When we use direct speech we report the exact words which someone has used.
"I'm staying here tomorrow" said John.
When we use reported speech, changes may have to be made to verb tenses, pronouns and certain words indicating place and time.
John said she was staying there the next day.
- Reporting statements.
The following changes are usually made to verbs. In each case the verb "moves back" one tense.
| Direct speech | Reported speech |
| Present simple | Past Simple |
| I work in an office, he said | He said he worked in an office |
| Present Continuous | Past Continuous |
| We are going away on holiday, she said. | She said they were going away on holiday. |
| Present Perfect | Past Perfect |
| I've known her for a long time, he said. | He said he'd known her for a long time. |
| Present Perfect Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous |
| He's been playing tennis, he said. | He said he had been playing tennis. |
| Past Simple | Past Perfect |
| I saw Nigel in town, he said. | He said that he'd seen Nigel in town. |
| Past Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous |
| We were trying to help him, she said. | She said they'd been trying to help him. |
| The modal verbs will, must, may and can change to would, had to, might and could. | |
No changes are made in the verb tense:
a) If the verb in the direct speech is in the past perfect.
He had never spoken about it before, he said.
b) If the direct speech contains one of the following modal verbs: would, might, could, should, ought to.
You should go to the doctor's, she said.
c) If the statement being reported is still true.
I like fish, she said.
d) If the reporting verb is in the present.
It's 40º in Athens at the moment. (Ron to his father on the phone)
Pronouns in direct speech may have to change when we use reported speech.
I'll see you soon, said Peter. - Peter said he would see me soon.
The following changes may also need to be made to words indicating place and time.
| Direct speech | Reported speech |
| Now | Then |
| Today | That day |
| This morning | That morning |
| tomorrow | The next/Following day |
| Next week | The next/Following week |
| Yesterday | The day before, the previous day |
| Two days ago | two days before/earlier |
| Last week | The week before, the previous week |
| here | there |
| Come | Go |
This, that, these and those may change to the.
That book you lent me is really boring, he said. - Ha said the book I had lent him was really boring.
- Reporting verbs for statements.
Tell is used with a direct object.
He told me he was getting married.
Say and explain are used without direct object.
He said he was ill. (not He told me)
Some reporting verbs can be used with an infinitive.
a) Verb + Object noun/pronoun + infinitive without to
advice, ask, encourage, invite, recommend, remind, urge, warn, ...
Don't forget to phone Jim. - He reminded her to phone Jim.
b) Verb + infinitive with to
offer, promise, refuse, threaten, ...
I'll help you mend the car if you like. - He offered to help me mend the car.
The following patterns can be used after both recommend and suggest:
He recommended/suggested (that) I (should) eat less sugar.
She recommended/suggested joining a youth club.
The infinitive with to can only be used after recommend.
- Reporting questions
When we report questions we make the same changes to verb tenses, pronouns and words indicating place and time as we do when we report statements. The following changes are also made:
Auxiliary verbs: auxiliary verbs do, does and did are ommited.
Word order: is the same as that of a statement.
Punctuation: question marks are not used.
Yes/No questions: if there is no question word (what, where, who, etc) in the direct question, we use if or whether. Does she smoke? He asked if/whether she smoke.
Ask and Tell
Each of these verbs can be used in two different ways in reported speech.
Ask:
a) Requests (ask + object + infinitive with to)
Can you help me, please? - She asked me to help her.
b) Questions
Can you ride a horse? - She asked me if I could ride a horse.
Tell:
a) Commands (tell + object + infinitive with to)
Put your coat on. - He told me to put my coat on.
b) Statement
I can't find my coat. - He told her he couldn't find his coat.
