Reported Speech

REPORTED SPEECH 1
 

A.  Study this example situation:

You want to tell somebody else what Tom said.

There are two ways of doing this:

You can repeat Tom’s words (direct speech):

Tom said ‘I’m feeling ill.’

Or you can use reported speech:

Tom said that he was feeling ill.

B.  When we use reported speech, the main verb of the sentence is usually past (Tom said that…/I told her that…etc.). The rest of the sentence is usually past too:

● Tom said that he was feeling ill.

● I told her that I didn’t have any money.

      You can leave out that:

            ● Tom said (that) he was feeling ill.

            ● I told her (that) I didn’t have any money.

      In general, the present form in direct speech changes to the past form in reported speech:

      Am/is→ was

      Are → were

      do/does → did

      have/has → had

      will → would

      can → could

                Compare direct speech and reported speech:

You meet Judy. Here are some of the tips she said to you in direct speech: ‘My parents are very well.’ ‘I’m going to learn to drive.’ ‘John has given up his job.’ ‘I can’t come to the party on Friday.’ ‘I want to go away for a holiday but I don’t know where to go.’ ‘I’m going away for a few days. I’ll phone you when I get back.’

Later you tell somebody what Judy said. You use reported speech: ● Judy said that her parents were very well. ● She said that she was going to learn to drive. ● She said that John had given up his job. ● She said that she couldn’t come to the party on Friday. ● She said that she wanted to go away for a holiday but (she) didn’t know where to go. ● She said that she was going away for a few days and would phone me when she got back.

C.  The  past simple (did/saw/knew etc.) can usually stay the same in reported speech, or you can change it to the past perfect (had done / had seen / had known etc.):

direct            Tom said: ‘I woke up feeling ill, so I didn’t go to work.’

reported    Tom said (that) he woke up feeling il, so I didn’t go to work. or

            Tom said (that) he had woken up feeling ill, so he hadn’t gone to work.

EXERCISES

A. Yesterday you met a friend of yours, Charlie. Here are some of the things Charlie said to you:

1.       I’m living in London now.

2.       My father isn’t very well.

3.       Sharon and Paul are getting married next month.

4.       Margaret has had a baby.

5.       I don’t know what Fred is doing.

6.       I saw Helen at a party in June and she seemed fine.

7.       I haven’t seen Diane recently.

8.       I’m not enjoying my job very much.

9.       You can come and stay at my flat if you are ever in London.

10.   My car was stolen a few weeks ago.

11.   I want to go on holiday but I can’t afford it.

12.   I’ll tell Ann I saw you.

Later that day you tell another friend what Charlie said. Use reported speech.

1.  Charlie said that he was living in London now.

2.  He said that his father wasn't very well.

3.  He Sharon and Paul were getting married next month.

4.  He said that Margaret had had a baby.

5.  He said that he didn't know what Fred was doing.

6.  He said that he had seen Helen at a party in June and see had seen fine

7.  He said that he hadn't seen Diane recently.

8.  He said that he wasn't enjoying his job very much.

9.  He said that I could come and stay at his flat if I was ever in London.

10. He said that his car had been stolen a few weeks ago.

11.He said that he wanted to go on holiday but he couldn't afford it.

12.He said that he would tell Ann he had seen me.

Video of Reported Speech

REPORTED SPEECH 2

A.  It is not always necessary to change the verb when you use reported speech. If you report something and it is still true, you do not need to change the verb:

● direct          Tom said ‘New York is more lively than London.’

  Reported        Tom said that New York is more lively than London.

                              (New York is still more lively. The situation hasn’t changed.)

● direct           Ann said ‘I want to go to New York next year.

● reported         Ann said that she wants to go to New York next year.

                   (Ann still wants to go to New York next year.)

Note that it is also correct to change the verb into the past:

● Tom said that New York was more lively than London.

● Ann said that she wanted to go to New York Next Year.)

But you must use past form when there is a difference between what was said and what is really true. Study this example situation:

You met Sonia a few days ago. She said: ‘Jim is ill.’ (direct speech) Later that day you see Jim. He is looking well and carrying a tennis racket. You say: ‘I didn’t expect to see you, Jim. Sonia said you were ill.’ (not ‘Sonia said you are ill’, because clearly he is not ill.)

B.  Say and tell

If you say who you are talking to, use tell:

● Sonia told me that you were ill. (not’ Sonia said me’)

● What did you tell the police? (not ‘say the police’)

Otherwise use say:

● Sonia said that you were ill.(not ‘Sonia told that…’)

● What did you say?

But you can ‘say something to somebody’:

● Ann said goodbye to me and left.(not ‘Ann said me goodbye’)

● What did you say to the police?

C. Tell/ask somebody to do something

  We also use the infinitive(to do /to stay etc.)in reported speech, especially with tell and ask (for orders and requests):

● direct       ‘Stay in bed for a few days,’ the doctor said to me.

  reported     The doctor told me to stay in bed for a few days.

● direct       ‘Don’t shout,’ I said to Jim.

  reported     I told Jim not to shout

● direct       ‘Please don’t tell anybody what happened,’ Ann said to me.

  reported     Ann asked me not to tell anybody what (had) happened.

‘…said to do something is also possible:

● The doctor said to stay in bed for a few days. (but not ‘The doctor said me…’)

Share this

Bunda Ucha