Reported speech

Paola Mantilla
English Teacher
Reported speech

• Reported speech is how we represent the speech of other

people or what we ourselves say.
Direct speech.
• Direct speech repeats the exact words the person used, or how
we remember their words:
Direct speech. Examples

What did she She said, ‘I am

I am happy happy’.
say?
Direct speech. Examples

What did she She said, "Is it

"Is it raining?" raining?"
say?
Indirect speech

• In indirect speech, the original speaker’s words

are changed.
Indirect speech. Examples

What did she She

“I’m sorry,”  apologised
say?
Indirect speech. Examples

She asked if
What did she it was
"Is it raining?"
say? raining
Identify Direct and Indirect Speech
• ‘I will love you forever,’ he wrote, and then posted the note
through Alice’s door. 
• (direct report of what someone wrote)

• He wrote that he would love her forever, and then posted the

note through Alice’s door. 
• (indirect report of what someone wrote)
 Grammar rules
Simple Present Simple Past

“I cook What did she Ann said that

pasta.” say? she cooked
pasta.
 Grammar rules
Present Continuous Past Continuous

 “I am What did she She explained

playing the say? that she was
guitar” playing the
guitar.
 Grammar rules
Present Perfect Past Perfect

She said that

 “I have What did she she had
finished my say? finished her
homework“. homework..
 Grammar rules
Present Perfect Past Perfect Continuous

 “I have She said that

What did she
done exercises“ she had been
say?
. doing exercises
.
 Grammar rules
Simple Past Past Perfect

She told me
 “I arrived on What did she
that, She had
Monday“. say?
arrived on
Monday.
 Grammar rules
Past Continuous Past Perfect Continuous

 “We were They told me that

What did they
playing basketball”, they had been
say?
they told me. playing basketball.
 Grammar rules
Past Perfect NO CHANGE Past Perfect

 “I had read that What did she She told me that
book” say? She had read this
book.
 Grammar rules
Past Perfect Continuous NO CHANGE Past Perfect Continuous

 “I had been What did she She said us that She
traveling to USA” say? had been traveling
to USA
 Grammar rules
Future/ Will Present Conditional/ would
She said us that
 “I will be in What did she she would be in
Scotland tomorrow.” say? Scotland the next
day.
 Grammar rules
Future Continuous Conditional Continuous
“I’ll She said that
be disposing of the What did she he would be
old computer next say? disposing of the old
Tuesday.” computer the
following Tuesday.
 Interrogative Sentences
In yes/no questions, we use if or whether to report the
question. If is more common.

'Are you going to What did she She asked me if I

the Values say? was going to the
conference?' Values conference.
 Interrogative Sentences
In what, where, why, who, when or how questions, we use
the question word to report the question.

What did she She asked me what

'What time does the time the train left.
say?
train leave?' .
 Offers, requests and suggestions
If the question is making an offer, request or suggestion, we can use a specific verb pattern
instead, for example offer + infinitive.

What did she •He offered to help

'Would you like me me.
say?
to help you?' .
 Offers, requests and suggestions
If the question is making an offer, request or suggestion, we can use a specific verb pattern
instead, for example ask + infinitive

What did she •She asked me to

Can you hold this hold it.
say?
for me, please?' .
 Offers, requests and suggestions
If the question is making an offer, request or suggestion, we can use a specific verb pattern
instead, suggest + ing.

What did she •She suggested

'Why don't we checking with Joel.
say?
check with Joel?'
 Modal verbs
CAN COULD

“I can use cold What did she •She could use cold

colours instead of say? colours instead of
warm colours”. warm colours.
 Modal verbs
May Might

What did she •she might meet with

“I may meet with my
say? her sister.
sister”
 Modal verbs
Must (obligation) Had to

What did she •She said that her

“My house must be house had to be
say?
located in Salinas”. located in Salinas.
 Modal verbs
Must (speculation) Must

•She said that

“It must be hard to What did she it must be hard to
understand the say? understand the
algebra”.  algebra.
 Modal verbs
Shall Should

•She said that If

” If nuclear energy is What did she nuclear energy was
used mistakenly, say? used mistakenly,
we shall die”. we should die.
• Some modal verbs in reported speech also shift back in time just
like tenses do. 
• After modal verbs we can also use the perfect tense of the verbs.
• We use them in a hypothetical, past sentence.
• The most commonly used modals that change tense in reported speech
are: 
• must (when expressing obligation) ⇒ had to, 
• can (when expressing possibility) ⇒ could, 
• may (when expressing possibility) ⇒ might, 
• may (when expressing permission) ⇒ could, 
• will ⇒ would and shall ⇒ should.