A Video Summary About The Reported Speech
When we tell someone what someone else has said we can either quote exactly what they said (direct speech) or we can use indirect or reported speech.
When we use reported speech, we change what the other person has said to reflect that we are reporting on what they have said at a previous time.
We change the following
1. THE TENSE
We move the tense back to indicate the conversation took place at a different time. This is known as the backshift.
Present simple ————————————————- Past simple
Present continuous ——————————————— Past continuous
Present perfect ———————————————— Past perfect
Past simple —————————————————- Past perfect
Past continuous————————————————- Past continuous
Will ———————————————————– Would
2. PERSONAL PRONOUNS AND POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
Direct speech:
I am going to paint and decorate my bathroom
Reported speech:
She told me that she was going to decorate her bathroom
3. TIME EXPRESSIONS
Direct speech:
I went to the cinema yesterday
Reported speech:
He told me that he had gone to the cinema the day before.
Reporting verbs
When we report what someone has said we use reporting verbs. There are many of these, but the most common are ASK, SAY and TELL.
ASK is used to report questions and requests. It is often used with an object, though it can be used without also.
e.g. She asked ME what time it was. OR She asked what time it was.
SAY does not need an object. We often use it with words like ‘goodbye’, ‘hello’ and ‘congratulations’. If an object is used, we use the preposition TO.
e.g. He said hello as soon as he arrived. OR He said hello TO HIS COLLEAGUES as soon as he arrived.
TELL is used when explaining something to someone or giving them instructions, it is also used when we tell stories or jokes. It is immediately followed by an object.
e.g. She told ME that she was going to start looking for a new job.
Exercises about Reported Speech
Exercise 1: Complete the sentences by selecting the correct reporting verb
Exercise 2: Match the direct speech expression with the reported speech conversion
Exercise 3: Change the direct speech into reported speech
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