Reported Speech

Let's define the terms, then look at how to talk about what someone said, and how to convert speech from direct to indirect or vice-versa.

You can answer the question What did he say? in two ways:

• by repeating the words spoken (direct speech)
• by reporting the words spoken (indirect or reported speech).

Examples

• She says, "What time will you be home?"
• She said, "What time will you be home?" and I said, "I don't know! "
• "There's a fly in my soup!" screamed Simone. John said,
• "There's an elephant outside the window."

She said, "I saw him." (direct speech) = She said that she had seen him. (indirect speech)

• 'That' may be omitted:

She told him that she was happy. = She told him she was happy.