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Reported
Speech
DIRECT SPEECH
When you want to say what another
person said before, you can use that
person's own words:
✓Tom: "It'’s cold now".
✓Tom said: "It'’s cold now".
INDIRECT SPEECH
Or you can use indirect speech
"reporting" what the other person
said:
✓Tom: "It's cold now".
✓Tom said that it was cold.
TELL OR SAY?
We use tell if we want to mention
the hearer, and this verb always
needs an Indirect Object.
He told her that he couldn't go.
TELL OR SAY?
We use say when we do not
mention the hearer:
He said he wouldn't go.
We can mention the hearer
adding "to":
He said to her that...
TELL OR SAY?
We don't have to add "that"
after "tell" or "say" if we don't
want to.
• In formal texts it's better to
keep it.
OTHER REPORTING VERBS
We can use a clause with that
with:
admit, advise, agree, insist,
promise, remind, suggest
and warn.
They are used like say and
tell.
CHANGES
When we report someone's words,
some changes take place:
Person
Time/place
Verbs tenses
CHANGES of PERSON
I
my
we
ours
➪
➪
➪
➪
he/she
his/her
they
theirs
CHANGES of PLACE
here
➪
there
CHANGES of TIME
now
➪ then
today
➪ that day
yesterday ➪ the day before
the previous day
tomorrow ➪ the next day
the following day
CHANGES of TIME
this week ➪ that week
last week ➪ the previous week
a year ago ➪ the year before
TENSE CHANGES
present simple ➪ past simple
He is tired
➪ He was tired
Present perfect ➪ Past perfect
He has eaten ➪ He had eaten
TENSE CHANGES
present continuous ➪ past continuous
He is playing ➪ He was playing
Future simple
He will go
➪ Conditional
➪ He would go
TENSE CHANGES
can
he can play
➪
could
➪ He could play
must
He must go
➪ had to
➪ He had to go
TENSE CHANGES
past simple
➪
➪
He went
➪ he went
➪ he had gone
past perfect
past simple
TENSE CHANGES
These modal verbs do not
change:
•could
•should
•might
•ought to
•would
TENSE CHANGES
We don't have to change the
tense if the sentence refers to
something general or that is
still true:
I love playing cards; She said
that she loves playing cards.
REPORTED QUESTIONS
We do not use auxiliaries in
reported questions:
He wanted to know if I was
coming with them.
REPORTED QUESTIONS
We do not use auxiliaries in
reported questions:
He wanted to know if I was
coming with them.
REPORTED QUESTIONS
WORD ORDER:
The word order in reported
questions is the same as in a
positive sentence:
He asked me if I had some
money.
WH- QUESTIONS
We can report questions with verbs
like ask, wonder or want to know.
What's the time?
He wanted to know ➪
He asked ➪
what the time was.
He wondered ➪
YES/NO QUESTIONS
They are introduced by if or
whether.
Are you happy?
She wanted to know if/whether I
was happy.
ASKING FOR INFORMATION
To ask politely for information we
can use a phrase like:
• Could you tell me...?
• Do you know...?
• Have you any idea...?
REQUESTS AND ORDERS
We can use the structure tell/ask
someone to do something.
Go inside:
She asked me to go inside.
She told me to go inside.
Don't go inside:
She asked me not to go inside.
She told me not to go inside.
OFFERS, SUGGESTIONS AND MORE
We can use agree, offer, promise,
refuse and threaten with a toinfinitive:
I'll open the windows.
He offered to open the windows.
OFFERS, SUGGESTIONS AND MORE
We can also use an object + toinfinitive after advise, invite,
remind and warn.
Don't forget to bring the toys.
He reminded me to bring the toys.
OFFERS, SUGGESTIONS AND MORE
We can use admit, apologize for,
insist on and suggest followed by
an -ing form.
You should play cards with us.
He insisted on playing cards.