Reported speech
Tenses
Present simple - past simple
Past simple - past perfect
Present perfect - past perfect
Present continuous - past continuous
Past perfect
"She always wears a coat." he said. -He said (that) she always wore a coat.
"My friend gave me a bar of chocolate" he said.
-He said (that) his friend had given him a bar of chocolate.
"She has written three letters for her friend."he said
-He said (that) she had written three letters for her friend.
"I’m looking for my keys"
-She said (that) she was looking for
her keys
"I had just turned out the light" she said.
-He explained that he had just turned out
the light
Changing time and place
Definition
Reported speech is when we tell someone what another person said. To do this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech.
tonight - that night
today - that day
yesterday - the day before
tomorrow - the following day
now - then
ago - before
here - there
last week - the week before
this - that
“We had an awful earthquake last week.” -> They told us they had had an awful earthquake the previous week.
“The letter came a few days ago.”-> He said the letter had come a few days before.
“I will leave for New York tomorrow”->She said that she would leave New York for the next day.
“Our English teacher quizzed us yesterday.”->They said their English teacher had quizzed them the day before.
“I'm going for a beer with Karl tonight.”-> He said that he was going for a beer with Karl that night.
“I've got a piano lesson today.”-> She said that she had got a piano lesson that day.
“The children are playing outside now." -> He said that the children were playing outside then.
“Put the box here.”->He told us to put the box there.
“I shall be very busy this week.” -> She said she would be very busy that week.
“Will - would” “can - could” “may - might” "must - had to”
"I can speak English."she said -She
said (that) she could speak English.
Types
Yes-No Questions
S+ asked(sb) + if/whether + clause
"Do you love me?", Jame said. - Jame asked me if/whether I love him.
Wh Questions
S + asked/wondered + wh + clause
"Where do you live, Huyen?"asked he - He asked Huyen where she lived.
Commands and requests
S + asked/told/ordered/wanted/warned + sb(not) to V
"Close the door , please " , the teacher said . -> The teacher asked us to close the door .
Other reporting verbs
Agree
Apologise
Decide
Advise
Explain
Promise