2º BAT Profesor: Pablo Valls

REPORTED SPEECH
 REPORTED SPEECH

2º BAT Profesor: Pablo Valls

What is the Reported Speech?

When do we use it?
Reported statements (Structure & tense changes)
Pronouns, adjectives and time expressions in Reported Speech

Say vs tell

Reported questions

Reported orders, requests and suggestions

Other reporting verbs

 REPORTED SPEECH

2º BAT Profesor: Pablo Valls

What is the Reported Speech?

Also called the Indirect Speech.

Reported: when you quote something (cuando citamos algo que ha dicho alguien)

Speech: simply something you say (el simple discurso del habla)

When do we use it?

Is used to communicate what someone else said,
but without using the exact words.
Few changes are necessary.

DIRECT
Bella said:“I’m going to the party tonight” INDIRECT
Bella said she was going to the party tonight
 REPORTED SPEECH

2º BAT Profesor: Pablo Valls

When do we use it?

In formal language we use that to begin the clause
containing the reported speech.
(In informar language we can omit that)

Bella said:”I’m going to the party tonight” DIRECT

Bella said (that) she was going to the party tonight INDIRECT (formal) & informal

REMEMBER!
We do not use inverted comas (“…”) in reported speech
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2º BAT Profesor: Pablo Valls

Reported statements
(Structure & tense changes)

Bella said:”I went to the party”

When we convert direct speech
into reporte (indirect) speech,
Bella said (that) she had gone to the party .
we change the main verb by
putting it one step further into
From past simple the past.
to past perfect

Bella:”I will go to the party”

From future (will)

Bella said (that) she would go to the party
to conditional (would)
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2º BAT Profesor: Pablo Valls

Reported statements
(Structure & tense changes)
 REPORTED SPEECH

2º BAT Profesor: Pablo Valls

Pronouns, adjectives and
time expressions in Reported Speech
Bear in mind:
Pronouns and possessive adjectives change

Bella said:”I believe you” DIRECT

Bella said (that) she believed us / me INDIRECT

Bella said:”I’ve seen your beautiful house” DIRECT

Bella said (that) she had seen my / our beautiful house INDIRECT

Demonstrative adjectives and expressions of time change

Bella said:”I will buy these books” DIRECT

Bella said (that) she would buy those books INDIRECT

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2º BAT Profesor: Pablo Valls

Pronouns, adjectives and
time expressions in Reported Speech
DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH
PERSONAL PRONOUNS OBJECT PRONOUNS
I he, she me him, her
you I you me

he, she, it he, she, it him, her, it him, her, it

we they them us

you we you us

they they them them

DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH

POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
my his, her

your my

his, her, its his, her, it

our their

your our

Their their
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2º BAT Profesor: Pablo Valls

Pronouns, adjectives and
time expressions in Reported Speech
DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH
here there
Demonstrative
Pronouns this that
& adjectives
these those

now then / at that time

next week the following week

today yesterday / that day / Tuesday / the 27th of June
This (morning/afternoon/
That (morning / afternoon / evening)
evening)
tonight that night
Time
expressions
tomorrow today / the following day / the next day / Friday
the day before / the day before yesterday / Wednesday /
yesterday
the 5th of December
last week the week before / the previous week
last night the night before / Thursday night
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2º BAT Profesor: Pablo Valls

Say vs tell

tell For reported orders & instructions

tell object (that) Reported speech

Bella:”Drive slowly!” Bella told us / me to drive slowly.

say For reported sentences (the rest)

say (that) Reported speech

Bella said:”I will come to the party” Bella said (that) she ‘d come to the party.
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2º BAT Profesor: Pablo Valls

Reported questions
The tense changes are the same as in negative and affirmative.

We keep the “question word” (for direct questions)

IMPORTANT!!
When we tell the question to someone, it is not a
question anymore. We change the grammar as to a
normal positive sentence

DIRECT INDIRECT

Bella: Where do you live? Bella asked me where I lived

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2º BAT Profesor: Pablo Valls

Reported questions

Subject Verb Reported question

Bella asked me where I lived

What happens if the question is not direct, or a “yes-no”?

If / whether in the reported question

Bella: “Do you like ice-cream?” Bella asked me if / whether I liked ice-cream

Bella: “Are you O.K?” Bella asked me if / whether I were O.K

DIRECT INDIRECT
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2º BAT Profesor: Pablo Valls

Reported orders, requests and suggestions

Orders Subject Reporting verb Object To infinitive

INDIRECT
The teacher ordered us/them to sit down

DIRECT

Teacher:” Sit down!” We use the imperative for orders and requests

INDIRECT

Subject Reporting verb Object Not To infinitive

The teacher ordered us/them not to sit down

Bella: “Close the window, please” DIRECT

Requests
Bella asked me to close the window. INDIRECT
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2º BAT Profesor: Pablo Valls

Reported orders, requests and suggestions

Request verbs Order verbs Suggestions

advise order suggest
ask tell
encourage
invite
remind
warn
persuade

Suggestions Subject Suggest (that) Reported speech

Bella suggested (that) we went for a walk

Bella: “let’s go for a walk” DIRECT INDIRECT

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2º BAT
Other reporting verbs Profesor: Pablo Valls
 REPORTED SPEECH

2º BAT Profesor: Pablo Valls

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