REPORTED SPEECH
USE:
Reported speech is used to retell or report what other person has actually said. It is a very usual
function in everyday language.
STRUCTURE:
• Formal aspects
We can find different ways of expressing the Direct Speech:
- John said: “It is quite hot today”.
- “It is quite hot today”, he said
- “It is quite hot today”, said John.
All of them are reported in the same way, taking the usual word order (SVC):
John said it was quite hot that day
• Reporting verbs
The most usual verbs are SAY, TELL or ASK, but they only report the information without adding any
extra meaning.
− “Say” may be followed by the indirect complement, always preceded by the preposition
“to”.
− “Tell” is always followed by the indirect complement, without preposition.
Mary said (to her mother) she was tired / Mary told her mother she was tired.
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• There are other verbs that also add the speaker’s intention or the way, or intonation used while
speaking:
- In statements: admit, agree, answer, apologize, boast, claim, complain, declare, deny,
explain, inform, insist, offer, promise, refuse, remind.
- In questions: enquire, request, want to know, wonder.
- In orders: demand, order, shout, threaten, warn.
- In insistent requests: beg
- In other functions: advise, invite, suggest, recommend.
TYPES OF SENTENCES
• Statements
Statements are affirmative and negative sentences. When reporting this type of sentences, we have
to take into consideration the changes in personal pronouns, demonstrative determiners, verbal
tenses and adverbial expressions of time and place.
Changes in pronouns: Pronouns and possessive adjectives usually change from first or second person
to third person, except when the speaker is reporting his/her own words or is included in the
conversation.
e.g.: “I’ve forgotten the combination of my safe”, he said.
He said he had forgotten the combination of his safe.
“this” and “these” usually change into “that” and “those”
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Changes in verbal tenses: When the introductory verb (the main verb) is in the present tense, the
verb of the words we are reporting doesn’t change:
e.g.: She says: “It is a lovely day”
She says it is a lovely day.
But when the introductory verb is in the past tense, some verbal changes are required:
Direct speech Indirect speech
Present simple Past simple
Present continuous Past continuous
Present perfect (continuous) Past perfect (continuous)
Simple past Past perfect or simple past
Past continuous Past perfect continuous
Past perfect (continuous) Past perfect (continuous)
Future simple (will) Conditional (would)
Future continuous Conditional continuous
Future perfect Conditional perfect
Conditional Conditional
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Changes in expressions of time and place:
Direct speech Indirect speech
Today That day
Tonight That night
Yesterday The day before/ the previous day
The day before yesterday Two days before
Tomorrow The day after / the following day / the
next day
The day after tomorrow In two days‟ time / two days after
Next week / month /year… The following week / month…
The week / month… after
Last week / month / year… The week / month… before
The previous week / month…
A week / month/ year ago A week / month… before
Now Then / in that moment
Tomorrow morning /afternoon / evening /… The following morning / afternoon…
Yesterday morning/ afternoon…. The previous morning / afternoon…
Here There
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1. Susan said, “The food is very delicious there.”
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2. Mark said, “I am going to ride my bike to work today.”
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3. Janice said, “I have been to Dubai several times.”
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4. Hani said, “I forgot to call my mother.”
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5. Karine said, “I can teach you how to edit video.”
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6. Michael said, “I want to visit Cairo one day.”
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7. Bob’s boss said, “The meeting starts at 2:00.”
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8. Sue said, “I’ve already seen that movie.”
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9. Kate said, “I don’t like seafood.”
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10. Tom said, “I have already seen that movie.”
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11. Mary said, “I am planning to go to Turkey.”
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12. Deb said, “I called my doctor.”
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13. Richard said, “I’m going to New York.”
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14. Tom said, “I have to finish my report.”
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15. Ahmad said, “I will come to the presentation.”
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16. Safia said, “I can meet you at noon.”
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17. Peter said, “I’ve been to Afghanistan twice.”
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