INDIRECT SPEECH

Good afternoon teacher and class, we are group 7.

Our group has six members: Nguyen Gia Long, Vo Tran Huy, Do Huyen Trang, Le Vu
Ngoc Anh, Nguyen Thu Phuong and Nguyen Yen Ngoc.

Today our group is here to talk about reported speech.

There are two parts in our presentation. The first is REPORTING AND
SUMMARIZING and the second is about TYPES OF INDIRECT SPEECH.

EXPLANATIONS:

Reported speech is used to convey someone’s words without changing the meaning of
the entire sentence. It focuses on the content of the message rather than a repetition.
The structure of reported sentence depends on whether the speaker is reporting a
statement, a question or a command.

I. REPORTING AND SUMMARIZING

In real life, we often tell someone what other people have told us. This is called
reported or indirect speech. We rarely convey exact words, but usually just give a
general summary.

For example, Long is speaking to Huy:

“I hope you can come to my birthday party.”

Then, Huy reports the conversation to Trang:

“I met Long yesterday. He said he hoped me to come to his birthday party.”

As you can see, we usually change tenses (hope is changed to hoped in the example
above) and also other references like people, places and times (you and next week are
changed to me and the following week in the example above).

1. TENSE CHANGES

Statements are generally reported using a past tense verb (such as said) and an optional
“that”. In this case, the verb in the reported clause will shift back one tense. This is
sometimes backshift.
If the reporting verb is in the past (for example, “said”), we normally need to shift the
tense of the original statement back.

English has 12 basic tenses, that can be broken down into three groups: the past, the
present and the future.

We can easily see that the past has 4 tenses, there are no change in past perfect and
past perfect continuous. This is because we can’t really go any further back in the past.

For example: “I had cooked dinner for my roommate.” Phuong said.

-> Phuong said that she had cooked dinner for her roommate.

However, there will be changes in Past Simple and Past Continuous.

+) Direct: Past Simple: S + Ved.

-> Indirect: Past Perfect Simple: S + had + PII.

e.g: “I opened a shop” Anna said.

-> Anna said that she had opened a shop.

+) Direct: Past Continuous: S + was/were + V-ing

-> Indirect: Past Perfect Continuous: S + had + been + V-ing.

e.g: “I was doing my homework” She said.

-> She said that she had been doing her homework.

Next, let’s move on the present tense:

+) Direct: Present Simple: S + Vs/es.

-> Indirect: Past Simple: S + Ved.

e.g: “I want to buy a laptop” He said.

-> He said that he wanted to buy a laptop.

+) Direct: Present Continuous: S + am/is/are + V-ing.

-> Indirect: Past Continuous: S + was/were + V-ing.

 e.g: “I am studying.” Trang said.

-> Trang said that she was studying.

+) Direct: Present Perfect: S + has/have + PII.

-> Indirect: Past Perfect Simple: S + had + Ved/ PII.

e.g: “I have had dinner” He said.

-> He said he had had dinner.

+) Direct: Present Perfect Continuous: S + has/have + been + V-ing.

-> Indirect: Past Perfect Continuous: S + had + been + V-ing.

e.g: “It has been raining for a week” They said.

-> They said that it had been raining for a week.

Let’s move to the future tenses:

+) Direct: Near Future: S + am/is/are going to + V.

-> Indirect: S + was/were + V-ing.

e.g: She said, “I am going to visit my grandma tomorrow”.

-> She said that she was going to visit her grandma the next day.

+) Direct: Simple Future: S + will + V.

-> Indirect: S + would + V.

e.g: She said, “I will call you tomorrow”.

-> She said she would call me the next day.

Finally, let’s move on Modal Verbs.

+) Direct : S+ modal verbs + V.

-> Indirect : S+ past forms of modal verbs + V.

can → could / be able to.

 may → might

must → had to

should / ought to → should / ought to

will / shall → would / should

have to / need → had to / needed to

needn’t → needn’t / didn’t have to

e.g: “I can book a return ticket,” said Thomas.

->Thomas said he could book a return ticket.

