{"id":6217,"date":"2017-03-14T17:24:21","date_gmt":"2017-03-14T15:24:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phoneenglish.es\/blog\/?p=6217"},"modified":"2021-10-11T09:28:03","modified_gmt":"2021-10-11T07:28:03","slug":"reported-speech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phoneenglish.es\/blog\/2017\/03\/reported-speech\/","title":{"rendered":"Reported Speech"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reported speech is when you tell somebody else what you or a person said before.<\/p>\n

Direct speech VS Reported speech:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Direct speech<\/strong><\/td>\nReported speech<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
He says:\u00a0 I like travelling.<\/td>\nHe says that he likes travelling.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
He says: I\u2019m visiting New York next month<\/td>\nHe said that he was visiting New York next month.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Different types of sentences<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you use reported speech, you either report:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • statements<\/li>\n
  • questions<\/li>\n
  • requests \/ commands<\/li>\n
  • other types<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      \n
    1. Reporting Statements<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      When transforming statements, check whether you have to change:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • pronouns<\/li>\n
      • tense<\/li>\n
      • place and time expression<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        1- Pronouns<\/strong><\/p>\n

        In reported speech, you often have to change the pronoun depending on who says what.<\/p>\n

        Example:<\/p>\n

        She says, \u201cMy\u00a0brother loves to travel.\u201d \u2013 She says that\u00a0her\u00a0brother loves to travel.<\/p>\n

        2- Tenses<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \n
        • If the sentence starts in the present, there is\u00a0no backshift<\/em><\/strong>of tenses in reported speech.<\/li>\n
        • If the sentence starts in the past, there is often\u00a0backshift<\/em><\/strong>of tenses in reported speech.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

           <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
          <\/td>\nDirect Speech<\/strong><\/td>\nReported Speech<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          No backshift<\/strong><\/td>\n\u201cI compose songs.\u201d<\/td>\nHe says that he composes songs.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Backshift<\/strong><\/td>\n\u201cI composed songs.”<\/td>\nHe said that he composed songs.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n


          \nNo backshift<\/strong><\/p>\n

          Do not change the tense if the introductory clause is in a present tense (e.\u00a0g.\u00a0He says<\/em>). Note, however, that you might have to change the form of the present tense verb (3rd person singular).<\/p>\n

          Example:
          \nHe says, \u201cI\u00a0compose\u00a0songs.\u201d \u2013 He says that he\u00a0composes\u00a0songs.<\/p>\n

          Backshift<\/strong><\/p>\n

          You must change the tense if the introductory clause is in a past tense (e.\u00a0g.\u00a0He said<\/em>).<\/p>\n

          Example:
          \nHe said, \u201cI\u00a0am\u00a0exhausted.\u201d \u2013 He said that he\u00a0was\u00a0exhausted.<\/p>\n

          Examples of the main changes in tense:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
          \n

          My parents are <\/strong>very well.<\/p>\n

          (Simple Present)<\/td>\n

          		\n

          She said that her parents were<\/strong> very well.<\/p>\n

          (Simple Past)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

          \n

          I am going<\/strong> to learn how to drive.<\/p>\n

          (Present Continuous)<\/td>\n

          		She said that she was going<\/strong> to learn how to drive. (Past Continuous)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          \n

          I visited<\/strong> Paris last year.<\/p>\n

          (Simple Past)<\/td>\n

          		\n

          She said that she had visited<\/strong> Paris last year.<\/p>\n

          (Past Perfect)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

          \n

          \u201cThey\u00a0had finished<\/strong>\u00a0the movie when I\u00a0arrived<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

          (Past Perfect)<\/td>\n

          		\n

          She said that she had finished<\/strong> the movie when she had arrived<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

          (Past Perfect)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

          \n

          \u201cI was reading<\/strong> a book when the phone rang<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

          (Past Continuous)<\/td>\n

          		\n

          She said that she had been reading<\/strong> a book when the phone had rung<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

          (Past Perfect Continuous)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

          \n

          \u201cI have been playing<\/strong> tennis for two hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

          (Present Perfect)<\/td>\n

          		\n

          She said that she had been playing<\/strong> tennis for two hours.<\/p>\n

          (Past Perfect Continuous)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

          \n

          \u201cI had been studying<\/strong> when lights went off<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

          (Past Perfect Continuous)<\/td>\n

          		\n

          She said that she had been studying<\/strong> when the lights had gone off<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

          (Past Perfect Continuous)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

          \n

          \u201cI will call<\/strong> you.\u201d<\/p>\n

          (Future Simple : will+verb))<\/td>\n

          		\n

          She said she would call <\/strong>me.<\/p>\n

          (Conditional : would+verb)<\/p>\n

           <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

          \n

          \u201cI would travel<\/strong> the world If I were <\/strong>rich.\u201d<\/p>\n

          (Conditional : would +verb)<\/td>\n

          		\n

          She said that she would travel<\/strong> the world if she had been <\/strong>rich.<\/p>\n

          (Conditional : would+verb)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

          The modal verbs\u00a0could, should, would, might, needn’t, ought to, used to<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 do not normally change.
          \nExample:
          \nHe said, “She might be right.” \u2013 He said that she might be right.<\/p>\n

