REPORTED SPEECH

UNIT 1

REported speech

Grammar skill

What's the reported speech?

4 Rules

to make it right

Reported speech

"He says he is hungry, so let's have lunch."

1st Rule

"Everyone said the water was safe to drink."

Choose a reporting verb and tense: When did the speech happen?

"He told everyone that he wasn't guilty."

"She asked me if I could help her with her homework."

"Mary said 'I ate the pie.'" becomes "She said that she'd eaten the pie."

2nd Rule

"The boys said, 'We are coming tomorrow'" becomes "They said they are coming tomorrow."

Change the perspective, or point of view.

You can say, "He says he is at home" or "He says that he is at home."

3rd Rule

Choose whether to include "that" or "if."

"Do you know how to play tennis?""He asked me if I knew how to play tennis."

“I am buying my ticket.” (PRESENT CONTINUOUS) -> "He said he was buying his ticket” (PAST CONTINUOUS).

4th Rule

“Backshift” the tense. This is the trickiest part of REPORTED SPEECH.

“I have fixed my bicycle.” (PRESENT PERFECT)-> "She said she had fixed her bicycle” (PAST PERFECT).

Reported speech

with Modals

"Kelly said she would pick up the sandwiches."

Reported speech with modals

"Mary asked me if I could answer the phone while she was out."

Pay attention to whether the speech you are reporting uses a MODAL VERB.

"George said he would not do that."

Reported speech

with questions

"He asked me if I liked pizza.""He asked me wether I liked pizza."

Reporting questions

"She asked me where I was going."

That's all

gcontreras@ucn.cl

Reported

Direct

would would could could should might had to

will would can could should might must

TOLD

When we use Told as the reporting verb, we always use an object next to it.- He told me... - They told everyone...

Other reporting verbs

The reporting verb is often Said and Told, but it can also be or other verbs like ordered, stated, or reported, depending on the situation.

Reported

Direct

past simple past continuous past perfect past perfect continuous past perfect past perfect

present simple present continuous past simple past continuous present perfect past perfect

The verb BE:

A similar word order switch appears with the verb "BE" in questions: They asked, "When is the party?"-> "They asked me when the party was. " The question word "when" remains. "Be" moves from a position before the noun to after the noun.

Reported speech

We use reported speech to say what someone else said.

Lucas: I love vanilla ice-cream.Camila: Lucas says he loves vanilla ice-cream.