Reported Speech

ALC - Rabat HAND-OUT Advanced 1
REPORTED SPEECH
 Reporting Statements
 We use the Reported Speech (or Indirect Speech) when we are telling what someone says or said.
 The reporting verb may be in the Present or in the Past:
- if it is in the present tense, there are no tense changes.
- if it is in the past tense, there are tense, person and place changes.
Ex.: Direct speech: Sarah: “I am a journalist.”
Reported speech (Present): Sarah says (that) she is a journalist.
Reported speech (Past): Sarah said (that) she was a journalist.
 The conjunction “that” can be omitted;
 To report a statement we use the reporting verbs:
- Say + something: Tom said he loved being a surgeon.
- Tell + someone + something: Tom told me he loved being a surgeon.
- Other reporting verbs: reply, explain, promise, claim, announce and declare.
Verb Tenses Changes

Direct Speech Reported Speech
Present Simple Simple Past
Julia said: “I want to be a teacher.” Julia said (that) she wanted to be a teacher.
Present Continuous (am/is/are + ing) Past Continuous (was/were + ing)
“I am going to the doctor,” Julia said. Julia said (that) she was going to the doctor.
Simple Past (ed / 2nd column) Past Perfect (had + p.p.)
Julia: “I worked as a cook in a hotel” Julia said (that) she had worked as a cooker in a hotel.
Present Perfect (has/have + p.p.) Past Perfect (had + p.p.)
Jack: “John has given up his job.” Jack said (that) John had given up his job.
Present Perfect Continuous (has/have + been + ing) Past Perfect Continuous (had + been + ing)
“I have been writing my CV,” Jack said. Jack said (that) he had been writing his CV.
Future (will + inf.) Conditional (would + inf.)
Jack said: “I will be a gardener someday.” Jack said (that) he would be a gardener someday.
Modals: can; may; must could; might; had to
The boss said: “You can do this job, Sarah.” The boss said (that) Sarah could do that job.
Peter said: “Susan may go to university,” Peter said (that) Susan might go to university.
Peter said: “I must find a job.” Peter said (that) he had to find a job ( present
necessity/obligation)
Julia said: “You mustn’t smoke in here”. Julia said (that) he mustn’t smoke there.
(regulations/prohibition/probability)
Note 1: Verbs in the Past Continuous, Past Perfect and Conditional undergo no tense change.
Note 2: The verb used to and the modals would, should, could and might do not change in the Reported Speech.
Time Changes
now then / at that moment
today / tonight that day / night
tomorrow the next day / the following day
yesterday the day before / the previous day
this (morning) that (morning)
last (week) the (week) before / the previous (week)
next (week / month / year) the following (week / month / year)
ALC - Rabat HAND-OUT Advanced 1
Place Changes
here There
this That
Pronouns and Determiners Changes

Personal Pronouns
I / you (subject) she / he
we / you (subject) They
me / you (object) him / her
us / you (object) them
Possessive Pronouns / Determiners
my / your his / her
mine / yours his / hers
our / your Their
ours / yours theirs
Demonstrative Pronouns / Determiners
this That
these Those
 Reporting Questions (Indirect Questions)

 When we report questions we can use the reporting verbs: ask, want to know, wonder and inquire.
 In reported questions we use the same word order as in a statement: Subject + Verb:
Ex.: Teacher: “How are you?”
The teacher asked Sam how he was.
 Yes / No questions (beginning with a verb) are reported with if or whether.
Ex.: Teacher: “Do you have a dream job, Sam?”
The teacher asked Sam if / whether he had a dream job.
 Wh-questions are reported with the same question word used in the direct question.
Ex.: Teacher: “Which one do you prefer, Suzy?”
The teacher asked Suzy which one she preferred.
 Reported Imperatives (Indirect Imperatives)

 Imperative clauses change into infinitive clauses preceded by a verb such as tell, command, order,
warn, recommend, advise.
Ex.: Teacher: “Be careful.”
The teacher recommended his students to be careful.
 Negative imperatives (Don’t…) - “not” goes before the infinitive.
Ex.: Teacher: “Don’t make silly mistakes in the exam.”
The teacher advised his students not to make silly mistakes in the exam.
 Exclamations
 Exclamations become statements in the reported speech.
Ex.: Jane: “What a wonderful job!”
Jane said that it was a wonderful job.

Reported Speech

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ALC - Rabat HAND-OUT Advanced 1

Verb Tenses Changes

Pronouns and Determiners Changes

 Reporting Questions (Indirect Questions)

 Reported Imperatives (Indirect Imperatives)

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