Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)

Statements

Direct Speech vs Reported Speech

She said: "I'm visiting Paris next weekend" (Direct)

She said that she was visiting Paris the following weekend. (Reported)

Important!

In reported speech if the reporting verb is in the past form (said, told,…) we have to change the tense (this is called backshift). We often change adverbs of time and place (now, here, today, etc.) because reported speech happens at a later time than the original speech, and perhaps in a different place.

Say or Tell

John said (that) he would be late.

John told me (that) he was going to be late.

With 'tell' we NEED the object (e.g. 'me', 'you', 'her').

With 'say' we CAN'T use the object (e.g. 'me', 'them', 'us').

Common mistakes

John said me that he would be late. (X)
John told that he would be late. (X)

Rewrite the direct speech as reported

'I'm not feeling well,' my sister __me.

'You've done really well, 'my dad __me.

'It will be great show', the singer __.

Rewrite the direct speech as reported

'I can't find my purse,' he __to his wife.

'I'm going on holiday next week,' my aunt __me.

'You don't need your books today', our teacher __us.

REPORTED QUESTIONS

WE MAKE 1 STEP BACK IN TENSE​

WE CHANGE THE PRONOUNS

WE CHANGE TIME AND PLACE

• WE CHANGE THE WORD ORDER​

​HOW TO REPORT

​Yes/No

QUESTIONS​

​We add if/whether and remove auxiliary verb (are/did/have/will, etc)

• remember to make 1 step back

​WH-questions

• use the same question word

• use the positive word order

• make 1 step back