           <\/p>\n

          Other modal verbs may change:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
          modal<\/strong><\/td>\nDirect Speech<\/strong><\/td>\nReported Speech<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          can<\/td>\n\u201cI can<\/strong> play the violin.\u201d<\/td>\nHe said he could<\/strong> play the violin.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          may<\/td>\n\u201cMay<\/strong> I sit here?\u201d<\/td>\nHe wanted to know if he might<\/strong> sit here.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          must<\/td>\n\u201cI must<\/strong> see her.\u201d<\/td>\nHe said that he must\/had<\/strong> to see her.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          will<\/td>\n\u201cI will<\/strong> do it.\u201d<\/td>\nHe told me he would<\/strong> do it.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n


          \n3- Place, demonstratives and time expressions<\/strong><\/p>\n

          Place, demonstratives and time expressions change if the context of the reported statement (i.e. the location and\/or the period of time) is different from that of the direct speech.<\/p>\n

          In the following table, you will find the different changes of place; demonstratives and time expressions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
          Direct Speech<\/strong><\/td>\nReported Speech<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          TIME EXPRESSIONS<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          today<\/td>\nthat day<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          now<\/td>\nthen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          yesterday<\/td>\nthe day before<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          days ago<\/td>\ndays before<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          last week<\/td>\nthe week before<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          next year<\/td>\nthe following year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          tomorrow<\/td>\nthe next day\/ the following day<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          PLACE<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          here<\/td>\nthere<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          DEMONSTRATIVES<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          this<\/td>\nthat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          these<\/td>\nthose<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          <\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
            \n

          1. \nReporting Questions<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            When transforming questions, check whether you have to change:<\/p>\n

              \n
            • pronouns<\/li>\n
            • place and time expressions<\/li>\n
            • tenses (backshift)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              Also note that you have to:<\/p>\n

                \n
              • transform the question into an indirect question<\/li>\n
              • use the question word (where, when, what, how<\/em>) or\u00a0if<\/em>\/\u00a0whether<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n\n
                Types of Questions<\/strong><\/td>\nDirect Speech<\/strong><\/td>\nReported Speech<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                With question words : what,where,why,how..<\/td>\n\u201cWhy don\u2019t you speak English?\u201d<\/td>\nHe asked me why I didn\u2019t speak English.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                Yes or No Questions<\/td>\n\u201cDo you speak English?\u201d<\/td>\nHe asked me if\/whether I spoke English.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

                 <\/p>\n

                  \n
                1. Reporting requests \/ commands<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                  When transforming requests and commands, check whether you have to change:<\/p>\n

                    \n
                  • pronouns<\/li>\n
                  • place and time expressions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                     <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
                    Direct Speech<\/strong><\/td>\nReported Speech<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                    \u201cTom, turn off the lights.\u201d<\/td>\nShe told Tom to turn off the lights.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                    \u201cTom, give me your paper please.\u201d<\/td>\nShe asked Tom to give her his paper.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

                     <\/p>\n

                    Tenses are not relevant for requests\u00a0\u2013 simply use\u00a0to<\/em>\u00a0 \/\u00a0not to\u00a0<\/em>+ verb (infinitive without “to”)<\/p>\n

                    She said, \u201cSit down.” – She asked me to sit down.<\/p>\n

                    She said, “Don’t be lazy” – She asked me not to be lazy<\/p>\n

                     <\/p>\n

                    For affirmative use\u00a0to<\/em>\u00a0+ infinitive (without to)<\/p>\n

                    For negative requests, use\u00a0not to<\/em>\u00a0+ infinitive (without to).<\/p>\n

                     <\/p>\n

                      \n
                    1. Other transformations<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                        \n
                      • Expressions of advice with\u00a0must<\/strong>,\u00a0should<\/strong>and\u00a0ought<\/strong>\u00a0are usually reported using\u00a0advise<\/em>\u00a0\/\u00a0urge<\/em>.<\/strong>
                        \nExample:
                        \n“You must watch this movie.”
                        \nHe advised \/ urged me to watch that movie.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                        The expression\u00a0let\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0is usually reported using\u00a0suggest<\/em><\/strong>. In this case, there are two possibilities for reported speech: gerund or statement with\u00a0should<\/em><\/strong>.
                        \nExample<\/strong>:
                        \n“Let\u2019s go to the cinema.”
                        \n1. He suggested going <\/strong>to the cinema.
                        \n2. He suggested that<\/strong> we should go to the cinema.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                        Reported Speech (Indirect Speech) Reported speech is when you tell somebody else what you or a person said before. Direct speech VS Reported speech: Direct speech Reported speech He says:\u00a0 I like travelling. He says that he likes travelling. He says: I\u2019m visiting New York next month He said that he was visiting New York […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-homework"],"yoast_head":"\nReported Speech | phone english blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/phoneenglish.es\/blog\/2017\/03\/reported-speech\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Reported Speech | phone english blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Reported Speech (Indirect Speech) Reported speech is when you tell somebody else what you or a person said before. 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