reported-speech-grammar

Reported speech

3° EUROPEAN SECTION TEACHER: W. TOUBOUL

WHAT IS “REPORTED SPEECH”

We use “Reported Speech” to transfer the words of someone.

There are two ways of reporting what a person has said:

1. Direct speech

He said, "I have lost my key."

b) Indirect speech He said that he had lost his keys.

We will continue with INDIRECT SPEECH.

Rules of reported speech

How to Use 'Say' and 'Tell’ We use either 'say' or 'tell'. The meaning is the same, but the grammar is different.

'say' we CAN'T use the object (e.g. 'me', 'them', 'us').

'tell' we NEED the object (e.g. 'me', 'you', 'her’).

John said (that) he would be late.

John told me (that) he was going to be late.

SUBJECT PRONOUN CHANGES

1. First person pronouns normally change to the third person

He told her, "I want to meet your father." He told her that he wanted to meet her father. 2. There will be no change in the pronoun when the speaker reports his own words. I said, "I am going." I said that I was going.

I, we, me, mine, us, ours

he, she, they, his, her, their, him, her, them

SUBJECT PRONOUN CHANGES

3. Second person pronouns (you, yours) change according to the person of the object of the reporting verb. He told her, "I love you." He told her that he loved her. I told him, "You are a stupid." I told him that he was a stupid. 4. Third person pronouns do not normally change in the reported speech. She said, "I love him." She said that she loved him.

TIME AND PLACE CHANGES

DIRECT SPEECH

INDIRECT SPEECH

DIRECT SPEECH

INDIRECT SPEECH

now

then

ago

before

today

that day

two days ago

two days before

this morning

that morning

yesterday

the day before / the previous day

tomorrow

the next day

next week

the following week

last night

the night before / the previous night

here

there

Tense changes

PRESENT SIMPLE Mary said, “I am cold.”

PAST SIMPLE Mary said that she was cold.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS Rick said, “I am waiting for you.”

PAST CONTINUOUS Rick said that he was waiting for me.”

PRESENT PERFECT TENSE Clara said, “I have lived here for 10 years.”

PAST PERFECT TENSE Clara said that she had lived there for 10 years"

PAST SIMPLE Amy Pond said, “ I lived 20 years without you.”

PAST PERFECT RENSE Amy said that she had lived 20 years without me.

FUTURE SIMPLE Janet said, “I will be eighteen.”

WOULD+INFINITIVE Janet said that she would be eighteen.

CAN/CAN’T Mark said, “I can dance.”

COULD/COULDN’T Mark said that he could dance

MUST / HAVE TO David said, “I must buy some eggs.”

HAD TO David said that he had to buy some eggs.

SHOULD/ COULD / OUGHT TO / WOULD River Song said, “You shouldn’t do that.”

NO CHANGES River said that I shouldn’t do this.

WH- QUESTIONS

QUESTION WORD + POSITIVE SENTENCE

“What’s your name?” asked the officer to Sam.

The officer asked Sam what his name is.

“When will the lunch be ready?” Tina asked her mum.

Tina asked her mum when the lunch would be ready.

YES / NO QUESTIONS

----- ASKED ----+IF / WHETHER ----------

DIRECT

INDIRECT

“Do you like chocolate?” Mary asked Peter.

Mary asked Peter if he liked chocolate.

“Have you ever been to London?” Liz asked Ben.

Liz asked Ben if he had been to London.

“Did you do you homework yesterday?” the teacher asked the student.

The teacher asked the student if he had done his homework the day before.

REQUESTS

DIRECT

INDIRECT

“Can I come tomorrow” asked the young lady.

The young lady asked if she could come the following day.

“Please stay for a coffee” said the owner.

The owner asked to stay for a coffee.

commands

DIRECT

INDIRECT ([NOT ] TO + INFINITIVE )

“Go to your room” ordered my mom.

My mom ordered me to go my room.

“Don’t watch that channel” ordered my father.

My father ordered me not to watch that channel.

OTHER REPORTING VERBS YOU COULD USE

Add Admit Advise Agree Announce Answer Argue Ask Begin Beg Call

Claim Comment Complain Confirm Continue Declare Demand Deny Describe Discuss

Explain Inform Observe Order Predict Promise Recall Recommend Refuse Repeat

Reply Report Say Shout Suggest Tell Warn Write Yell