INDIRECT SPEECH

Reported speech

We often tell people what other people have told us. This is called reported or indirect speech. We usually change tenses and references to people, places and times.

Speech marks

Note that sentences in direct speech have speech marks “”(inverted commas) “”around the spoken words. Indirect or reported speech does not use speech marks.

Speakers in direct speech

Speakers can be mentioned at the beginning or end of the sentence in direct speech.

Jack said, ‘We’re going to miss the train.’

‘We’re going to miss the train,’ said Jack.

Speakers in reported speech

Speakers are mentioned at the beginning of the sentence in reported speech.

Jack said (that) they were going to miss the train.

Commands and requests

Commands are reported with tell and the infinitive.

‘Wait! Wait!’

I told him to stop.

Requests are reported with ask and the infinitive.

‘Please wait!’

I asked her to wait.

Joe said, ‘I love chocolate.’ (Direct Speech)

Joe said that he loved chocolate. (Indirect Speech)

Example 1 :

Example 2 :

Carman said, ‘I am sick.’ (Direct Speech)

Carman said that she was sick. (Indirect Speech)

Change the pronoun

Change the tense

Put in ‘that’

Change the pronoun

Change the tense

Put in ‘that’

Joe said, ‘I ate some chocolate yesterday.’ (Direct Speech)

Joe said that he had eaten some chocolate the day before. (Indirect Speech)

Example 3 :

Example 4 :

Carman said, ‘I was sick last week.’ (Direct Speech)Carman said that she had been sick the week before. (Indirect Speech)

Change the pronoun

Change the tense

Change the adverb of time

Put in ‘that’

Joe said, ‘Carman is doing homework.’ (Direct Speech)

Joe said that Carman was doing homework. (Indirect Speech)

Example 5:

Example 6 :

Carman said, ‘They will see a film tomorrow.’ (Direct Speech)

Carman said that they would see a film the following day. (Indirect Speech)

Put in ‘that’Change the

tense

Change the adverb of time

Joe said, ‘You have not returned the book to me.’ (Direct Speech)

Joe said that you/I had not returned the book to him. (Indirect Speech)

Example 7:

Example 8 :

Carman said, ‘You can use my computer.’ (Direct Speech)

Carman said that you/I could use her computer. (Indirect Speech)

Put in ‘that’

Change the pronoun

Change the pronoun

Change the tense

Change the possessive adjective

How to change the tense:

is/am/are was/were

do/does not work did not work

did not work had not worked

is/are working was/were working

was/were working had been working

will/shall work would work

has/have worked had worked

can work could work

How to change the pronouns and possessive adjectives:

I/you he/she

me/you him/her

my/your his/her

mine/yours his/hers

we/you they

us/you them

our/your their

ours/yours theirs

How to change the adverbs of time:

now then

today that day

This afternoon that afternoon

tonight that night

tomorrow the following day

yesterday the day before

next week the following week

last week the week before

Other changes to make:

this that

these those

here there

come go

Yes/no questionsQuestions with the answer yes or no are reported using if

‘Does the London train stop here?’ she asked.She asked me if the London train stopped here.

Note that the question form of the direct speech is notused in reported speech, as there is no longer a directquestion. There is no question mark.

WhetherWhether means if... or not. We use whether when we report questions linked with or.

‘Are you staying the night, or are you going home?’ he asked.

He asked me whether I was staying the night or going home.

Wh-questionsQuestions beginning when, what, why, where, how, etc. are reported with backshift. The question forms of direct speech are not used, so the subject in bold comes before the verb. There is no question mark.

‘Where is the bus-station?’she asked.

She asked where the bus-station was.

‘Where have you come from?’ he asked.

He asked me where I had come from.

Some of the most common Reporting verbs: Reporting verbs include part of the

meaning of the words reported.

advise

‘I wouldn’t buy that car, Janos, if I were you.’

I advised Janos not to buy the car.

agree

‘Yes, Jill, I think you’re right,’ said Mike.Mike agreed with Jill.

apologize‘I’m really sorry for being so late,’ said Maria.Maria apologized for being late.

ask‘Do you think you could help me, Sue?’I asked Sue to help me.

congratulate‘Well done, Tina, you’ve passed the exam!’I congratulated Tina on passing her exam.

decide

‘I’m going to become a doctor!’ said Helen.

Helen decided to become a doctor.

‘I’ll have the fish pie, please,’ said Bill.

Bill decided to have the fish pie.

invite

‘Would you like to come to the cinema on Saturday, Pam?’

I invited Pam to the cinema on Saturday.

offer

“Shall I carry your case, Dawn?’ said Peter.

Peter offered to carry Dawn’s case.

promise

‘I’ll definitely be home by eight, ‘said Ann.

Ann promised to be home by eight.

‘I’ll wait for you, Helen,’ said Peter.

Peter promised Helen that he would wait for her.

refuse

‘No, I won’t open the door!’ said Carol.Carol refused to open the door.

remind

‘Don’t forget to send your mother a birthday card, Joe.’

I reminded Joe to send his mother a birthday card.

suggest

‘How about spending the day at the beach?’ said Carlos.

Carlos suggested spending the day at the beach.

NOW YOU TRY))

“What do you think about cloning?”

“What is the meaning of life?”

Who built that enormous bridge? (I wonder...) Did Benjamin Franklin write 'Poor Richard's

Almanac'? (I can't remember ....) Have they flown an ultralight too? (I don't

know ...) There must be a law which prohibits drunk

driving. Don’t post too much information on social

networking.