Reported Speech

Dragana Filipovi

Direct Speech
Quoting someones actual words: I knew the answer, he said. Do you take sugar? she asked. Lets go swimming, Peter suggested.

Common reporting verbs

add admit advise agree announce answer ask beg brag claim demand explain insist order persuade promise remind reply report say suggest tell think warn whisper

Reporting Statements
I cant help you. He admits that he cant help us. He admitted that he couldnt help us. Im very clever. He thinks hes very clever. He thought he was very clever.

No change of tenses
When we report the statements that were made in the present, we dont change the tense of the original (direct) speech. Intelligent life in the universe does not exist. He says that intelligent life in the universe does not exist.

 We dont need to change the tense when we report things which are timeless, e.g. scientific theories. Already in ancient times, some philosophers believed that matter consists of atoms.

Change of tenses
When we report the statements that were made in the past, we change the tense of the original (direct) speech. My mobile phone has been out of action all day. He said that his mobile phone had been out of action all day.

Tense Change

Present Simple Past Simple

I want to buy it. He said that he wanted to buy it.

Present Continuous Past Continuous

Im writing a letter.
He said that he was writing a letter.

Present Perfect Past Perfect

Ive come to mend your car. He said (that) he had come to mend my car.
Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous

Weve been living here for years. He said (that) theyd been living there for years. (d = had)

Past Simple Past Perfect

I saw your brother. He said (that) he had seen my brother.
He said (that) he saw my brother. (We need not change the tense if the order of events is clear.)

Past Continuous Past Perfect Continuous

I was trying to do it. He said (that) he had been trying to do it.

will would
Ill help you. He said (that) he would help me.

can could
I can do it. He said (that) he could do it.

may might
I may do it. He said (that) he might do it.

must had to (or: must)

I must go. He said (that) he had to go. He said (that) he must go.

The Past Perfect Simple and Continuous do not change! They had arrived an hour early. I said they had arrived an hour early.

Changes of Pronoun and Adverb

Alex said, Ill meet you here again tomorrow at 3.30.

Alex said he would meet us there again the next day at 3.30.

here there ago before before earlier last week the week before next week the next week / the week after / the following week now then / that day / at that moment this that / the these those / the

this morning that morning today that day tomorrow the next day tonight that night yesterday the day before / the previous day

What did he say?

He said (that) 1. I have a problem. 2. I must ask you to come with me. 3. I have called my friends to help me. 4. I dont have enough money. 5. My car wont start. 6. I left my jacket here yesterday.

He said (that)
1. he had a problem. 2. he must / had to ask me to come with him. 3. he had called his friends to help him. 4. he didnt have enough money. 5. his car wouldnt start. 6. he had left his jacket there the day before.

What did she tell you?

She told me (that) 1. I want to see you tomorrow. 2. I may be late. 3. Your English is getting better. 4. Ive already bought the tickets. 5. I was at a wonderful concert last week. 6. I am writing a report now.

She told me (that)

she wanted to see me the next day. she might be late. my English was getting better. she had already bought the tickets. she had been at a wonderful concert the week before. 6. she was writing a report then / at that moment. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.