Reported Speech

Student: Karla Snchez

Grade: 3 B

What is it?
Its the grammar we use when we want
to tell another person a conversation
that took place in the past.
We often use reported speech when:
1.Give someone a telephone message.
Ex.
Gina said she couldnt come today
because..

2.Tell someone news that we heard from

somebody else.
Ex. Tom said that he and Karen got
engaged.
3.To report something that happened
Ex : Jake said that the other driver wasnt
paying attention and hit his car.

How do we use it?

When we use reported speech we are
usually talking about the past.
So, verbs usually change to the past tense
in reported speech.

I am very
happy.
What did he say?
Charlie said that he
was very happy.

John, it is
snowing!

I dont like
it!

Charlie told John that it was snowing.

John said that he didnt like it.

Backshift of tenses
from
to
Simple Present
Simple Past
Simple Past
Past Perfect
Present Perfect
will
would
can
could
Progressive forms
am/is/are
was/were
was/were
had been
has been /

Present Simple

Past Simple

I am American.

She said she

They are friends.

They said they

friends

Present Continuous
I am watching TV

Past Continuous
She said she WAS WATCHING
tv.

Past Simple
I did my homework

Past Perfect Simple

He said he HAD DONE
his homework.

Past Continuous
I was working hard

Past Perfect Continuous

He said he HAD BEEN
working hard.

WAS

American.
WERE

Present Perfect

Past Perfect

I have already eaten

She said she

already EATEN

Present Perfect
Continuous

Past Perfect Continous

I have been working so

hard lately

He said he HAD BEEN

working so hard lately

HAD

Future
I will go to the movies

She said she

to the movies

WOULD

go

If the sentence contains an

expression of time, you must
change it as well.
Peter: "I worked in the garden
yesterday."

Peter said that he had worked

in the garden the day
before.

Shifting of expressions of time

this (evening)
today/this day
these (days)
now
(a week) ago
last weekend
here
next (week)
tomorrow

that (evening)
that day
those (days)
then
(a week) before
the weekend before /
the previous weekend
there
the following (week)
the next/following day

You will enjoy

this film.

You can wash this sweater in hot water.

We have enough petrol.

We are coming back on Sunday.

Im not afraid
of bears.

I dont know
any French.

Example of reporting what

someone said
I am not happy at
my job. I think I
will quit.

 Sandra said: I am not happy at my job. I

think I will quit.
Now you want to tell someone else what
Sandra said. In this situation we use
REPORTED SPEECH.
wasnt happy at
Sandra told me that she.
thought she.
would
her job and she
quit

Some more examples

Kiara said: I dont feel like going to the
movies tonight
Reported speech: Kiara said,
didnt feel like going to the movies that
she.
night.
Tina said: My sister is coming to visit me
soon
Reported Speech: Tina said, her
was coming to visit her soon.
sister.

 http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/
reported.htm
http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercise
s/reported_speech/statements.htm