Reported Speech - Indirect Speech

Indirect Speech (also referred to as 'reported speech') refers to a sentence reporting what someone has said. It is almost always used in spoken English. If the reporting verb (i.e. said) is in the past, the reported clause will be in a past form. This form is usually one step back into the past from the original. For example: He said the test was difficult. She said she watched TV every day. Jack said he came to school every day. If simple present, present perfect or the future is used in the reporting verb (i.e. says) the tense is retained. For example: He says the test is difficult. She has said that she watches TV every day. Jack will say that he comes to school every day. If reporting a general truth the present tense will be retained. For example:The teacher said that phrasal verbs are very important. Changing Pronouns and Time Signifiers When changing from direct speech to indirect speech, it is often necessary to change the pronouns to match the subject of the sentence. For example: She said, "I want to bring my children." BECOMES She said she wanted to bring her children. Jack said, "My wife went with me to the show." BECOMES Jack said his wife had gone with him to the show. It is also important to change time words when referring to present, past or future time to match the moment of speaking. For example: She said, "I want to bring my children tomorrow." BECOMES She said she wanted to bring her children the next day. Jack said, "My wife went with me to the show yesterday." BECOMES Jack said his wife had gone with him to the show the day before. Indirect Questions When reporting questions, it is especially important to pay attention to sentence order. When reporting yes/ no questions connect the reported question using 'if'. When reporting questions using question words (why, where, when, etc.) use the question word. For example: She asked, "Do you want to come with me?" BECOMES She asked me if I wanted to come with her. Dave asked, "Where did you go last weekend?" BECOMES Dave asked me where I had gone the previous weekend. He asked, "Why are you studying English?" BECOMES She asked me why I was studying English. The following chart includes sentences changed from quoted speech to reported speech using a past form.

Note Simple past, present perfect, and past perfect all change to past perfect in the reported form. He said, "I live in Paris." He said he lived in Paris. He said, "I am cooking dinner." He said he was cooking dinner. He said, "I have visted London twice." He said he had visited London twice. He said, "I went to New York last week." He said he had gone to New York the week before. He said, "I had already eaten." He said he had already eaten. He said, "I am going to find a new job." He said he was going to find a new job. He said, "I will give Jack a call." He said he would give Jack a call.
Q: Tom said, 'I want to visit my friends this weekend.' Tom said he wants to visit his friends that weekend. Tom said he wanted to visit his friends that weekend. Tom said he wanted to visit his friends this weekend. Q: Jerry said, 'I'm studying English a lot at the moment.' Jerry said he was studying English a lot at that moment. Jerry said he was studying English a lot at the moment. Jerry said I was studying English a lot at that moment. Q: They said, 'We've lived here for a long time.' They said they have lived there for a long time. They said they lived here for a long time. They said they had lived there for a long time. Q: He asked me, 'Have you finished reading the newspaper?' He asked me if had I finished reading the newspaper. He asked me if I had finished reading the newspaper. He asked me if I finished reading the newspaper. Q: 'I get up every morning at seven o'clock.', Peter said. Peter said he got up every morning at seven o'clock. Peter said I got up every morning at seven o'clock. Peter said he had got up every morning at seven o'clock. Q: Susan reassured me, 'I can come tonight.' Susan told me I could come that night. Susan told me she could come that night. Susan told me she could come tomorrow evening. Q: She said, 'I really wish I had bought that new car.' She told me she really wished she bought that new car. She told me she really had wished she had bought that new car. She told me she really wished she had bought that new car.

Guess Who I Bumped Into?

Tim wandered along the path thinking aloud, "If I continue this diet I should lose twenty pounds by the end of..." when BOOM! he bumped into another city dweller out for a day's walk in the park. "I'm terribly sorry", he apologized. "I was so caught up in my thoughts I didn't see you!" he managed to stammer. Smiling, Sheila responded, "It's OK. Nothing's broken... No really, I wasn't watching my step either." Suddenly they both stopped making excuses and stared at each other. "Don't I know you from somewhere?" inquired Tim while Sheila exclaimed, "You're Tim, Jack's brother, aren't you?!" They both began to laugh as they had met each other the week before at a party that Jack had given. Still laughing, Tim suggested, "Why don't we have a cup a coffee and donut?" to which Sheila replied, "I thought you wanted to continue your diet!" They both were still laughing by the time they reached the Swimming Donut cafe. Later that day Sheila reported the story to her friend Mike. Fill in the blanks with reported (indirect) speech using the text above. Check your answers on the following page. As he was walking down the path Tim said if he ____ ____ diet he ____ lose twenty pounds. We bumped into each other. He apologized saying he ____ terribly sorry. I told him it ____ OK, that nothing ____ broken. Tim said he ____ so caught up in ____ thoughts that he ____ ____. He seemed embarrassed, so I added that I ____ my step either. At that moment we recognized each other! He asked me if he ____ ____ from somewhere. I then remembered that he was Jack's brother. We both had a good laugh and then he invited me to have a cup of coffee and a donut. We had a great time together. Answers: Reported Speech As he was walking down the path Tim said if he continued his diet he should lose twenty pounds. We bumped into each other. He apologized saying he was terribly sorry. I told him it was OK, that nothing had (was) broken. Tim said he had been so caught up in histhoughts that he hadn't seen me. He seemed embarrassed, so I added that I hadn't been watching my step either. At that moment we recognized each other! He asked me if heknew me from somewhere. I then remembered that he was Jack's brother. We both had a good laugh and then he invited me to have a cup of coffee and a donut. We had a great time together.