Reported Speech Basics
Reported Speech Basics
Reported Speech Basics
(INDIRECT SPEECH)
ELT-ELL
Gülay ERDEM
1. Reported speech
2. Reported speech without tense changes
3. Reported speech with tense changes
4. Other changes in reported speech
5. Reported questions
6. Reported imperatives
7. Reporting verbs
REPORTED SPEECH
We use reported speech when we are saying
what other people say, think or believe.
without with
tense tense
changes changes
REPORTED SPEECH
WITHOUT TENSE
CHANGES
REPORTED SPEECH WITHOUT
TENSE CHANGES
When we are reporting somebody’s
words a short time after they were
said.
‘It’s quite cold,’ said Harry.
Past Perfect
Past Continuous
Continuous
OTHER CHANGES IN
REPORTED SPEECH
We sometimes have to change other words, such as
pronouns, words that refer to the time and place,
some modal verbs.
Direct Speech Reported speech
We must
Must/have
to -had to
play the We said (that) we had to play the guitar
guitar.
Shall we
shall -
should
play the We asked if we should play the guitar
guitar?
May we
may -
might
play the We asked if we might play the guitar
guitar?
might -
He might
might (*No
be lost.
We told her that he might be lost.
change)
REPORTED SPEECH IN
CONDITIONALS
When we report zero conditionals, the following tense changes may occur:
Present time
Anne: If John is cursing, it means that he is very angry.
Anne said that if John is cursing, it means that he is very angry. (it is still true)
Anne said that if John was cursing, it meant that he was very angry. (referring to a past habit)
Past time
Jenny: If I got home late, my mom scolded me.
Jenny recalled that if she got home late, her mother used to scold / would scold her.
Future time
Catherine: If I lost my job, I would be in serious trouble.
(referring to a possible future situation)
Catherine said that if she lost her job, she would be in serious trouble.
(the reported words are true; she might still lose her job)
Catherine said that if she had lost her job, she would have been in serious
trouble.
(the reported words are out-of-date; it's not possible that she will lose her
job)
Present time
Paul: If I knew the answer, I'd tell you.
(referring to an unreal present situation)
Paul said that if he knew the answer, he'd tell us.
When we report third conditionals, there are no changes in the verb
forms:
Tom: If we had booked our flight earlier, it would have been cheaper
(referring to an unreal past situation)
Tom remarked that if they had booked their flight earlier, it would have
been cheaper.
WISH / IF ONLY, WOULD RATHER / WOULD SOONER, IT'S (HIGH) TIME,
AS IF / AS THOUGH in indirect speech
Unreal tenses after wish / if only, would rather / would sooner, it's (high)
time and as if / as though do not change in indirect speech:
‘Sit still!’
Julie to her neighbour's wife: You may not believe me, but I saw
your husband with a blonde girl in the disco on Saturday.
Julie claimed that she had seen her neighbour with a blonde
girl in the disco on Saturday.
Secretary to a colleague: That's right, the meeting is on Tuesday.
The secretary confirmed that the meeting was on Tuesday.
-Tom: Once I get back to school, I'm going to take up swimming again.
-Wife to husband: As I've told you before, I'd like to invite Dan and Margaret as
well.
The wife repeated that she wanted to invite Dan and Margaret as well.
Camila suggested that it might have been Mario who had bumped my car.
Reported Speech used with a that clause, present subjunctive
advise propose
agree recommend
demand request
insist suggest
prefer urge
Susan: Yes, you are right, Harry. You'd better accept that offer.
Susan agreed that Harry accept the offer.
Julie to her neighbour: Yes, it was me who started that ugly rumour about
you. I'm sorry.
Julie confessed (to) starting an ugly rumour about her neighbour.
Student to his friend: I hate having to write tons of essays every
semester.
agree offer
claim prefer
decide promise
demand refuse
hope threaten
Young man on the bridge: Don't come any closer or I'll jump.
The disturbed young man threatened to jump off the bridge.
Reporting verbs used with an object and the to-infinitive
Sergeant: Fire!
The sergeant commanded the firing squad to shoot.
Uncle Joe: Have you ever thought of starting scuba diving? I guess you'd love it.