2. To give information about what people say or think we can use:
* DIRECT / QUOTED SPEECH: saying exactly what someone has said.
That information appears within quotation marks ("...") and should be
word for word.
"I'm going to the cinema", he said.
* INDIRECT / REPORTED SPEECH: doesn't use quotation marks to
enclose what the person said and it doesn't have to be word for word.
He said he was going to the cinema.
3. USUAL CHANGES
- The tense usually changes because we are usually talking about a
time in the past. This happens with statements and questions.
"I'm going to the cinema", he said.
He said he was going to the cinema.
-Words (pronouns and possessive adjectives) which refer to who the
speaker is talking about change.
“I teach online”, she said. - She said (that) she taught online.
-Words or expressions related to where (place) and when (time) the
speaker is change.
“I’m studying now”, he said. - He said (that) he was studying then.
4. * TENSE CHANGES IN REPORTED SPEECH
PRESENT SIMPLE
"All the spiders are tarantulas", she said.
PAST SIMPLE
She said (that) all the spiders were tarantulas.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
"I'm going", he said.
PAST CONTINUOUS
He said (that) he was going.
PAST SIMPLE
"She passed her exam", he said.
PAST PERFECT SIMPLE
He said (that) she had passed her exam.
He said (that) she passed her exam. (also possible with PAST S.)
PAST CONTINUOUS
"I was reading all morning", she said.
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
She said (that) she had been reading all morning.
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE
"I've bought a new car", he said.
PAST PERFECT SIMPLE
He said he had bought a new car.
PAST PERFECT SIMPLE
“They had eaten everything”, she said.
PAST PERFECT SIMPLE
She said they had eaten everything.
WILL
"I'll be here tomorrow", she said.
WOULD
She said she would be there the next day.
CAN
"Can you type?” he asked me.
COULD
He asked me if I could type.
MUST
"I must go”, she said.
HAD TO
She said she had to go.
SHOULD, COULD, WOULD and MIGHT do not change tense in Reported Speech.
5. *CHANGES WITH PRONOUNS & POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES.
“We arrived early”, he said. - He said (that) they had arrived early.
“My mum is a nurse”, she said. – She said (that) her mum was a nurse.
REMEMBER!
SUBJECT
PRONOUNS
OBJECT
PRONOUNS
POSSESIVE
ADJECTIVES
POSSESSIVE
PRONOUNS
REFLEXIVE
PRONOUNS
I ME MY MINE MYSELF
YOU YOU YOUR YOURS YOURSELF
HE HIM HIS HIS HIMSELF
SHE HER HER HERS HERSELF
IT IT ITS ITS ITSELF
WE US OUR OURS OURSELVES
YOU YOU YOUR YOURS YOURSELVES
THEY THEM THEIR THEIRS THEMSELVES
6. *CHANGES WITH TIME & PLACE EXPRESSIONS
TIME EXPRESSIONS
NOW THEN / AT THE MOMENT
TODAY THAT DAY
TONIGHT THAT NIGHT
THIS (MORNING, WEEK…) THAT (MORNING, WEEK…)
YESTERDAY THE DAY BEFORE / THE PREVIOUS DAY
LAST (WEEK, MONTH…) THE (WEEK, MONTH…) BEFORE
THE PREVIOUS (WEEK,MONTH…)
(TWO DAYS, A YEAR...) AGO (TWO DAYS, A YEAR...) BEFORE
TOMORROW THE NEXT / FOLLOWING DAY
NEXT (WEEK / MONDAY...) THE NEXT / THE FOLLOWING (WEEK / MONDAY...)
PLACE EXPRESSIONS
THIS THAT
THESE THOSE
HERE THERE
7. REPORTED STATEMENTS
-Change in verbs
* If we are reporting a general truth / something that hasn’t changed, the
verb can stay in the present.
"I love you"
She told me she loves me.
But the past tense change is allowed , too (shows uncertainty).
"I love you"
She told me she loved me.
-Use of that , but it’s optional: He told me (that) he lived in Greenwich.
8. - Main reporting verbs:
- SAY + (TO + Indirect Object) + (that) + …. :
He said (that) he was going to the cinema.
He said to us (that) he was going to the cinema.
- TELL + Indirect Object + (that) + …:
He told us (that) he was going to the cinema.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Other reporting verbs which also follow the (that) + … structure:
ADMIT / ANNOUNCE / ANSWER / COMPLAIN / EXPLAIN / PROMISE/
MENTION / THINK / KNOW / REALISE / WARN…
He mentioned (that) he would be late home.
9. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Other reporting verbs which follow the INFINITIVE structure:
ORDER & OFFER
“I’ll take the rubbish out tomorrow”, he said
He offered to take the rubbish out the following day.
“You must stop the destruction of this habitat”, he said.
He ordered to stop the destruction of that habitat.
ADVISE
+ Indirect Object + TO-infinitive:
“You should get a better job” , my dad told me.
My dad advised me to get a better job.
10. - REPORTED SUGGESTIONS
“Let’s go to the cinema”
“Why don’t we go to the cinema?”
“What about going to the cinema?”
“How about going to the cinema?”
“I think we should go to the cinema”
SUGGEST / RECOMMEND
+ (that) + ….+ (should) + verb :
He suggested (that) we (should) go to the cinema.
+ gerund :
He suggested going to the cinema.
}, he said.
11. REPORTED QUESTIONS
-Change in verbs
- Use of usual word order (not subject – verb inversion)
- If it’s a WH-question, the WH-word is kept.
“How old are they?”, he asked. – He asked me how old they were.
- If it’s a YES / NO-question, “if / whether” is used.
“Are you hungry?”, mum asked us. – Mum asked us if / whether we were hungry.
-Main reporting verb:
- ASK + (Indirect Object) + ….
He asked what her name was.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Other reporting verbs or expressions :
WONDER / WANT / WOULD LIKE TO KNOW / ENQUIRE…
He wondered what her name was.
12. REPORTED IMPERATIVES
- Verbs in the TO- infinitive form.
“Sit down!”, he said. – He asked to sit down.
“Don’t sit down!”, he said to them. – He told them not to sit down.
-Main reporting verbs:
- ASK (+ Indirect Object) / TELL + Indirect Object
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Other reporting verbs or expressions :
DEMAND / ORDER / REMIND / WARN / INSTRUCT / BEG…
She warned me to be careful.
