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If the reported sentence is out of date, the verb form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