Direct and reported speech

When reporting what someone has said or written we can use either direct speech or reported speech.
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.

Reported speech: Commands

Direct speech	Reported speech
Go away.	She told him to go away.
Don't worry.	The doctor told me not to worry.
Can/could you help me?	I asked the shop assitant to help me.

To report an imperative or request, use told or asked + person + the infinitive with to.
To report a negative imperative, use a negative infinitive.

!!!!
You can't use said in these sentences.

Reported speech: Statements and questions

Direct statements	Reported statements
I like shopping.	She said (that) she liked shopping.
I'm going tomorrow.	He told her he was going the next day.
I'll always love you.	He said he would always love me.
I passed the exam!	She told him she had passed the exam.
I've forgotten my keys.	He said he had forgotten his keys.
I can't come.	She said she couldn't come.
I may be late.	He said she might be late.
I must go.	She said she had to go.

Tenses usually change like this:
present - past
will - would
past simple / present perfect - past perfect
Some modal verbs change:
can - could
may - might
must - had to

Direct questions	Reported questions
Are you married?	She asked him if he was married.
Did she phone?	He asked me whether she had phoned.
What's your name?	I asked him what his name was.
Where do you live?	They asked me where I lived.

!!!!!
Must - had to ----------- Mustn't - mustn't

You usually have to change the pronouns.
I like... --- She said she like...
Using that after said and told is optional.
If you report what someone said on a different day or in a different place, some time and place words change
tomorrow - the next day
here - there
this - that

!!!!!
After said don't use a person or object pronoun.
He said he was tired. NOT He said me...
After told you must use a person or pronoun.
He told me he was tired. NOT He told he was...

When you report a question, the tenses change as in reported statements.
When a question begins with a verb (not a question word), add if (or whether).
You also have to change the word order to subject + verb, and not use do/did.

Reported speech (or indirect)

Reported sentences:

Direct speech: I love you.
Reported speech: He said (that) he loved her.
Direct speech: I want to see you again.
Reported speech: He told her (that) he wanted to see her again.
Direct speech: I can help you.
Reported speech: He said (that) he could help me.
Direct speech: I`ll phone you.
Reported speech: He told me (that) he would phone me.
Direct speech: I met a boy.
Reported speech: She told me (that) she had met a boy.
Direct speech: I've broken my arm.
Reported speech: He said (that) he had broken his arm.
Use reported speech to say what another person said.

Said for nobody specifically. Told for somebody specifically.

That is optional after say and tell.

Pronouns also change in reported speech, for example I - he/she.


Reported questions:

Direct speech: Do you want to dance?
Reported speech: He asked her if she wanted to dance.
Direct speech: Where do you live?
Reported speech: He asked her where she lived.

In reported questions the sentences change in exactly the same way as in sentences, ex. present to past, etc.

We don't use do/did. What do you want? He asked me what I wanted.

If the question begins with do, can, etc. add IF. Can you swim? She asked him if he could swim.

The word order is subject+verb. Are you a student? He asked her if she was a student.