12.

1 Reported speech

1 When we talk about what someone else has said, we use reported speech.

Direct speech Reported speech

‘It is my favourite film.’ She said it was her favourite film.
‘She wants to work in film.’ They told us that she wanted to work in film.
‘I lived in France for ten years.’ He said that he had lived in France for ten years.
‘He’s never been to Austria.’ She told me that he had never been to Austria.
‘We’re thinking of a new slogan.’ They said they were thinking of a new slogan.
‘I’ll help you!’ He said that he’d help us.
2 Notice how the verb changes, to show that the words were spoken in the past.
is – was, do – did, did/have done – had done, will – would

© Oxford University Press

 12.1 Reported speech

1 We usually use the reporting verbs say or tell in their past form (said, told) to talk
about what someone has said.

2 Notice how said does not have a personal object but told has a personal object.
I.e. He told me… or He said… NOT He said me…

1 ‘I need help.’ said John. John said that he needed help.

2 ‘She hasn’t phoned yet.’ He told me that she hadn’t
phoned.
3 ‘We’ll be leaving soon.’ They told him they’d be leaving
soon.
4 ‘I can’t wait any more.’ He said he couldn’t wait
any more.

3 When we use reported speech, we can use that. But we don’t have to.

© Oxford University Press

 12.1 Reported speech

1 Words that refer to times and places in direct speech may also change in reported
speech. This is because the time and place that the original speaker was in may not
be the same time and space that the reporter is in.

1 ‘I think I’ll have lunch here.’ She said she would have lunch
there.
2 ‘They don’t want to sell now.’ They said they didn’t want to sell
then.
3 ‘We sold it last year.’ They said they had sold it
the year before.
4 ‘You can’t leave tomorrow.’ They said we couldn’t leave the
next day.

2 Pronouns may also change, e.g. I to she, you to they.

3 When something we have said is very important now or is still true, we do not
change the tense.
© Oxford University Press

1 ‘I’ll help you in a minute.’ She said she’ll help us in a minute.

 12.1 Reported speech

1 Turn direct speech into reported speech.

1 ‘I’m going to Thailand tomorrow,’ said Anna.

She said she was going to Thailand the next day.
2 ‘I wanted to be a nurse when I was a child,’ said Tom.
He said he’d wanted to be a nurse when he was a child.
3 ‘We’ll help you in a second,’ Jane and Adam said to us.
They told us that they would/will help us in a second.
4 ‘He’s been waiting for you since 9.00 this morning,’ Teresa said to me.
Teresa told me that he had been waiting for me since 9.00 that morning.
5 ‘They haven’t seen the report yet,’ he said.
He said that they hadn’t seen the report yet.
6 ‘I don’t want to go,’ she said to him.
She told him that she didn’t want to go.
© Oxford University Press