Reported Speech

(Rick Shur, Page 1 of 6)

Direct speech is speech inside quotation marks. It is used to repeat the exact words that somebody said:
My mother told me, "You have to work harder i !chool, or you"ll fail#"
While this is okay for sharing stories with friends, this is not the best way to report a conversation, either in
speech or in writing. It shows a better education to use reported speech:
My mother told me that $ had to work harder or that $ would fail#
Rule! for %ormig Reported Speech
1# When reporting a statement not a question!, we generally use that:
In short sentences, we often drop that, but in writing it is a good idea to use it all the time, even for short
sentences"
#$%&: In reported speech, we repeat that after and, but and or.
#$%&: %here are o commas before or after and, but or or in reported speech.
#$%&: %here are o commas before or after that"
'he said that he was hungry and that he wanted to eat soon.
(e told me that he had never been to )rance but that he wanted to go.
%hey promised us that they would tell the truth.
&# When reporting a question, we use if for ye!'o questions or the appropriate question words who, what,
where, when, how, why! for iformatio questions:
#$%&: *ou ever use that when reporting a question"
#$%&: *ou ever use a question mark +! when reporting a question"
(e asked me if I was going to the office party. ,-re you going to the...,!
(e asked me when I would call him. ,When will you call me+,!
(e asked me how much my rent was. ,(ow much is your rent+,!
'ee Part ( for a full explanation of reporting questions.!
)a# %he following verbs mu!t be used with an indirect ob.ect:
%here is no to before these indirect ob.ects"!
told (e told me that he was hungry.
informed We informed her that the store was closed.
reminded (e reminded the !taff that the meeting was at / 01.
(Reported Speech, Rick Shur, Page & of 6)
)*# %he following verbs may be used with an indirect ob.ect, but the indirect ob.ect is optional up to you!.
%here is no to before these indirect ob.ects"!
(e asked hi! wife why she was so angry.
$2 (e asked why she was so angry.
asked We asked +her, where her husband was.
answered (e answered +me, that he couldn3t help.
promised 'he promised +him, that she would stay.
)c# %he following verbs need to before the indirect ob.ect. )or any verb that needs to before the indirect ob.ect, the
idirect o*-ect i! optioal:
(e said to me that he was the chief of police.
$2 (e said that he was the chief of police.
said (e said +to hi! wife, that he was hungry.
explained We explained +to her, why we had been late.
exclaimed 'he exclaimed +to the *oy, that she was furious.
complained %hey complained +to u!, that the room was too cold.
.# In &nglish we report commad!, order!, re/ue!t! ad !ugge!tio! to other people in a five-part format:
1 & ) . 0
Some*ody !ome*ody el!e
'he told her daughter to eat.
We asked them to help us.
%he officer ordered me not to run.
(e advised the student not to quit.
1r. and 1rs. 4ones wanted their son to study.
(1) (&) ()) (.) (0)
told
ordered
asked
to
or
not to
do
something
a verb in the
base form!
(Reported Speech, Rick Shur, Page ) of 6)
0# If the direct speech was in the pre!et tense, the reported speech must be in the pa!t tense:
'he said, ,I am an actress, and I also sing.,
'he said that she was an actress and that she also sang.
6# If the direct speech was in the pa!t tense, the reported speech must be in the pa!t perfect
the ,past before a past, form, had 5 past participle!:
(e said, ,I was scared when I fell down the stairs.,
(e said that he had been scared when he had fallen down the stairs.
1# 'ome x6words change from direct to reported speech:
can7could I asked him, ,Can I see your sister+,
I asked him if I could see his sister.
shall7should 'he asked, ,Shall I call you later+,
'he asked if she should call me later.
will7would (e told them, ,I'll help you tomorrow.,
(e told them that he would help them the following day.
may7might 'he said, ,I may study tonight.,
'he said that she might study that night.
must7had to (e said, ,I must see a doctor soon.,
(e said that he had to see a doctor soon.
2# 'ome verbs and verb combinations have no change in the reported form. Don3t change the past perfect had
5 p.p.!, the unreal present or past!, or any combination with could, should, would, or might.
past perfect (e said, ,1y father had already died before I graduated.,
(e said that his father had already died before he had graduated.
present (e said, ,I would help the homeless if I were mayor.,
unreal (e said that he would help the homeless if he were mayor.
past 'he said, ,I would have given the answer if I had known it.,
unreal 'he said that she would have given the answer if she had known it.
could I said, ,I could run faster when I was young.,
I said that I could run faster when he had been young.
