Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)

What is reported speech?

Reported speech is when you tell somebody else what you or a person said before.

Distinction must be made between direct speech and reported speech.

Direct speech vs Reported speech:

Direct speech: She says: "I like tuna fish."

Reported speech: She says that she likes tuna fish.

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

Reported speech: She said that she was visiting Paris the following weekend.

Different types of sentences

When you use reported speech, you either report:

statements
questions
requests / commands
other types

A. Reporting Statements

When transforming statements, check whether you have to change:

pronouns
tense
place and time expression

1- Pronouns

In reported speech, you often have to change the pronoun depending on who says what.

Example:

She says, “My dad likes roast chicken.” – She says that her dad likes roast chicken.

2- Tenses

If the sentence starts in the present, there is no backshift of tenses in reported speech.
If the sentence starts in the past, there is often backshift of tenses in reported speech.

Backshift

You must change the tense if the introductory clause is in a past tense (e. g. He said).

Example:

He said, “I am happy.” – He said that he was happy.

Examples of the main changes in tense:

The modal verbs

could, should, would, might, needn't, ought to, used to do not normally change.

Example:

He said, "She might be right." – He said that she might be right.

Other modal verbs may change:

3- Place, demonstratives and time expressions

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.

In the following table, you will find the different changes of place; demonstratives and time expressions.

B. Reporting Questions

When transforming questions, check whether you have to change:

pronouns
place and time expressions
tenses (backshift)

Also note that you have to:

transform the question into an indirect question
use the question word (where, when, what, how) or if / whether

C. Reporting requests / commands

When transforming requests and commands, check whether you have to change:

pronouns
place and time expressions

Direct speech: “Nancy,do the exercise.“

Reported speech: He told Nancy to do the exercise.

Direct speech: "Nancy, give me your pen, please."

Reported speech: He asked Nancy to give him her pen.

In requests – simply use: to / not to + verb (infinitive without "to")

Example:

She said, “Sit down." - She asked me to sit down.

She said, "don't be lazy" - She asked me not to be lazy

For affirmative use to + infinitive (without to)

For negative requests, use not to + infinitive (without to).

D. Other transformations

Expressions of advice with must, should and ought are usually reported using advise / urge.
Example:

Direct speech: “You must read this book.“

Reported speech: He advised / urged me to read that book.

The expression let’s is usually reported using suggest. In this case, there are two possibilities for reported speech: gerund or statement with should.
- Example:

Direct speech: “Let’s go to the cinema.“=

Reported speech: 1. He suggested going to the cinema.

Reported speech: 2. He suggested that we should go to the cinema.

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