2. NO TENSE CHANGES

Indirect speech without tense change occurs when the original verb tense is preserved
in the reported sentence. This typically happens when the information is still relevant,
universally true, or follows specific grammatical structures.

 Fact or general truth

If the statement expresses a scientific fact, a law of nature, or a permanent truth, the
present tense remains unchanged because the situation is still true.

The scientist said, “The earth is round.”

=> The scientist stated that the earth is round.

 Time clause

When a sentence contains a time clause (usually starting with when, while, as soon as),
the tenses within that time clause do not shift to avoid confusing the sequence of
events.

“I met her while I was walking in the park” he said.

=> He said that he met her while he was walking in the park.

 The second or the third conditional

Since the Second and Third Conditionals deal with “unreal” or “hypothetical” pasts,
we do not shift the tense further back to maintain the specific logic of the condition.

“If I had wings, I would fly to Hawaii” the girl said.

=> The girl said that if she had wings, she would fly to Hawaii.

 The subjunctive

The Subjunctive mood (often used after wish, would rather, or its time) remains
unchanged because it describes a desire or an imaginary state, not a real-time action.

“I wish I were on vacation right now” said Tom.

=> Tom said he wished he were on vacation right now.

Had better, could, would, used to, should, might, ought to and mustn't

Modal verbs that are already in their “past” or “fixed” forms (had better, could, would,
should, might, ought to) do not change because they have no further backshift form.

“You had better finish the report by noon” the manager said.

=> The manager said that I had better finish the report by noon.

 Report something immediately

If you report a message immediately after hearing it, the situation is still “happening”
or “current” so the tense is kept as spoken.

“Open your books to page 45.”

=> She says we need to open our books to page 45.

The introductory verbs in the Present, Present Perfect or Future

If the verb used to introduce the speech (say, tell, announce) is not in the past tense,
the tense of the reported speech does not change.

The coach has announced, “The game will start at 7 PM.”

=> The coach has announced that the game will start at 7 PM.

3. PRONOUN AND DETERMINER CHANGES

When converting to indirect speech, pronouns and determiners must shift to reflect the
perspective of the reporter rather than the original speaker.

Direct speech Indirect Example

speech

My His/her Direct: “I am cleaning my room” Paul said.

Indirect: Paul said he was cleaning his

room.

This/ that (as The/ that Direct: “I really like this painting.” Emily
determiner) said.

Indirect: Emily said she really liked that

painting.

This/ that (as subject) It Direct: “This is a very difficult puzzle.” the
boy said.

Indirect: The boy said it was a very

difficult puzzle.

These/ those (as These/ those Direct: “I've had these shoes for years” said
determiner) James.

Indirect: James said he had had those shoes

for years.

These/ those (as object) Them Direct: “Put these in the cupboard.” my
mom told me.

Indirect: My mom told me to put them in

the cupboard.
 These/ those (as They Direct: “These are my favorite cookies.”
subject) said Clara.

Indirect: Clara said they were her favorite

cookies.

[Link] AND PLACE CHANGES

1. Changes in Place

here → there

Example

Direct speech
She said, “I really enjoy working here.”

Reported speech:
She said that she really enjoyed working there.

2. Changes in Present Time Expressions

now / at the moment → then / at that moment

Example

Direct speech:
Tom said, “I am busy now.”

Reported speech:
Tom said that he was busy then.

3. Changes in Future Time Expressions

tomorrow → the next day / the following day

Example

Direct speech:
Anna said, “I will start my new course tomorrow.”
Reported speech:
Anna said that she would start her new course the next day.

tonight → that night

Example

Direct speech:
He said, “We will watch a movie tonight.”

Reported speech:
He said that they would watch a movie that night.

4. Changes in Future Time Periods

next week / month / year → the following week / month / year

Example

Direct speech:
She said, “I will travel to Japan next year.”

Reported speech:
She said that she would travel to Japan the following year.

5. Changes in Past Time Expressions

yesterday → the day before / the previous day

Example

Direct speech:
David said, “I finished the assignment yesterday.”

