This document provides instruction on how to report speech in indirect or reported speech. It explains that some elements need to be changed when reporting what someone said, including pronouns, verb tenses, and time/place adverbials. Verb tenses must shift to the past. Examples are given for reporting statements, questions, orders, and the different verbs used to report speech like "said", "asked", and "told". Reporting verbs that take different structures like gerunds or infinitives are also outlined. The purpose is to teach the proper way to change direct speech into indirect speech when reporting what someone said.

1. REPORTED
SPEECH
How to…

2. Statements
A statement is an affirmative (or negative) sentence
“I went to the cinema”, Peter said
“Mary does not love me”, Peter said
“My brother studies Spanish”, Peter said
“We play football on Saturdays”, Peter said
These are examples of Direct Speech. The written form,
with “…” is the normal way of expressing somebody’s
exact words.
When we tell what somebody said, we use REPORTED
SPEECH. And we MUST change some parts of speech.

3. Statements
After reporting, the examples become these…
Peter said (that) he had gone to the cinema
Peter said (that) Mary did (does) not love him
Peter said (that) his brother studied (s) Spanish
Peter said (that) they play(ed) football on Saturdays
As you can see, some changes have been made. The
most important ones are:
•
•
Subject: it must always be the person we are talking
about (name, pronoun, etc.)
Verb tenses: they always shift to the PAST

4. Statements
Verb Tense Changes
Direct Speech
Reported Speech
Present Simple: “I go to school”
Past Simple: He said he went to school
Present Cont: “They are studying”
Past Cont: She said they were studying
Present Perfect: “She has been in
London”
Past Perfect: John said she had been in
London
Past Simple: “I saw a good film
yesterday ”
Past Perfect: He said he had seen a good film the
day before
Past Cont: “They were watching TV ”
Past Perfect Cont: They said they had been
watching TV.
Past Perfect: “The robber had ran away”
Past Perfect : They said the robber had run away.
Future: “You’ll pass your driving test ”
Conditional: The teacher assured he would pass
his driving test.
Can: “I can ski on that hill”
Could: He said he could ski on that hill.
May: “I may be late”
Might: She said she might be late.
Must (obligation): “You must study
harder”
Had to: My mother said that I had to study harder.
Must (deduction): “He must be ill”
Must: The boss said he must be ill.

5. Statements
Adverbial Changes
Direct Speech
Reported Speech
now / at the moment
then / at that moment
tomorrow
next week / year / …
yesterday
last week / year / …
this / these
here
the next / following day
the following week / year …
the day before / the previous day
the previous week / year …
that / those
there
Act always as if you were in real life: the
changes are the same in English as in Spanish

6. Statements
Say & Tell
The introductory verbs are usually Say + Reported
Sentence or Tell + Object + Reported sentence:
“I’m going to the cinema tonight”
He said he was going to the cinema that night
He told me (that) he was going to the cinema that night
You must make changes in PRONOUNS (to agree with the
person (s) we are talking about), VERB TENSES and
ADVERBIALS of time and place, so that it becomes clear
who, or what, or when or where we are talking about

7. Questions
There are several points in questions:
1.
2.
The introductory verb must be one of
“ASKING”: ask, wonder...
The word order changes: The sentence
becomes an “affirmative sentence”
3.
Both sentences are joined either by “IF” (when
we have a Yes/No Question) or by the
interrogative adverb / pronoun (when we have a
WH-Question)
4.
The changes in tenses, adverbials or pronouns
are the same as in affirmative sentences

8. Questions
Examples:
“Are you going to the cinema?”
He asked John if he was going to the cinema
“Where are you going?”
He asked John where he was going
Do you prefer coffee or tea?
She asked me whether I preferred coffee or tea
Questions are often introduced by ask, inquire / enquire,
wonder, want to know…

9. Orders
Orders are always introduced by verbs of “COMMAND”.
They have a special structure in English
Subject+Verb of Command+Object (person to
whom we give the order)+(not) to+infinitive
They are usually introduced by tell, ask, order,
command, instruct, forbid, request, beg, urge.
Examples:
“Go out of class”
The teacher told me / John / her / us to go out of class
“Don’t talk so loud”
The doctor advised them / him / you not to talk so loud

10. Reporting Verbs
Verb+object+infinitive
Advise
Encourage
Invite
Remind
Warn
Examples:
Jack encouraged me to look for a
new job.
They invited all their friends to attend
the presentation
Verb + infinitive
Agree
Decide
Offer
Promise
Refuse
Threaten
Examples:
She offered to give him a lift to work.
My brother refused to take no for an
answer

11. Reporting Verbs
Verb+(that)
Admit
Agree
Decide
Deny
Explain
Examples:
Tom admitted (that) he had tried to
leave early.
Insist
Promise
Recommend
Suggest
Examples:
She agreed (that) we needed to
reconsider our plans

12. Reporting Verbs
Verb+Gerund
Deny
Recommend
Suggest
Examples:
He denied having anything to do with
her .
Ken suggested studying early in the
morning
Verb+Object+Prepositi
on+Gerund
Accuse
Blame
Congratulate
Examples:
They accused the boys of cheating on
the exam.
She blamed her husband for missing
the train.