Reported speech

There are two ways of relating to

what a person has said:
direct and indirect
 Indirect speech can be introduced by
a verb in a present tense.
He says that…..
• when the introductory verb is in present, present perfect or
future tense, we can report the direct speech without any
change of tense

• when we are reporting a conversation that is still going on

• when we are reading a letter and reporting what it says

• when we are reading instructions and reporting them

• when we are reporting a statement that somebody makes

very often Tom says that he will never get married
 Verbs which function as reported verbs
• say (sth) to sb
• tell sb
• ask

• admit He admitted to lying/ having lied to her.

• answer
• argue He argued that they needed more time to finish the project.
• add He added that they would return a week later.
• assure We were assured that everything possible was being done.
• object
He objected that the police had arrested him without sufficient evidence.
• boast Sam boasted that she could beat anyone at poker
• complain He complained bitterly that he had been unfairly treated.
• deny She denied (that) there had been any cover-up. /
He denied attempting to murder his wife
• explain I explained that an ambulance would be coming soon.

• observe She observed that all the chairs were already

occupied.

• promise You promised me (that) you’d be home early tonight.

He promised the money to his grandchildren. (I will give you the money)

• remark She remarked how tired I looked.

• reply The senator replied that he was not in a position to
comment.
Orders
tell sb to do sth tell sb not to do sth
• advise
• beg
• command
• forbid
• encourage
• invite
• order
• recommend
• request
• urge
• warn
• remind
• Present Simple → Past Simple

I never eat meat. He said that he never ate meat.

• Present Continuous → Past Continuous

I’m waiting for Ann. He explained that he was waiting for Ann.

• Present Perfect → Past Prefect

I have found a flat. He said that he had found a flat.

• Present Perfect Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous

I have been waiting for ages. She said that she had been waiting for
ages.
• Past Simple → Past Prefect
I took it home with me. He said that he had taken it with him.
• Past Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous

• will → would

I will be in Paris on Monday. He said he would be in Paris on Monday.

• I conditional → II conditional

I will do it if she comes. He said he would do it if she came.

• used to → used to
I know the place well because I used to live here.
He said that he knew the place well because he used to live there.
 this / these
→ that / those
in time expressions e.g this month – that month
She is coming this week.
He said that she was coming that week.
→ the
used as determiners e.g. this book – the book

I bought this pearl/ these pearls from my friend.

She said that she had bought the pearl/ the pearls from her
friend.

→ this / these → it / they

We will discuss this later –
They said they would discuss it later.
 Adverbials of time
• today → that day
• tonight → that night
• now → then, at that time
• yesterday → the day before, the previous day
• tomorrow → the following day, the next day

• next week → the following week

• 2 days ago → 2 days before
• last week → the previous week
 Adverbials of place
• here → there

• come → go
Come and look at this dog. He told me to go and look at ……….. dog.

He isn’t coming to the meeting. She said that he wasn’t going to the meeting.

• bring → take
 Questions in reported speech
• There is no inversion!
• When reporting yes/no questions we need if/
whether

When is whether necessary?

• there is a choice.
She asked me whether I wanted to eat at home or go out.
I asked him whether he had done it all himself or whether
someone had helped him.

• in conditional sentences.
I asked whether she would come if she was invited.
 Reporting questions
Use an affirmative word order.

Yes/ No questions
Do you eat meat?
He asked me if I ate meat.

Did you really write this poem?

She asked Tim if he really had written the poem.

Have you been to York before?

He wanted to know if I had been to York before.
 Reporting questions
Wh-questions
“What time is it?” she asked him.
She asked him what time it was.

How much money have you got?

She asked me how much money I had.

Who has been using my toothbrush?

He asked who had been using his toothbrush.
 Reporting orders
Watch out!
He told me to watch out.

Don’t be horrible to your little sister.

His father told him not to be horrible to his little
sister.
 time clauses referring to past
Past Simple/ Past Continuous tenses in time clauses
do not normally change

When we lived in Paris (a subordinate clause), we often saw Paul.

He said that when they lived in Paris, they often saw Paul.

He said that when they lived in Paris, they had often seen Paul.

time clauses referring to past

main clause – the verb may be changed into past perfect
subordinate clause – the verb mustn’t be changed
 time clauses referring to past
She came round to my house while I was doing
my shopping.

He said that she had come/ came round to his

house while he was doing his shopping.
 Past tenses
In theory the past tense changes into the past
perfect
In spoken English it is often left unchanged.
The condition: without causing confusion

• He said, ‘I loved her.’ must be changed

He said that he had loved her.

• Mary arrived on Monday.

He said that Mary arrived/ had arrived on Monday.
 No backshift
• permanent states
The sun rises in the east.
The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.

• historical and scientific facts

• The sentence expresses sth that is believed to be true.

In this case the verb can either change or remain
unchanged.
Ethiopia is a third-world country.

• If the sentence expresses sth that is not true, the verb

changes.
Ethiopia is a highly developed country.
 No backshift

• unreal past - the subjunctive

wish, would rather, it’s time

• had better -
advised sb (not) to do / warned sb not to do sth

• II and III conditional

 Unreal past - the subjunctive
wish, would rather, it’s time, had better
We wish we didn’t have to take exams.
The students said that they wished they didn’t have to take exams.

Bill wants to home alone, but I’d rather he went with a group.
Ann said that Bill wanted to go home alone but she would rather he
went with a group.

It’s time we began planning our holidays.

