Reported speech
The words that people say are called direct speech. See also:
Reported speech is often used to describe what Present simple 1 Past simple 7
Types of verbs 49
someone said at an earlier point in time.
REPORTED SPEECH
Direct speech uses the present simple.
The main verb in reported
speech is usually “said.”
The reported verb is
usually in a different tense
from the direct speech.
“That” is usually added after Reported speech uses the past
“said” in reported speech. simple for the reported verb.
FURTHER EXAMPLES
HOW TO FORM
Can be left out.
SUBJECT “SAID” “THAT” SUBJECT PAST SIMPLE REST OF SENTENCE
The person Past simple The subject of the Present simple in direct
who said the of “say.” direct speech. “I” speech becomes past
direct speech. becomes “he.” simple in reported speech.
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“TELL” IN REPORTED SPEECH
In reported speech, “tell” can also be used as
the main verb. It must be followed by an
object, which shows who someone is talking to.
“Say” does not need to
be followed by an object.
“Tell” must be followed by an object.
FURTHER EXAMPLES
“That” can also be
left out in reported
speech with “told.”
COMMON MISTAKES “SAY” AND “TELL” IN REPORTED SPEECH
“Told” must have an object.
“Said” cannot have an object.
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Tenses in reported speech
In reported speech, the reported verb usually “goes back” See also:
a tense. Time and place references and pronouns Present continuous 4 Past continuous 10
Past perfect simple 13 Modal verbs 56
sometimes also change.
REPORTED SPEECH IN DIFFERENT TENSES
The tense used in reported speech is usually one
tense back in time from the tense in direct speech.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
PAST CONTINUOUS
PRESENT PERFECT
PAST PERFECT
FUTURE WITH “WILL”
MODAL VERB “WOULD”
MODAL VERB “CAN”
MODAL VERB “COULD”
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REPORTED SPEECH AND THE PAST SIMPLE
The past simple in direct speech can either stay as the
past simple or change to the past perfect in reported
speech. The meaning is the same.
DIRECT SPEECH
WITH PAST SIMPLE
REPORTED SPEECH WITH
PAST SIMPLE OR PAST PERFECT
REPORTED SPEECH WITHOUT CHANGE OF TENSE
If the situation described is ongoing, the verb does
not have to change tense in reported speech.
Amelia still likes eating cake.
FURTHER EXAMPLES
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TIME AND PLACE REFERENCES
If speech is reported some time after it was said, words
used to talk about times and places may need to change.
The time reference is
“yesterday” in direct speech.
The time reference is
“the day before” in
reported speech.
FURTHER EXAMPLES
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OTHER CHANGES IN REPORTED SPEECH
In reported speech, pronouns may also need to be
changed to ensure they refer to the correct person or thing.
“These” is replaced by
the more distant “those.”
“This” is replaced by
the more distant “that.”
FURTHER EXAMPLES
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Reporting verbs
In reported speech, “said” can be replaced with a wide See also:
variety of verbs that give people more information about Present simple 1 Past simple 7
Types of verbs 49
how someone said something.
REPORTING VERBS WITH “THAT”
“Say” and “tell” do not
give any information
about the speaker’s
manner. They can be
replaced with other
verbs that suggest the
speaker’s mood or
reason for speaking. Shows unwillingness on
the part of the speaker.
FURTHER EXAMPLES
HOW TO FORM
SUBJECT REPORTING VERB (PAST TENSE) “THAT” PAST TENSE
Verb introduces reported Verb is followed Reported speech
speech and gives more by “that.” changes tense as usual.
information about it.
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REPORTING VERBS WITH OBJECT AND INFINITIVE
Some reporting verbs are followed by an object and an infinitive. English often
uses these verbs to report orders, advice, and instructions.
Reporting verb Object Infinitive
FURTHER EXAMPLES
HOW TO FORM
SUBJECT REPORTING VERB (PAST TENSE) OBJEC T INFINITIVE REST OF SENTENCE
The object shows who The infinitive usually expresses an
was being spoken to. order, instruction, or piece of advice.
