Reported Speech

Reported speech

Mª del Carmen Carmona Moreno

We use reported speech when we want to tell someone what someone said. We usually use a reporting verb (e.g. say, tell, ask, etc.) and then change the tense of what was actually said in direct speech.

WHAT IS REPORTED SPEECH?

- REAL WORDS (direct speech): Tom said “We are reading this book.” Vs - REPORTED SPEECH: Tom said that they were reading that book.

CHANGES

BACKSHIFT TENSES

BACKSHIFT TENSES

TIME AND PLACE EXPRESSIONS

REPORTED STATEMENTS

• Pay attention to the changes mentioned before.
• Remember not to use inverted commas.
• The subordinated clause is introduced by “That”,which can be omitted(oral context) with “tell" and “say”:
• "We decided to give them a reward," they said.
• They told us(that)they had decided to give them a reward.
• They said(that)they had decided to give them a reward.
• Observe that when you use TELL, you must mention the person you’re speaking to.
• John said: “Ann, I’m very happy.”
• John told Ann that he was very happy.

REPORTED STATEMENTS

• When the sentence states a general truth, there is no change in the verb tenses
• "We all learn from mistakes", our teacher said
• Our teacher SAID that we all LEARN from mistakes.
• Most common verbs are SAY + to + indirect object(it is. not often used)and TELL+ indirect object without preposition

REPORTED QUestions

YES/NO questions

WH- questions

We do not have a question structure, now we have a “statement” (Subject + verb + complements) Paul asked: “Are you coming to the party tonight, Jane?” Paul asked Jane if she was coming to the party that night

YES/NO questions

IF/WHETHER+subject+verb+complements

Paul asked: "Do you play volleyball?" Paul asked me if/whether I played volleyball

WH- questions

wh- word +subject+verb+complements

John asked: " When do you play badminton?" John asked me when I played badminton

REPORTED orders/requests

• Basic introductory verbs: TELL(followed by indirect object) / ORDER (commands) and ASK / BEG (requests); WARN(advise)
• Please is used in direct speech at the end of the question, but in indirect speech is not necessary because it has the "verb"
• The IMPERATIVE verbal form turns into:
• Affirmative sentences: TO + INFINITIVE
• Negative sentences: NOT +TO+INFINITIVE

EXAMPLES "Come here," he told me--> He told me to go there "Don't be late," he told his son--> He told his son not to be late

REPORTED Suggestions

• Basic introductory verbs: SUGGEST / RECOMMEND/
• *ADVISE/INVITE*(followed by indirect object+verb with TO)
• "You should come to see the parade", they said.
• They invited us to see the parade
• There are two options with SUGGEST or RECOMMEND
• verb + that-clause+ subject+verb(base form)
• "You should take yoga classes!, Brian said.
• Brian recommended that I take yoga classes
• verb + -ing(without specifying the subject)
• "We should read it all over again", my colleague said.
• My colleage suggested reading it all over again.

REPORTing verbs

• Most used: Say/Tell/Ask: they convey the message without reflecting tone or intent.
• If you want to communicate the speaker's intent or the tone they used, it can use some REPORTING VERBS:

PRACTICE

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