She said that it was time they began planning their holidays.
 Unreal past - the subjunctive
wish, would rather, it’s time, had better
You’d better not drink alcohol.
She advised him not to drink alcohol.
She warned him not to drink alcohol.

The children had better go to bed early.

Tom said that the children had better go to bed
early.
 Modal verbs in reported speech
• may → might
• should → should
• used to → used to
• can → could
• could → could [for future or present ability, possibility]
had been able to [for past ability]
• must → must
would have to [for future obligation]
had to [for present obligation]
• mustn’t → mustn’t
• needn’t → didn’t have to [for present lack of obligation]
wouldn’t have to [for future lack of obligation]
 might
• remains unchanged except when used as a
request form

She might ring tomorrow. – no change as it is ……

He said that she might ring the next day/ the following
day.

You might post this letter for me. ---

She asked to post the letter for her.
 should
It doesn’t change for obligation or assumption
They should widen the road. – obligation
They should be back soon – assumption

It can be left unchanged or…

• advice – He advised me that I should....
He advised me to ....

• warning – shouldn’t You shouldn’t touch it.

He warned me not to touch it.
He warned me against touching it.
 could
→ could [for future or present ability, possibility]
had been able to [for past ability] or no changes (in time clause)
I could do it today/ tomorrow. - ……..

I could do it two months ago but now I have forgotten. -

He said that he had been able to do it two months before but then he had forgotten.

I could read when I was three.

She boasted she could/had been able to

→ for permission It either doesn’t change or changes into ‘be allowed to’

When I was a boy, I could (= I was allowed to) stay up as long as I liked.

He said that when he was a boy, he could/ was allowed to/ had been allowed
to stay up late.
 must
No change if it is used for deduction, commands
→ must
would have to [for future obligation]
had to [for present obligation]

• I thought he must be very rich. (deduction)

• The landlady said that the door must be kept locked. (command)

• I must go to the doctor tomorrow. (future obligation)

She said she would have to go the doctor the following day.

• I must go to the doctor today (present obligation)

She said she had to go to the doctor that day.
 mustn’t
→ mustn’t
It doesn’t change when used with I
You mustn’t leave. They told me that I mustn’t leave.

When used with other persons, it changes into

wasn’t/ weren’t allowed to/
couldn’t / I told her not to

I told her that she wasn’t allowed to enter the building.

I told her not to enter the building.
 needn’t
→ didn’t have to
[for present lack of obligation]
You needn’t do it now. She said that I didn’t have to do it then.

wouldn’t have to
[for future lack of obligation]
You needn’t come tomorrow. She said I wouldn’t have to go the
next day.
1. ‘I couldn’t get into the house because I had lost my keys, so I had
to break the window,’ he said

He said he hadn’t been able to get into the house because he had
lost his keys, so he had had to break the window.

2. ‘They couldn’t open the safe on the spot so they carried it away
with them,’ the night watchman reported.

The night watchman reported that they hadn’t been able to open
the safe on the spot so they had carried it away with them.
3. ‘I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard they had split up,’ she
said to me

She said to me that she couldn’t believe her ears when she heard
that they had split up.

4. ‘When I was young, I could stand on my head,’ he said

He boasted that he could/ had been able to stand on his head

when he was young.

5. ‘When I entered the house, I could smell fresh bread baking,’

she said

She said that when she entered the house, she could smell fresh
bread baking.
6. ‘When we were children, we could play outside until it got
dark,’ they said
They said that when they were children, they could/ were
allowed/ had been allowed to play outside until it got dark.

7. ‘You mustn’t ask such questions,’ she said to me

She said to me that I mustn’t ask such questions.

8. ‘I really must get going,’ Jane said to the family.

Jane said to the family that she really had to get going.

9. ‘You needn’t give me a lift home tomorrow,’ she said

She said that I wouldn’t have to give her a lift home the next day.

10. ‘She needn’t do this now,’ he said

He said that she didn’t have to do it then.
 shall
• speculations
Shall I see him ever again?
She wondered if she would see him again.

• asking for advice

What shall I do? She asked what she should do/ what to do.

• offers Shall I help you? He offered to help me.

• suggestions
Shall we meet at the theatre? = …….

She suggested
meeting that we should meet that we meet
 Other changes
• We/ I shall/ should changes into would if the 1st person
changes
I shall be back soon.
She said that she would be back soon.

If I had the instructions, I should know what to do.

He said that if he had the instructions, he would know what to
do.

• If- clause, an order If you have time, wash the floor.

He told me to wash the floor if I had time.

He said that if I had time, I was to wash the floor.
 Other changes

• If-clause, a piece of advice

If I were you, I would stop taking these pills.
He advised me to stop taking the pills.

If you feel ill, go to bed.

He advised me to go to bed if I felt ill.
He said that if I felt ill, I’d better/ should go to bed.
 Other changes

• If-clause, a question change the order!

If the baby is a girl, what will they call her?
He asked what they would call the baby if it was a girl.

• Asking for advice with if-clause

If the door is locked, what shall I do?
She asked what she should/ was to do if the door was
locked.
 Exclamations
• exclaim
• thank
• wish
• say
• cry out in pain
• give an exclamation of surprise, horror,
disgust, delight
 Exclamations

• What a stupid idea!

He criticised/ disapproved of the idea.
He exclaimed that the idea was stupid.
• Good!
He gave an exclamation of satisfaction/ pleasure. He
praised me.
• Thank you! He thanked me.
• Curse this map! He cursed the map.
• Good luck! He wished me good luck.
• Congratulations! He congratulated me.