Reported Speech

Dear Students

Below you can find the summary on Reported Speech. It was taken from Soars, L & J. (2001) New Headway. Intermediate - Students Book. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Print this summary and keep it for later use.

Reported Speech

Reported Statements

1.   If the reporting verb is in the past tense (e.g. said, told), it is usual for the verb in the reported clause to move ‘one tense back’.

present                        past

present perfect          past perfect

past                              past perfect

‘I’m going.’ He said he was going.

‘She’s passed her exams.’ He told me she had passed her exams.

‘My father died when I was six.’ She said her father had died when she was six.

2.    If the reporting verb is in the present tense (e.g. says, asks), there is no tense change.

‘The train will be late.’ He says the train will be late.

‘I come from Spain.’ She says she comes from Spain.

3.    The ‘one tense back’ rule does have exceptions. If the reported speech is about something that is still true, the tense remains the same.

Rainforests are being destroyed. She told him that rainforests are being destroyed.

‘I hate football.’ I told him I hate football.

4.    The ‘one tense back’ rule also applies to reported thoughts and feelings.

I thought she was married, but she isn’t.

I didn’t know he was a teacher. I thought he worked in a bank.

I forgot you were coming. Never mind. Come in.

I hoped you would ring.

5.    Some modal verbs change.

can              could

won             would

may             might

           ‘She can type well.’ He told me she could  / can type well.

           ‘I’ll help you.’ She said she’d help me.

           ‘I may come.’ She said she might come.

           Other modal verbs don’t change.

    ‘You should go to bed.’ He told me I should go to bed.

    ‘It might rain.’ She said she thought it might rain.

    Must can stay as must, or it can change to had to.

    ‘I must go!’ He said he must / had to go.

6.    In more formal situations, we can use that after the reporting verb.

He told her (that) he would be home late.

She said (that) sales were down on last year.

  7.  There are many reporting verbs.

We rarely use say with an indirect object (i.e. the person spoken to).

She said she was going.

NOT * She said to me she was going.

      Tell is always used with an indirect object in reported speech.

She told	me	the news
	the doctor
	us
	her husband

Many verbs are more descriptive than say and tell, for example, explain, interrupt, demand, insist, admit, complain, warn.

Sometimes we report the idea, rather than the actual words.

‘I’ll lend you some money.’  He offered to lend me some money.

‘I won’t help you.’  She refused to help me.

Reported Questions

1.   The word order in reported questions is different in reported speech. There is no inversion of subject and auxiliary verb, and there is no do / does / did. This is similar to indirect questions.

‘Why have you come here?’ I asked her why she had come here.

‘What time is it?’ He wants to know what time it is.

‘Where do you live?’  She asked me where I lived.

 Note

We do not use a question mark in a reported question (?)

We do not use say in reported questions.

He said, ‘How old are you?’  He asked me how old I am.

2.    If there is no question word, use if or whether.

whether

if

She wants to know                    she should wear a dress.

    Reported commands, requests, etc.

1.   Reported commands, requests, offers and advice are formed with a

verb + person + to + infinitive.

They told us to go away.

We offered to take them to the airport.

He urged the miners to go back to work.

She persuaded me to have my hair cut.

I advised the Prime Minister to leave immediately.

Note

say is not possible. Use ask… to or told… to, etc.

2.    Notice the negative command. Use not before to.

He told me not to tell anyone.

The police warned people not to go out.

3.    Notice we use tell for both reported statements and reported commands, but the form is different.

Reported statements

He told me that he was going.

They told us that they were going abroad.

She told them what had been happening.

Reported commands

He told me to keep still.

The police told people to move on.

My parents told me to tidy my room.

4.    We use ask for both reported commands and reported questions, but the form is different.

Reported commands

I was asked to attend the interview.

He asked me to open my suitcase.

She asked me not to smoke.

Reported questions

He asked me what I did for a living.

I asked her how much the rent was.

She asked me why I had come.