offered to bring me some tea.
B. SUGGESTIONS
“Shall we meet at the theatre? could be
reported He suggested meeting at the
theatre.
INDIRECT SPEECH: MIXED TYPES
Direct speech may consist of statement +
question, question + command, command +
statement, or all
three together.
Normally each requires its own introductory verb.
Examples:
“I don’t know the way. Do you?” he asked.  He
said he didn’t know the way and asked her
if she did/if she knew it.
He said, “Someone is coming. Get behind the
screen.”  He said that someone was coming
and told me to get behind the screen.
REPORTED SPEECH: OTHER POINTS

A. MUST: after a past reporting verb, must does not

usually change:
Examples:
He said, “It must be pretty late, I really must go”. 
He said that it must be pretty late and
he really must go.
 had to is also possible in reported speech, but this
is really the past of have to, not must.
 Example:
He said, “I have to go. I have an appointment in half
an hour”  He said that he had to go because he
had an appointment in half an hour
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B. MODAL VERBS: Past modal verbs (could,
might, ought to, should, used to, etc. ) do not
normally change in reported speech.
Exam[ples:
He said, “I might come”.  He said that he
might come.
He said, “I would help him if I could”.  He
said that he would help
him if he could.
He said, “You needn’t wait”.  He said that I
needn’t wait.
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C. CONDITIONALS: Conditional sentences
type two remain unchanged.
Example:
He said, “If my children were older I would
emigrate”.  He said that if his children
were older he would emigrate.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
- A. J. Thomson and A.V. Martinet, A Practical
English Grammar, Oxford University Press,
1986
- R. Fernández Carmona, English Grammar…
with exercises, Longman, 2000
- R. Murphy, English Grammar in Use,
Cambridge University Press 1990
- M. Harrison, Grammar Spectrum 2, Oxford
University Press, 1996
- N. Coe, Grammar Spectrum 3, Oxford
University Press, 1996
 EXERCISES
 STATEMENTS
 1. These people are saying these things. Report
them, using says that.
 a. Paul: “Atlanta is a wonderful city.”
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 b. Ruth: “I go jogging every morning.”
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 c. Anna: “Jenny isn’t studying for her exams.”
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______
 d. Andrew: “I used to be very fat.”
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