REPORTED SPEECH: WHAT IS IT AND HOW TO USE IT?

What is the reported speech?

Have you ever written anything that you paraphrase or don't mention exactly? If so, you've
probably used the indirect style, also known as reported speech.

Reported speech is the way you can count, explain, write, or say something in your own words,
changing the verb tense to the past.

It differs from direct speech in this way, because direct speech implies that you say or write
everything textual and exact as it happened.

Rules for using reported speech

To use it, you have to consider some simple rules.

Rule N°1: You must learn that, in reported speech, verb tenses change.

That is, in direct speech or in direct style, all expressions of verb tenses are present. But when you
use the indirect style or reported speech this verb changes to past.

Reported speech (1)

When we report someone’s words we can do it in two ways. We can use direct speech with
quotation marks (“I work in a bank”), or we can use reported speech (He said he worked in a
bank.)

In reported speech the tenses, word-order and pronouns may be different from those in the
original sentence.

Present simple and present continuous tenses

Direct speech: “I travel a lot in my job” Reported speech: He said that he travelled a lot in his job.

The present simple tense (I travel) usually changes to the past simple (he travelled) in reported
speech.

Direct speech: “Be quiet. The baby’s sleeping.” Reported speech: She told me to be quiet because
the baby was sleeping.

The present continuous usually changes to the past continuous.

NB:

“I work in Italy” Reported speech: He told me that he works in Italy.

It isn’t always necessary to change the tense. If something is still true now – he still works in Italy –
we can use the present simple in the reported sentence.
Past simple and past continuous tenses

Direct speech: “We lived in China for 5 years.” Reported speech: She told me they had lived in
China for 5 years.

The past simple tense (we lived) usually changes to the past perfect (they had lived) in reported
speech.

Direct speech: “I was walking down the road when I saw the accident.” Reported speech: He told
me he’d been walking down the road when he’d seen the accident.

The past continuous usually changes to the past perfect continuous.

Perfect tenses

Direct speech: “They’ve always been very kind to me”. Reported speech: She said they’d always
been very kind to her.

The present perfect tense (have always been) usually changes to the past perfect tense (had
always been).

Direct speech: “They had already eaten when I arrived” Reported speech: He said they’d already
eaten when he’d arrived.

The past perfect tense does not change in reported speech.

REPORTED SPEECH (2)

Remember that in reported speech we usually change the tense of the direct statement. The
present simple tense changes to the past simple, the past simple changes to the past perfect and
so on.

Here are some other points to consider.

‘Can’ and ‘will’

Direct speech: “I can’t remember his name.” Reported speech: She said she couldn’t remember his
name.

‘Can’ and ‘can’t’ in direct speech change to ‘could’ and ‘couldn’t’ in reported speech.

Direct speech: “I’ll be there for 3 weeks.” Reported speech: He told me he’d be there for 3 weeks.

‘Will’ and ‘won’t’ in direct speech change to ‘would’ and ‘wouldn’t’ in reported speech.

Other modal verbs

Direct speech: “You could be right.” Reported speech: I said that he could be right.

Direct speech: “You must call me.” Reported speech: She said that I must call her.
Other modal verbs don’t change in reported speech.

Reporting orders, requests and advice

Direct speech: “Sit down and shut up!” Reported speech: The teacher told me to sit down and shut
up.

Direct speech: “Can you hold this for me please?” Reported speech: He asked me to hold it.

Direct speech: “You should do more exercise.” Reported speech: He advised me to do more
exercise.

Orders, request and advice can be reported using an infinitive.

Reporting verbs

There are a number of verbs that we use to report statements. These can make your speech and
writing more interesting than simply reporting every word of the direct speech.

direct speech: “It wasn’t me who broke the window.” > He denied breaking the window.

Direct speech: “I’ll help you if you want” > She offered to help.

There are a number of verbs that can be used to report. They include: promise, claim, suggest,
advise, refuse, argue, confirm and others.

REPORTED QUESTIONS

When we report what people say, we usually change the tense of the verbs to reflect that we are
reporting – not giving direct speech. This pattern is followed when we report questions and there
are also other important changes between direct questions and reported questions.

Yes/no questions

Direct question: “Do you like working in teams?” Reported question: He asked if I liked working in
teams.

When we report yes/no questions we use ‘if’ or ‘whether’.

Direct question: “Did you enjoy the party?” Reported question: She asked me whether I’d enjoyed
the party.

The tense of the verb changes as it does in reported speech but we don’t use auxiliary verbs. The
word order is the same as in an affirmative sentence.

Questions with a question word

Direct question: “What time does the train leave?” Reported question: He asked what time the
train left.

When there is a question word (what, where, why, who, when, how) we use that question word in
the reported question but there is no auxiliary verb and the word order is like an affirmative
sentence (‘what time the train left’ not He asked me what time did the train leave.)
Look at some more examples:

Direct question: “Who did you see?”

Reported question: She asked me who I’d seen.

Direct question: “Where did you go to school?”

Reported question: He asked me where I’d gone to school.

Direct question: “Why are you crying?”

Reported question: She asked him why he was crying.

Notice that the reported questions do not have a question mark at the end.

Indirect questions

Similar to reported questions are indirect questions.

Can you tell me what time the train leaves? NOT Can you tell me what time does the train leave?

I’d love to know what he said to her. NOT I’d love to know what did he say to her.