Reported Speech


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HBEw6cY17g

If we report what another person has said, we usually do not use the speaker’s exact words (direct speech), but reported (indirect) speech. Therefore, you need to learn how to transform direct speech into reported speech. The structure is a little different depending on whether you want to transform a statement, question or request.

Statements

When transforming statements, check whether you have to change:

• pronouns
• present tense verbs (3rd person singular)
• place and time expressions
• tenses (backshift)

Type	Example
direct speech	“I speak English.”
reported speech (no backshift)	He says that he speaks English.
reported speech (backshift)	He said that he spoke English.

Questions

When transforming questions, check whether you have to change:

• pronouns
• present tense verbs (3rd person singular)
• place and time expressions
• tenses (backshift)

Also note that you have to:

• transform the question into an indirect question
• use the interrogative or if / whether

Type		Example
with interrogative	direct speech	“Why don’t you speak English?”
	reported speech	He asked me why I didn’t speak English.
without interrogative	direct speech	“Do you speak English?”
	reported speech	He asked me whether / if I spoke English.

Requests

When transforming questions, check whether you have to change:

• pronouns
• place and time expressions

Type	Example
direct speech	“Carol, speak English.“
reported speech	He told Carol to speak English.

Ejercicios

1. Sam told us: “It’s raining outside”.
2. “Do you need more money?”, I wanted to know.
3. “Where is the classroom?”, the children asked.
4. “Can you explain the lesson again?”, the boy asked the teacher.
5. “Doing exercise is the best way to keep fit”, the doctor announced.
6. “Have you watered the plants?”, the gardener asked.
7. Sam asked me: “When are you going to meet Tom?”
8. “It is forbidden to touch the animals”, the guard warned us.

Solución

1. Sam told us that it was raining outside.
2. I wanted to know if she needed more money.
3. The children asked where the classroom was.
4. The boy asked the teacher if she could explain the lesson again.
5. The doctor announced that doing exercise was the best way to keep fit.
6. The gardener asked if I had watered the plants.
7. Sam asked me when I was going to meet Tom.
8. The guard warned us that it was forbidden to touch the animals.