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Reported speech
with negatives
Negatives in reported speech are formed in the same See also:
way as negatives in direct speech. “Not” is used with the Present simple negative 2
Past simple negative 8 Types of verbs 49
auxiliary, or with the main verb if there is no auxiliary.
REPORTING NEGATIVE AUXILIARIES
When the direct speech is negative using “do not,” “is not,” and “has not,”
“do,” “is,” or “has” changes tense, rather than the main verb.
Present simple negative.
Past simple negative.
FURTHER EXAMPLES
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REPORTING OTHER VERBS WITH NEGATIVES
If a reporting verb is followed by an object and an infinitive, “not”
goes between the object and the infinitive to form the negative.
“Not” makes the reported speech negative.
FURTHER EXAMPLES
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Reported questions
Reported questions are used to describe questions that See also:
someone has asked. Direct questions and reported Forming questions 34
Open questions 36 Types of verbs 49
questions use different word orders.
REPORTED OPEN QUESTIONS
Direct open questions
are reported by swapping
the order of the subject
and the verb.
The subject comes before the The tense in reported questions usually moves one
verb in reported questions. tense back from the tense in direct questions.
FURTHER EXAMPLES
An object can be included to say who was asked the original question.
The object of the reporting verb can be left out.
HOW TO FORM
SUBJECT REPORTING VERB OBJEC T QUESTION WORD SUBJECT VERB
The main verb in reported The object can The subject comes before the The tense moves one tense
questions is usually “ask.” be left out. verb in reported questions. back from direct speech.
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REPORTING QUESTIONS WITH “DO”
When a direct question uses
the verb “do,” this is left out of
reported questions.
Reported questions leave out The past form of the verb
the auxiliary verb “do.” is usually used.
FURTHER EXAMPLES
The tense doesn’t always change.
COMMON MISTAKES WORD ORDER IN REPORTED QUESTIONS
It is incorrect to swap
the verb and object
in reported questions.
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REPORTED CLOSED QUESTIONS
If the answer to a question in direct speech is “yes” or “no,” “if ” or “whether”
is used to report the question. “Whether” is more formal than “if.”
Direct question.
Reported question uses “if ” or “whether.”
FURTHER EXAMPLES
In reported questions with “if ” and “whether,”
the object after “asked” can be left out.
Reported questions with “if ” and “whether”
leave out the auxiliary verb “do.”
HOW TO FORM
SUBJECT “ASKED” OBJEC T “IF / WHETHER” SUBJECT VERB REST OF SENTENCE
The object can be left out. “If ” and “whether” mean the same thing, but “whether” is more formal.
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REPORTING QUESTIONS WITH “OR”
“If ” or “whether” can also be used to report
questions that use “or” in direct speech.
The verb changes tense.
FURTHER EXAMPLES
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Reported speech overview
CHANGING REFERENCES IN REPORTED SPEECH
Certain words have
TENSE
variable reference, which
means their meaning is
context-dependent.
In order to retain the
meaning of the direct
speech, reported The tense usually moves back.
speech usually revises
tenses, pronouns,
and time references.
REPORTING VERBS IN THE PRESENT TENSE
The reporting verb can be in the present tense.
In this case, the tense of the sentence doesn’t change.
Reporting verb is in The main verb doesn’t
the present tense. change tense.
Using “tell” in the present tense
can be more emphatic than “say.”
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When forming reported speech from direct speech, See also:
some words change in order to keep the meaning Present simple 1 Past simple 7 Tenses in reported
speech 44 Modal verbs 56 Personal pronouns 77
consistent. Other words stay the same.
PRONOUNS TIME REFERENCES
“My” changes to “Tomorrow” changes to
“her” to refer back “the next day” to keep
to the first speaker. the meaning the same.
REPORTING MODAL VERBS
Most modal verbs, except for “will” and “can,” behave differently from other verbs.
No matter what the tense of the direct speech, they don’t change in reported speech.
The modal verb is the
same as in direct speech.
The reported verb also doesn’t
change from direct speech.
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