Reported speech is used to report what someone else said or thought in the past. When reporting speech or thoughts, certain changes need to be made including changing verb tenses, pronouns, place and time expressions, and modal verbs. Common reporting verbs include say, tell, ask, suggest, order, and request. Questions, commands, suggestions, and requests all have specific structures when used in reported speech.

1. REPORTED SPEECH

2. REPORTED SPEECH
What is it ? How do you use it?
He said he
Where’s was feeling
Tom? ill.
We use it when we want to tell another person
about a conversation that took place in the past
(e.g telephone call, news or a story that someone
told us, etc.)

3. CHANGES FROM DIRECT TO
REPORTED SPEECH:
Verb Tense (when the Reporting Verb is in
the Past Tense – most times)
Personal Pronouns, Possessives
(In a logical way, see every sentence)
Demonstratives: This  That
These Those
Time & Place Expressions

4. Verb Tense Changes:
' I know quite a lot of people Present Simple Past He said that
here.' Simple he ...............................
Robert said. quite a lot of people there
'John is feeling much better ' Present Past He said that
Paul said. Continuous Continuous John ...........................much
better
' I enjoyed my holiday in the Simple Past Past Perfect He said that
States' he ............................... his
David said. holiday in the States
'Jackie wasn´t feeling very well Past Past Perfect He said that
' Continuous Continuous Jackie .........................
The teacher said. very well
' They‘ve seen the Eiffel Tower Present Past Perfect He said that
' Perfect they ............................
John said. the Eiffel Tower
' I have been waiting for ages ' Present Past Perfect He said that
My father said. Perfect Continuous he ............................
Continuous for ages
' Nobody had warned them Past Perfect Past Perfect He said that
about the storm ' The politician nobody .................... about the
said. (No change) storm
' She had been reading all day Past Perfect Past Perfect She said that
' Continuous she ........................ all day
Brenda said. Continuous (No change)

5. ' I will be here with you.' Future Conditional Robert promised that
Robert promised me. Simple he ...............................
there with me
'John is going to study French Be going to Was/Were Paul said that
' going to John ...........................
Paul said. to study French
MODAL VERBS:
' We can start the lesson' Can Could David said that
David said. we ............................... start
the lesson
' They may come home ' May Might My husband said that
My husband said. they .........................
come home
' You must be quiet in class ' Must Had to The teacher told us that
The teacher told us. we ............................
be quiet in class
‘ I’ll see you later!’ She said. Will/ Shall Would She said that she ………..…
me later.

6. Changes in Time and Place expressions:
Time Place
Now Then here there
Ago Before
today that day This town/ That town/
garden... garden ...
tomorrow the following day OR These cities/ ... Those cities/ ...
the day after
yesterday the previous day OR
the day before
last week/ the previous week/
month/ ... month ... OR the week
before
Next week / The following week /
month/ ... month OR the week/
month after

7. REPORTING STATEMENTS
Statements are Affirmative or Negative Sentences.
We use a Reporting Verb + That (it can be omitted)
+ Subject + verb in Previous tense + ...
- “The students are tired”- said the teacher
The teacher said (that) the students were tired.
- “It’s the funniest show I’ve ever seen” -Joan told
me.
Joan told me (that) it was the funniest show she
had ever seen.
- “I’ll call you this afternoon” - Mary assured
Mary assured us (that) she would call us that
afternoon.

8. Reporting Verbs:
ADD COMPLAIN to .. About * POINT OUT
ADMIT * DENY * PROMISE
ANSWER EXPLAIN PROTEST against /about *
ARGUE GRUMBLE about * REMARK
ASSURE OBJECT to * REPLY
BOAST about * OBSERVE
* These verbs + ing
The most common ones:
TELL + I.O. and SAY
Followed by THAT ( Remember it can be omitted!)

9. REPORTING QUESTIONS
A) YES / NO QUESTIONS:
Reporting Verb + If or whether + Subject + Verb +...
(Order of Reported Question:
Subject + Verb - as in Statements)
“Are you working these days?” he said.
He asked if/whether I was working those days. (No Question Mark)
“Did you speak to John last night?” she asked
She wanted to know if I had spoken to J, the night before.

10. B) WH- QUESTIONS:
Reporting Verb + Question Word(s) + Subject + Verb
(The Word Order is again the same as in Statements)
“Where did you go last summer?”.
He asked me where I had gone the previous summer.
“How long were you waiting for us?”
She wanted to know how long I had been waiting for them.
Introductory verbs:
ask, wonder, would like/ want to know, …

11. REPORTING COMMANDS (= ORDERS)
The Imperative changes into (Not) To Infinitive:
He said to us: “Stay here” He told us to stay there
The Reporting Verb must indicate “order”:
He said: “Don’t mention that”
He told me not to mention that.
“Say that again”, he said to me
He asked me to say that again.
Reporting Verbs:
Tell,ask, beg, invite, warn, order, command, instruct,...

12. REPORTING SUGGESTIONS:
We normally use suggest + gerund
OR suggest that + Clause
•Let’s, why don’t we, shall we, why not… are omitted:
“Let’s go to the theatre”
“Why don’t we go to the theatre?”
“Shall we go to the theatre?”
She suggested going to the theatre
She suggested that we (should) go to the theatre
“Let’s not argue again,” he said.
He suggested not arguing again
He suggested that they should not argue again.

13. REPORTING REQUESTS
We use these Reporting Verbs:
beg, ask, demand, request + (not) to
(they usually take an Indirect Object)
The word “please” is omitted.
“Can I go out tonight, mum, please?” The boy begged.
The boy begged to go out that night.
“John, don’t open the window, please” I said
I asked /requested/begged John not to open the window.
“Can you let me use your phone, please?” I asked my
neighbour.
I asked my neighbour to let me use her phone.
“Can I use your phone?” I asked my neighbour
I asked my neighbour if I could use her phone OR
To use her phone

14. Other Verbs & Structures:
Agree, refuse, offer, promise, threaten
+ To Infinitive:
Ann: Would you wait half an hour?
Tom: All right
Tom agreed to wait half an hour.
Chris: Would you lend me another €50?
David: No, I won´t lend you any more money
David refused ...
Accuse of, admit, apologize for, deny, insist on
+ Gerund
You took my money! He accused her of ...
I didn’t steal it! He denied ...
I am sorry I’m late  She apologized for ...
Let me pay, please  She insisted on ...