REPORTED SPEECH
Definition: A style used to report what a speaker actually
said
Types
Reported statements
Reported questions
Reported commands/ requests/ suggestions
Usually introduced by SAY or TELL ( THAT is optional)
tell --> told sb
say --> said to sb/ said that
Personal pronouns and possessive adjectives
changed according to context
Adverbials (of place and time) changed
according to context
Verb forms changed
Certain words:
- This --> That
- These --> Those
- Here --> There
- come --> go
Past Perfect and Past Perfect Progressive: no
change
Past Simple: changed to Past Perfect or
remaining the same
Verb forms in time clauses remaining the same
Ex: “She came to my house while I was doing
laundry,” he said.
--> He said (that) she had come / came to his
house while he was doing laundry.
If the reported sentence is out of date, the verb form
changes.
If the reported sentence is up to date, the verb form
doesn’t change. (still true at the moment of speaking/
writing)
Verb forms not changing when...
Reporting verb is in present or future
• The speaker expresses general truths,permanent states or conditions.
• The reported sentence deals with conditionals type 2 and 3, wishes or unreal past
• The speaker is reporting something right after it is said (up to date)
• If the speaker reports something which is believed to be untrue, the verb forms change.
Introduced with ASK, WONDER, INQUIRE, etc.
• Statement word order
• Wh-questions: ask + wh-word
• Yes/No questions: ask + if/whether
To report orders, requests, warnings, advice, and invitations
• Used with infinitives or -Ings
Modals change
can => could
• may => might
• must => had to-Inf, was/were to-Inf
mustn’t => mustn’t, was/were not to-Inf,
• must have p.p. => must have p.p.
• needn’t => had to-Inf, didn’t have to-Inf, wouldn’t have to-Inf
• will => would