how to use reported speech

1. Reported Speech
She said that
she would meet
us at the game.
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When do we use reported speech?
Sometimes someone says a sentence, for example
“I will meet you at the game". Later, maybe we want
to tell someone else what the first person said.
Quotation marks are not used

2. Jackie called this morning. She said
that she was going to the library for
a few hours.
I’m going to the library
for a few hours.
We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell‘…
Reported words that were said in the past are often
changed to the past tense.
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Reporting Verbs and tense changes

3. We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell‘…
(2) Reported words that were said in the past are
often changed to the past tense.
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Reporting Verbs and tense changes
Tense Direct Speech Reported Speech
Present
Simple
I like ice cream
She said (that) she liked ice
cream.
Present
Continuous
I am living in
London.
She said (that) she was living
in London.
Past simple I bought a car.
She said (that) she had bought
a car OR She said (that) she
bought a car.
Past
Continuous
I was walking
along the street.
She said (that) she had been
walking along the street.

4. We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell‘…
(2) Reported words that were said in the past are
often changed to the past tense.
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Reporting Verbs and tense changes
Tense Direct Speech Reported Speech
Present
Perfect
I haven't seen
Julie
She said (that) she hadn't
seen Julie.
Past
Perfect*
I had taken
English lessons
before
She said (that) she had taken
English lessons before.
Will I'll see you later
She said (that) she would
see me later.
Would*
I would help,
but..”
She said (that) she would
help but...

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Reporting Verbs and tense changes
Tense Direct Speech Reported Speech
can
I can speak perfect
English
She said (that) she could
speak perfect English.
could*
I could swim when
I was four
She said (that) she could
swim when she was four.
shall I shall come later
She said (that) she would
come later.
should*
I should call my
mother
She said (that) she should
call her mother
might* I might be late
She said (that) she might be
late

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Reporting Verbs and tense changes
Tense Direct Speech Reported Speech
Must
(bắt buộc)
I must study at the
weekend
She said (that) she must study at
the weekend.
OR She said she had to study at
the weekend
Mustn't
(sự cấm)
She said: "You mustn't
make noise here."
She said (that) I mustn't make
noise there.
Must (suy
diễn)
He said: "You must be
tired now."
He said (that) I must be tired then.
Must
(khuyên)
My father said: "This
exam is very important.
You must prepare for it
well."
My father said (that) that exam was
very important and I must prepare
for it well.

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Reporting Verbs and tense changes
Tense Direct Speech Reported Speech
Need+V
He said: "I need do
it now."
Needed/had to V
He said (that) he needed/had
to do it then.
Needn't
(dùng ờ
hiện tại)
She said: "We
needn't set off
early."
Needn't/didn't have to V
She said (that) they
needn't/didn't have
to set off early.
Needn't
(dùng ở
tương
lai)
He said:"You
needn't come here
tomorrow."
Wouldn't have to V
He said (that) I wouldn't
have to come here the next
day.

8.  Reported thoughts or feelings use the past
tense.
I thought they were married, but they aren’t.
She thought that he was a professor.
Sorry, I didn’t realize that you were here.
He knew that she was a kind person.
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Reporting Verbs and tense changes

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NOTE
Direct Reported
I
We
Me / You
Us
Mine
Ours
My
Our
Myself
I/He /She
They
Him /Her
Them
Mine/His / Hers
Theirs
My/His / Her
Their
Himself / herself
 Changes of pronouns used in reported speech

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NOTE
 Changes of time expressions in reported speech
Direct Reported
tomorrow the following day/ the next day
next Sunday the next Sunday
in two weeks in two weeks' time
today the same day/ that day
yesterday the day before/ the previous day
yesterday evening the previous evening
the day before yesterday two days before/ earlier
two days ago two days before/ earlier
next week the following week/ the next week
last week the previous week
now then
here there
this morning that morning
at present then
this, these, that, those (as adjectives) the
this, these, that, those (as pronouns) it, they/ them

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 If reporting verb is in the present or future tenses
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NO changes of Verbs
+ "I have just finished my work.“
 She says (that) he has just finished his work.
 Reporting a fact or an always true information
+ The little boy said: "Mother's mother is grandmother."
 The little boy said mother's mother is grandmother

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NO changes of Verbs
 Verbs in direct speech are pairs of:
- Past simple-past continuous;
- Past simple-past perfect;
- Past simple with time mentioned clearly.
+ He said: "I was doing my homework when my mother
came in.”
 He said (that) he was doing his homework when his
mother came in.
+ He said: "I was born in 2000."
 He said (that) he was born in 2000.

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NO changes of Verbs
 Verbs in direct speech are: used to, should,
would, could, might, ought to, had better, would
rather
+ Peter said: "We used to go fishing in the afternoon."
 Peter said (that) they used to go fishing in the
afternoon.
 When direct speech with wish / if only:
+ He said: "I wish I were taller."
 He said (that) he wished he were taller.

