reported speech tips to change from ‘direct’ to

‘reported speech’

direct and reported speech

When you use direct speech, you repeat what someone has said
using exactly the words they used:

The postman said, ‘I have a package for you’.

When you use the indirect or reported speech, you report

something that was said, but not using exactly the same
words:

The postman said he had a package for us.

When we change from ‘direct’ to ‘reported speech’ we change
some parts of the sentence:
 1. verbs
2. pronouns
3. time expressions
4. demonstratives

and we need to know some rules regarding the type of sentence

we have (affirmative, orders, suggestions, question).

1. elements that change: verbs

The verbs takes a step back in time if the reporting
verb is in the past:
 Present simple > Past Simple.

Past Simple > Past Perfect.

Present perfect > Past Perfect.

Past perfect > Past Perfect.

Will (future) > Would.

examples:
Elisa said ‘I have read that book’ — Elisa said she had read
that book.

David said ‘I had been there’ — David said that he had been there.
 I saw your friend in the street and he said ‘I am tired’ - I saw your
friend in the street and he told me that he was tired.

*note: There is no change in verb tense when reporting an

objective factor or a permanent situation.

People usually do nothing, he said. - He said people usually

do nothing.

2. elements that change: pronouns

Take into account who is the speaker and to whom he/she is
referring with that pronoun.

Generally, pronouns change to 3rd person singular or plural.

«I am calling my nephew today», Francisco told me —

Francisco told me that he was calling his nephew that day.

3. elements that change: temporal expressions

We also have to adapt adverbs and temporal
expressions.
previous day
Now — then Tomorrow — the
next/following day
Today — that day
Last week — the week
Tonight — that
before
night
Ago — before
Yesterday — the day Here — there
before or the

4. elements that change: demonstratives

 this - that

these - those

types of sentences:
affirmative We often add the
 word ‘THAT’

«I’m not going to school today», Edu said — Edu

said (that) he was not going to school that day.

types of sentences:orders and requests

With verbs like ‘order’, ‘warn’, ‘ask’, ‘forbid’, ‘advise’
We use the INFINITIVE (not + infinitive for the negative).

«Brush your teeth now», I ordered my daughter — I ordered my

daughter to brush her teeth then.

«Don’t swim at the deep end!», my father advised me — My father

advised me not to swim at the deep end.

types of sentences:suggestions
We can add ‘that’ or use the gerund.
 «Let’s go to the cinema!» Mary said — Mary suggested going to
the cinema.

«Why don’t we buy some ice cream?» he asked — He suggested that

we buy some ice cream.

types of sentences: questions

● Open questions: they don’t change the word

order. «What is your name?», Pam asked — Pam asked what her
name was.

● In yes/no questions we use if or wether.

«Is your name Marta?», John asked —

John asked her if/wether her name was Marta