This document provides information on reported speech including: 1) How statements, questions, commands, exclamations, suggestions and requests are changed when moving from direct to reported speech. Tense changes and changes to words like now and here are addressed. 2) Common reporting verbs used to introduce reported speech like say, ask, order, exclaim, advise, and warn. 3) A table summarizing tense changes between direct and reported speech.

1. REPORTED SPEECH
S T AT E M E N T S • I spent all my money last week
- H e s a y s h e s p e n t a l l h i s m o n e y l a s t we e k .
- He told me (that) he had spent all his money the week
before.
CHANGES (1)
QUESTIONS
YES/NO QUEST. • ‘ A r e y o u t h e p e r s o n wh o w o n t h e p r i z e ? ’
- T h e y a s k e d m e i f / w h e t h e r I wa s t h e p e r s o n w h o
h a d wo n t h e p r i z e .
INFORMATION QUESTIONS • ‘W hat time does the train for Fleet leave?
- He asked the porter what time the train for Fleet left.
• W h a t a n i c e f e l l o w! ’
- He exclaimed what a nice fellow he was.
CHANGES (1)
C O M M AN D S Verb+object+infinitive • ‘ G e t o u t o f t h e w a y! ’
E X C L AM AT I O N S (advise, remind, ask, - T h e wa r d e n a s k e d m e t o g e t o u t o f t h e w a y .
SUGGESTIONS t e l l , p e r s u a d e , wa r n ) • ‘Don’t sm oke in this com partm ent’.
REQUES TS - The inspector asked me not to smoke in that
com partm ent.
 ‘ I f I we r e y o u , I ’ d l e a v e a t o n c e ’ H e a d v i s e d m e t o
leave at once.’
 ‘Don’t stay here. This place is dangerous.’ He
warned me not to stay.
Verb+ two objects  ‘John, this is my husband, Robert.’ She introduced
(introduce, offer) her husband to me.
 ‘W ould you like a cup of coffee?.’ He offered me a
cup of coffee.
Verb+infinitive • ‘ A l l r i g h t , we ’ l l c o m e . ’ T h e y a g r e e d t o c o m e .
(agree, refuse, promise) • ‘I’m not going to have my hair cut.’ He refused to
cut his hair.
Verb+ that+ clause • ‘ Let’s have lunch before the match.’
(say, suggest, explain) • ‘ Shall we have lunch before the lunch?’
- He said/suggested that they might have
lunch before the match.*
Verb+ing form • ‘ W h y d o n ’ t we m e e t a t t h e s t a t i o n ? ’ H e s u g g e s t e d
(suggest) meeting at the station.*
Verb +preposition + ing • ‘ I ’ m s o r r y I wa s v e r y r u d e . ’ H e a p o l o g i s e d f o r b e i n g
(apologise) rude.
Verb + object • ‘OK i’ll go with you! . She accepted the invitati on.
( accept, refuse )
(1) CHANGES Tense changes
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
 go  went
 went/have gone/had gone  had gone
 am/is/are going  was going
 was going/have been going/ had  had been going
been going
 will/shall be going/should be going  would be going
 will/shall go/should go  would go
 can go  could go
 may go/might go  might go
 must go/have to go  had to go
 needn’t go/don’t need to go  didn’t need to go
Yolanda Giménez Ballesteros / January 2012
 didn’t need to go  hadn’t needed to go
 ought to go/ should go /  They don’t change
 used to go/ could/ would/might  They don’t change
Other changes
 now  then
 today  that day
 yesterday  the day before
 tomorrow  t h e n e x t / f o l l o wi n g d a y
 last week  t h e p r e v i o u s we e k
 a we e k a g o  t h e we e k b e f o r e
 this  that
 these  those
 here  there
REPORTING W ORDS Statements: say, tell, insist, shout, agree, mutter, exclaim, admit, protest, object,
a n s we r , b o a s t , d e c l a r e , c l a i m , r e p l y , w h i s p e r , … … …
Q u e s t i o n s : a s k , wo n d e r , w a n t t o k n o w , b e c u r i o u s t o … … …
Commands: order, command, request, beg, implore, urge, scream at, shout to, call
out to, advise, warn, invite………
E xc l a m a t i o n s : e xc l a i m , r e p r o v e , s we a r , r e m a r k … … … … … …