Reported and Direct Speech

We often have to give information about what people say or think. In order to do this we can use direct speech, or indirect (reported) speech.

Content

Direct Speech
Indirect Speech, Reported Speech
Tense Change
Expression of time - time change
Pronoun Change
Reporting Verbs - „said“, „told“ and „asked“
The use of „that“ in reported speech.

1. Direct Speech

Saying exactly what someone has said is called direct speech. Here what a person says appears within quotation marks ("...") and we should say it with the exact words that the person said.

He said, "Today’s lesson is on the past simple."
"Today’s lesson is on the past simple," he said.

2. Indirect Speech, Reported Speech

Indirect (reported speech), doesn’t use quotation marks to show what the person said and it doesn’t have to be the exact words as what the person said.

When reporting speech is used the tense usually has to be changed. This is because when we use reported speech, we are usually talking about a time in the past That is why verbs usually have to be in the past too


Direct speech	Indirect speech
"I’m going to work", she said.	She said she was going to work.

3. Tense Change

As a rule when you report something someone has said you go back a tense.


Direct speech	Indirect speech
Present simple She said, "It’s hot."	Past simple She said it was hot.
Present continuous She said, "I’m walking in the park."	Past continuous She said she was walking in the park.
Present perfect simple She said, "I’ve been waiting since 10am."	Past perfect simple She said she had been waiting since 10am.
Present perfect continuous She said, "I’ve been teaching French for ten years."	Past perfect continuous She said she had been teaching French for ten years.
Past simple She said, "I went home late yesterday."	Past perfect She said she had gone home late yesterday.
Past continuous She said, "I was running earlier."	Past perfect continuous She said she had been running earlier.
Past perfect He said, "The train had already left when he arrived."	Past perfect (NO CHANGE) He said the train had already left when he arrived.
Past perfect continuous She said, "I’d already been studying for ten minutes."	Past perfect (NO CHANGE) She said she’d already been studying for ten minutes.

Modal verb forms also sometimes change:


Direct speech	Indirect speech
will She said, "I’ll go home early today."	would She said she would go home early today.
can She said, "I can go home early today."	could She said she could go home early today.
must She said, "I must go home early today."	had to She said she had to go home early today.
shall She said, "What shall we learn today?"	should She asked what we should learn today.
may She said, "May I open the window?"	might She asked if she might open the window.

Note - There is no change to; could, would, should, might and ought to.


Direct speech	Indirect speech
"I might go to play tennis later", he said.	He said he might go to play tennis later.

4. Expression of time - time change

If the reported sentence contains an expression of time, you must change it so that it fits with the time of reporting.


Direct speech - today	Indirect speech - after 24 hours
"Today’s lesson is on presentations."	She said yesterday’s lesson was on presentations.

Expressions of time if reported on a different day
Direct speech	Indirect speech
this (evening)	that (evening)
today	yesterday ...
these (days)	those (days)
now	then
last weekend	the weekend before last / the previous weekend
next (week)	the following (week)
tomorrow	the next/following day

If you report something that someone said in a different place to where you heard it you must change the place (here) to the place (there).


Direct speech - at school	Indirect speech - at home
"How long have you been teaching here?"	She asked me how long I had been teaching there.

5. Pronoun Change

In reported speech, the pronoun often changes.


I	He
"I work in a school."	He said he worked in a school.

6. Reporting Verbs - „said“, „told“ and „asked“

We use asked to report questions.

I asked Kate what time the meeting started.

We use „told “with an object.

Kate told me she was hungry.
Note - Here me is the object.

We usually use „said“ without an object.

Kate said she was going to work now.

If „said“is used with an object we must use„to“.

Kate said to me that she had never been to London.
Here meis the object.

Note - We usually use „told“ rather than said.

Kate told me that she had never been to London.

There are many other verbs we can use apart from said, told and asked. For example: accused, admitted, advised, alleged, agreed, apologised, begged, boasted, complained, denied, explained, implied, invited, offered, ordered, promised, replied, suggested and thought.

He asked me to come to his birthday party.
He invited me to his birthday party.
He begged me to come to his birthday party.
He ordered me to come to his birthday party.
He advised me to come to his birthday party.
He suggested I should come to his birthday party.

7. The use of „that“ in reported speech.

In reported speech, the word that is often used.

He told me that he lived in France.

However, that is optional and does not have to be used.

He told me he lived in France.

That is never used in questions, instead we often use if.

He asked me if I could come to his birthday party.

English Grammar