Reported Speech

What is it? How do you use it?

Yesterday, I saw my friend Pamela! She told me that she got a promotion!

Reported Speech
We often use reported speech to . . . 1. Give someone a telephone message:
Example: Ellen said she couldnt come today because

It is a grammatical structure that is used when we want to tell another person about a conversation that took place in the past.

2. Tell someone news that we heard from someone else:

Example: Tom told me that he and Karen got engaged!

3. To report something that happened:

Example: Sam said that the other driver wasnt paying attention and hit his car.

How to use reported speech: When we use Reported Speech, we are usually talking about the past. Therefore, verbs usually change to the past tense in Reported Speech.

am / is are
have / has
can / cant will / wont

becomes becomes becomes

was
were had
could couldnt would wouldnt

becomes

becomes

Reported speech typically uses the following structure:

Someone said (that) Sentence - past

OR

Someone told me (that) Sentence- past However, in English, you can NEVER say

Someone

said me . . .

Examples of reporting what someone said . . .

I talked to Sandra yesterday. She was telling me about her job. Her job is quite stressful. Sandra said: Im not happy at my job anymore. I think Ill quit.

Sandra said, Im not happy at my job anymore. I think Ill quit.

Now you want to tell someone else what Sandra said. In this situation, it is natural to use

Reported Speech:

You can say:

Sandra told me that she happy at her job anymore and she she quit.

When a person told you something in the past tense, you can use either the past tense or the past perfect tense after the said phrase.

Example:
Tim said:
I worked really hard today.

past tense past perfect tense

You will hear native speakers use both the past and past perfect in this situation;
However, it is much easier to just put everything in the simple past tense when using reported speech, so . . .

Examples to practise:

1. Shawn said:
I dont feel like going to the movies tonight.
Reported speech:

Shawn said that he didnt feel like going to the movies that night.

2. Tina said:
My sister is coming to visit me soon.
Reported speech:

Tina told me that her sister was coming to visit her soon.

. . . And more examples: 3. The counselor said: Ill always be available for your students.
Reported speech:

The counselor said that she would always be available for my students. 4. The students said: We want to do oral presentations in class so we can practise more speaking.
Reported speech:

The students told me that they wanted to do oral presentations so they could practise more speaking.

Do you understand reported speech better NOW than you did BEFORE?
Congratulations!

Keep practising!!! And please . . . ask if you need some help!