REPORTED SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH OR REPORTED SPEECH
CONTENTS
I. DEFINITION II. BASIC RULES 1. Tense changes a. Basic tense changes b. Other tense changes
2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Time and place changes Pronoun changes Reporting Verbs Use of 'That' in reported speech Indirect Questions
III. PRACTICE
I. DEFINITION
Reported speech (also known as indirect speech) refers to a sentence reporting what someone has said. It is widely used in spoken English. Reported speech doesn't use quotation marks to enclose what the person said and it doesn't have to be word for word. When we use reported speech, we are usually talking about the past (because obviously the person who spoke originally spoke in the past). The verbs therefore usually have to be in the past too. "I'm going to the cinema". He said he was going to the cinema.
II. BASIC RULES When changing from quoted speech to reported speech, several changes occur. In all sentences, the quotation marks and the comma immediately before the first quotation mark are removed. Next, the word "that" is usually inserted after the reporting verb (say, ask, told, etc.) Then, the subject pronoun is changed so that the meaning of the quote is not changed. Lastly, the tense of the verb is changed, or shifted. Isabel said: "I'm teaching English online." Isabel said she was teaching English online.
1. Tense changes a.Basic tense changes As a rule when you report something someone has said you go back a tense, which is known as BACKSHIFT. Direct speech Present simple She said, "It's cold." Present continuous She said, "I'm teaching English online."
Indirect speech ›
Past simple She said it was cold.
›
Past continuous She said she was teaching English online.
Present perfect simple She said, "I've been on › the web since 2007."
Past perfect simple She said she had been on the web since 2007.
Present perfect continuous She said, "I've been teaching English for seven years."
Past perfect continuous › She said she had been teaching English for seven years.
Past simple She said, "I taught online yesterday."
Past perfect › She said she had taught online yesterday.
Past continuous She said, "I was teaching earlier."
Past perfect continuous › She said she had been teaching earlier.
Past perfect She said, "The lesson had already started when he arrived."
Past perfect › NO CHANGE - She said the lesson had already started when he arrived.
Past perfect continuous She said, "I'd already been teaching for five minutes."
Past perfect continuous › NO CHANGE - She said she'd already been teaching for five minutes.
b. Other tense changes Modal verb forms also sometimes change: Direct speech will
can
She said, "I'll teach English online tomorrow." She said, "I can teach English online."
must She said, "I must have a computer to teach English online." shall She said, "What shall we learn today?" may She said, "May I open a new browser?"
Indirect speech ›
would She said she would teach English online tomorrow.
›
could She said she could teach English online.
›
had to She said she had to have a computer to teach English online.
›
should She asked what we should learn today.
›
might She asked if she might open a new browser.
Note - There is no change to; could, would, should, might and ought to.
Things are slightly more complicated with imperatives.
positive imperative Shut up!
tell + infinitive He told me to shut up.
negative imperative Don't do that again!
tell + not + infinitive He told me not to do it again.
imperatives as requests Please give me some money.
ask + infinitive He asked me to give him some money.
You can use the present tense in reported speech if you want to say that something is still true i.e. my name has always been and will always be Lynne Direct speech
Indirect speech
She said her name was Isabel. "My name is Isabel", she or said. She said her name is Isabel.
You can also use the present tense if you are talking about a future event. Direct speech (exact quote) "Next week's lesson is on reported speech ", she said.
Indirect speech (not exact) She said next week's lesson is on reported speech.
2. Time and place changes Time and place references often have to change: If the reported sentence contains an expression of time, you must change it to fit in with the time of reporting. now › then today
›
that day
here
›
there
this
›
that
this week
›
that week
›
the following day the next day the day after
tomorrow
next week
›
the following week the next week the week after
Yesterday
›
the previous day the day before
last week
›
the previous week the week before
Ago
›
before
2 weeks ago
›
2 weeks before
Tonight
›
that night
last Saturday
›
the previous Saturday the Saturday before
›
the following Saturday the next Saturday the Saturday after that Saturday
next Saturday
Examples: I went to the theatre last night. He said he had gone to the theatre the night before. I'm staying here until next week. He said he was staying there until the following week.
In addition if you report something that someone said in a different place to where you heard it, you must change the place (here) to the place (there). Example:
At work "How long have you worked here?"
At home She asked me how long I'd worked there.
3. Pronoun changes ď‚Ą
In reported speech, the pronoun often changes. For example: Me "I teach English online."
You She said she teaches English online.
You also need to be careful with personal pronouns. They need to be changed according to the situation. You need to know the context. For example, there is possible confusion when you try to change reported speech to direct speech: She said she'd been waiting for hours. (Is she one person or two different people?) I told them they would have to ask permission. (Are we talking about two groups of people or only one?)
4. Reporting Verbs
Said, told and asked are the most common verbs used in indirect speech.
We use “asked” to report questions: I asked Lynne what time the lesson started.
We use “told” + an indirect object: tell sb sth Lynne told me she felt tired.
We usually use “said” + direct object: say sth (to sb) Lynne said she was going to teach online (to us). If “said” is used with an indirect object we must include “to” Lynne said to me that she'd never been to China.
There are many other verbs we can use apart from said, told and asked. These include: accused, admitted, advised, alleged, agreed, apologised, begged, boasted, complained, denied, explained, implied, invited, offered, ordered, promised, replied, suggested and thought.
Using them properly can make what you say much more interesting and informative. For example: He asked me to come to the party: He invited me to the party. He begged me to come to the party. He ordered me to come to the party. He advised me to come to the party. He suggested I should come to the party.
5. Use of 'That' in reported speech
In reported speech, the word “that” is often used. But it is not obligatory! He told me that he lived in Greenwich. He told me he lived in Greenwich.
Important Note – “That” is never used in questions, instead we often use “if” (Yes/No questions) or the appropriate interrogative pronoun (Wh- questions). He asked me if I would come to the party. They asked who made the cake.
6. Indirect Questions
Use verbs of speech for questions (asked, wondered, enquired, wanted to know, tried to find out, etc.)
Use question words (where, when, who, why, how, etc) instead of “that” for Wh-questions. Use “if” for Yes/No questions.
Change verb tenses, pronouns, and time expressions (just like reported statements)
Use question word + subject + verb word order (It is not a question anymore!!! but a normal statement) question word + subject + verb He asked when they would arrive. My friend asked if I was coming
QUESTION FORM
INDIRECT FORM
My friend said "Are you coming?"
My friend asked if I was coming
TRANSFORMATION PROCESS: My friend said 1) Put the subject before the verb. 2) Change the pronoun: you to I 3) Join the clauses using My friend asked IF if 4) Adjust the 2nd verb to the time frame of the 1st verb.
"Are
you
coming?"
I
was
coming.
III. PRACTICE Now you will hear a conversation between a man and a woman. Listen and report what you have heard, using reported speech. Examples: Frank said, “I live in a small house.” Frank said that he lived in a small house. Alice said, “New York is very exciting.” Alice said that New York was very exciting. Frank asked, “Are you married?” Frank asked if Alice was married
COOL!!!
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