TURNING DIRECT SPEECH INTO REPORTED SPEECH - EXAMPLES

DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH

-used when we tell one person what another person said
-a reporting verb is needed: to say, to tell, to explain etc
1. the reporting verb is in the present →no tense changes

“I’m seeing John tonight.” (Present Cont.) → She says she’s seeing John tonight. (Present Cont.)

2. the reporting verb is in the past →changes of the verb

tenses, adverbs

a) “I have many friends.” (Present S.)
b )”We are planning a trip.” (Pres. Cont.)
c) ”I bought some bread yesterday.” (Past S.)
d) ”I was sleeping all morning.” (Past Cont.)
e) ”He has just left.” (Present Perfect)
f) “I will come tomorrow.” (Future)
Yes / No questions
a) “Do you like spiders? “
b) “Are you hungry?”
c) “Did you tell him the truth?”
Wh-questions (who, what, where, when, why, how …)
→ a)Mary said (that) she had many friends. (Past S.)
→ b) They told me (that) they were planning a trip.(Past Cont.)
→ c) He said to me (that) he had bought some bread the day
before. (Past Perfect)
→ d) He told me (that) he was sleeping / had been sleeping all
morning. (Past Cont. / Past Perfect Cont.)
→ e) My friend said (that) he had just left. (Past Perfect)
→ f) John said (that) he would come the following day. (Future
in the past)
Questions
-reporting verbs: to ask, to want to know, to wonder…
→ a) She asked me if / whether I liked spiders.
→ b) He wanted to know if I was hungry.
→ c) I asked her if she had told him the truth.
↓ ↓ ↓
if/whether+ S + verb

a) “What does he want?” → a) She asked me what he wanted.

b) “Where are you going now?” → b) Mom asked me where I was going then.
c) “When will they leave?” → c) He wanted to know when they would leave.
↓ ↓ ↓
wh-word + S + verb
Imperatives
a) “Come back soon!” a) They asked me to come back soon.
b) “Don’t forget the key!” b) She reminded me not to forget the key.

Direct S. Reported S. Direct S. Reported S.

may might this , these that, those
can could today / tonight that day / that night
must, have to had to yesterday the day before /the previous day
might might tomorrow the next / the following day
could could next week the following / the next week
ought to ought to last week the week before / the previous
week
here there a year ago a year before
now then will would