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NO changes of Verbs
 Direct speech with conditional sentence type 2,3:
+ He said: "If I were you, I would apologize to Linda."
 He said (that) if he were me, he would apologize to
Linda..
 When direct speech with
"It's (high/about) time..."
+ My mother said: "It is high time you washed the
dishes."
 My mother said (that) it was high time I washed the
dishes.

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NO changes of Verbs
+ He said: "If I were you, I would apologize to Linda."
 He said (that) if he were me, he would apologize to Linda.
 Reporting a conditional sentence type 2 or 3

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This exam will
be easy if you
study the things
on this list.
She said that
the test will
be easy if we
study the list.
What did
she say?
 Reported speech that comes very soon after the
word spoken does not have to use past tense.
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NO changes of Verbs

17. Manager: All employees must have a driver’s license.
The manager says that
all employees must have
a driver’s license. Sorry.
 Reported words or thoughts are
generalizations and don’t use past tense.
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I need a job,
but I don’t
have a driver’s
license.
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NO changes of Verbs

18.  When the reported speech comes immediately
after the actual speech, the tense does not have
to be changed. Both ways are correct.
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Mary’s mom: Mary said that she was really
enjoying school.
Or
Mary’s mom: Mary says that she is really
enjoying school.
Mary: I’m really enjoying school.
Reporting Verbs and tense changes

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TYPE OF REPORTED SPEECH
Narative sentences
+ He said to me: "You are my best friend."
 He told me (that) I was his best friend.
NOTE: say(s) /said to sb  tell(s)/told sb
S + say(s)/said + (that) + S + V

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TYPE OF REPORTED SPEECH
Reported WH- questions
S + asked (+O)/wanted to know/wondered + Wh-
words/how + S + V
+ The teacher asked: "Why didn't you go to class last Friday?"
The teacher asked me why I hadn't gone to class the Friday
before.
+ Where is the Post Office, please?
 She asked me where the Post Office was.
+ What are you doing now?
 She asked me what I was doing then.
+ Who was that fantastic man?
 She asked me who that fantastic man had been.
+ Where is Julie?  She asked me where Julie was.
+ Where do you live? She asked me where I lived.

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TYPE OF REPORTED SPEECH
Reported YES/NO questions
S + asked/wanted to know/wondered if/whether + S + V
+ "Did you go with your mother yesterday?" asked he.
He asked me if/whether I had gone with my mother
the day before.
+ “Will you come back?”
 He wanted to know if/whether I would come back.

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TYPE OF REPORTED SPEECH
Reported Imparatives
S + asked/wanted to know/wondered if/whether + S + V
+ "Did you go with your mother yesterday?" asked he.
He asked me if/whether I had gone with my mother
the day before.
+ “Will you come back?”
 He wanted to know if/whether I would come back.

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TYPE OF REPORTED SPEECH
Reported polite requests
ask me + to + infinitive
+ Close the window, please
 Could you close the window please?
 Would you mind closing the window please?
 She asked me to close the window.
+ Please help me.  She asked me to help her.
+ Please don't smoke.  She asked me not to smoke.
+ Could you bring my book tonight?
 She asked me to bring her book that night.
+ Could you pass the milk, please?
 She asked me to pass the milk.
+ Would you mind coming early tomorrow?
 She asked me to come early the next day.
+ Please don't be late.  She asked us not to be late.

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TYPE OF REPORTED SPEECH
Reported Verbs: V + to V
- tell/ask sb + to V: bảo/yêu cầu ai làm gì
- advise sb + to V: khuyên ai làm gì
- promise + to V: hứa làm gì
- threaten + to V: đe doạ làm gì
- warn + sb + not to V: cảnh báo không nên làm gì
- invite sb + to V: mời ai làm gì
- remind + sb + to V: nhắc nhở ai làm gì
- encourage sb + to V: khuyến khích ai làm gì
- offer + to V: đề nghị làm gì
- agree + to V: đồng ý làm gì
+ The man: Don’t cross that line. It’s dangerous.
 The man warned us not to cross that line (because it’s
dangerous.)

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TYPE OF REPORTED SPEECH
Reported Verbs: V + V-ing
- accuse sb of + V-ing: buộc tội ai vì làm gì
- admit + V-ing: thừa nhận làm gì
- deny + V-ing: phủ nhận làm gì
- apologize (to sb) for + V-ing: xin lỗi ai vì làm gì
- blame sb for + V-ing: đổ lỗi cho ai vì làm gì
- complain (to sb) about + V-ing: phàn nàn về điều gì
- confess to V-ing: thú nhận làm gì
- congratulate sb on + V-ing: chúc mừng vì làm gì
- criticize sb for V-ing: chỉ trích vì làm gì
- insist on + V-ing: khăng khăng làm gì
- object to + V-ing: phản đối làm gì
- suggest + V-ing: gợi ý/đề nghị làm gì
- thank sb for + V-ing: cảm ơn ai vì làm gì
- warn sb against + V-ing: cảnh báo ai không nên làm gì
+ Nam: Shall we hang out after school.
 Nam suggested hanging out after school.

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The End
Created by Laurette Poulos Simmons
Reported Speech