(Reported Speech, Rick Shur, Page . of 6)
should (e said, ,*ou should get married.,
(e said that I should get married.
should have 'he said, ,I should have worn a better dress yesterday.,
'he said that she should have worn a better dress the day before.
might I said, ,I might go to the 'tatue of 8iberty.,
I said that I might go to the 'tatue of 8iberty.
Rule! for Reportig 3ue!tio!
(a# %he normal form for asking a direct question is 9W: ; ' <:
question word) auxiliary) sub!ect) "verb) 9a base form, ing form, or past participle:
+4, 5 S 6
=. Where is your father working these days+
>. -re they going to the picnic+
?. Why do you talk so much+
@. Does your brother eat meat+
A. (ow much did that book cost+
B. (ave you seen my textbook+
(*# In reported speech, a question is reported with the order 4 S +5, 6.
=. - question with is chage! to was.
>. - question with are chage! to was#were.
?. - question with do chage! to the !imple pa!t.
@. - question with does chage! to the !imple pa!t.
A. - question with did chage! to the pa!t perfect had 5 past participle!.
B. %he pre!et perfect also changes to the pa!t perfect.
C. %he question word under the 4! is if for all yes7no ;'<! questions.
/. %here are o comma! and o /ue!tio mark! in reported questions.
(c# (ere are the reported speech forms of the questions in (a above!:
W ' 9;: <
=. (e asked me where my father was working those days.
>. (e asked me if they were going to the picnic.
?. (e asked me why I talked so much.
@. (e asked me if my brother ate meat.
A. (e asked me how much that book had cost.
B. (e asked me if I had seen his textbook.
78pre!!io! 9hat :hage i Reported Speech
(Reported Speech, Rick Shur, Page 0 of 6)
1;# Dertain expressions must change in the reported form of speech:
%he word now does not have to change, but it can change to then. 1ost native &nglish speakers don3t change now.
(e said, ,I was sick yesterday, but ow I3m all right.,
(e said that he had been sick the day before but that ow he was all right.
(e said that he had been sick the day before but that the he was all right.
$n the following, and last, page of this handout, there is a dialogue. %ry to report the conversation.
this that
these those
here there
tomorrow the following day or
the next day
next month the following month or
the next month
today that day
tonight that night
this afternoon that afternoon
yesterday the day before or
the previous day
last year the year before or
the previous year
last night the night before or
the previous night
(Reported Speech, Rick Shur, Page 6 of 6)
$ad's %ot Coming &ome for $inner
$!tructio!: Dhange the dialog to the reported form. %ell what each person did and said.
1rs. Dantor: comes into the living room! What are you doing, -ndy+
-ndy: looks up! I3m fixing my radio.
1rs. Dantor: Where3s your sister+
-ndy: 'he3s in the kitchen making a sandwich.
1rs. Dantor: runs into the kitchen! Dolores"
Don3t eat anything before dinner"
Dolores: quickly swallows a piece of cake! 1om, I3m starving"
1rs. Dantor: (ave some cheese, but don3t eat the cake.
Dolores: %here isn3t any cheese left. I ate it yesterday.
1rs. Dantor: speaks angrily! Eo to the store and buy some more because
I3m making lasagna tonight.
Dolores: $kay, I will. I3ll go when I finish my homework.
-ndy: enters the kitchen! 1om, when3s Dad coming home+
Dolores: (e3s working late tonight, remember+
1rs. Dantor: I completely forgot"
-ndy: Don3t worry, 1om. (e doesn3t like your lasagna anyway.
Reported Speech 6er*!
a!k6 to get information or to make a request for someone to do something &e asked her''')
*eg6 to ask strongly and emotionally for someone to do something She begged him''')
tell6 to give information or to give a command &e told us'''')
order6 to give somebody a strong command She ordered them'''')
a!wer6 to respond (e answered )him*''')
re!pod6 to answer &e responded )to her*''')
remid6 to tell somebody something that he or she might have forgotten &e reminded me''')
e8claim6 to state information with great emotion not used for giving commands! &e exclaimed )to her*''')
e8plai6 to state information that will help somebody understand something She explained )to him*''')
Reported Speech <ctio 6er*! +hese verbs are often used to report short exchanges')
thak6 (e thanked her. (e said thank you to her.!
greet6 'he greeted him. 'he said hello to him.!
agree6 (e agreed. (e said that somebody was right or that he would do what somebody wanted.!
refu!e6 'he refused. 'he said that she wouldn3t obey somebody or that she wouldn3t do somebody a favor.!