Reported speech:
David said that he had finished the assignment the day before.

last week / month / year → the week / month / year before

Example

Direct speech:
Mary said, “I visited my aunt last month.”
Reported speech:
Mary said that she had visited her aunt the month before.

ago → before / previously

Example

Direct speech:
He said, “I met her three days ago.”

Reported speech:
He said that he had met her three days before.

6.2 TYPES OF INDIRECT SPEECH

1. STATEMENTS

A statement is changed from direct speech into indirect speech and is often used with
reporting verbs such as say and tell.

The structure of reported statements is:

S + reporting verb + (that) + S + V.

Note: “That” can be omitted in informal speech, but it is usually included in formal
writing.

Example 1:

Direct speech:

“I will call you tomorrow,” she said.

Reported speech:

She said that she would call me the next day.

=> Explanation:

When changing from direct speech to reported speech:

- The tense changes: will -> would.

- The pronoun changes: you -> me.

- The time expression changes: tomorrow -> the next day.

These changes are made to match the context of indirect speech.

Example 2:

Direct speech:

“We are studying English now,” they said.

Reported speech:

They said that they were studying English then.

=> Explanation:

When changing from direct speech to reported speech:

- The tense changes: are studying -> were studying

- The time expression changes: now -> then

(There is no pronoun change in this example because “we” already refers to “they” in
reported speech.)

These changes are made to match the context of indirect speech.

2. REPORTED QUESTIONS

We use reported questions when we want to report what someone else asked.

a) Yes/No Questions

These are questions that can be answered with “yes” or “no”.

Structure:

S + asked + (object) + if / whether + S + V (+ or not).

(“If” is more common in daily life, “Whether” is more formal.)

“Or not” can be added at the end of the clause.

Example 1:

Direct speech:

“Did you finish your homework?” she asked.

Reported speech:

She asked me if I had finished my homework.

There are changes in the example above:

+ “Did finish” -> “had finished” (past simple → past perfect).

+ Question order -> statement order.

+ “you” -> “I”.

+ No question mark.

Example 2:

Direct speech:

“Will you join us tonight?” Tom asked.

Reported speech:

Tom asked me if I would join them that night.

There are some changes:

+ “will” -> “would”.

+ “you” -> “I”.

+ “us” -> “them”.

+ “tonight” -> “that night”.

+ Question order -> statement order.

+ No question mark.

b) Wh-Questions (Information Questions)

These questions begin with a question word such as:

what, who, which, when, where, why, how

In reported speech, we keep the question word.

Structure:

S + asked + (object) + WH-word + S + V.

Example 1:

Direct speech:

“Where are you going now?” she asked.

Reported speech:

She asked me where I was going then.

Here are some changes:

+ “are going” → “was going” (present continuous → past continuous).

+ Word order changes to statement order.

+ “you” → “I”.

+ “now” → “then”.

+ No question mark.

Example 2:

Direct speech:

“How did they solve the problem?” the teacher asked.

Reported speech:

The teacher asked how they had solved the problem.

There are some changes:

+ “did solve” → “had solved” (past simple → past perfect)

+ Word order changes to statement order.

+ No question mark.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:

No inversion in reported questions.

Incorect: He asked me what time did the train leave.

Correct: He asked me what time the train left.

No auxiliary “do/does/did” in reported form.

No question mark.

3. REPORTED STATEMENTS WITH TO-INFINITIVES

We use to-infinitives (to + verb) to report commands, requests, advice, promises, and
offers.

Common reporting verbs: tell, ask, order, advise, remind, invite, encourage, promise,
agree, offer, want, hope.

I. Verb + to + Verb

(Without object)

Structure:

Subject + reporting verb + to + base verb.

-> This structure is used when there is no object after the reporting verb.

Example 1 - Promise:

Direct speech:

“I will finish the report tonight,” he said.

Reported speech:

He promised to finish the report that night.

Example 2 – Agreement:

Direct speech:

“I will join the meeting,” she said.

Reported speech:

She agreed to join the meeting.

II. Verb + Object + to + Verb

Structure:

Subject + reporting verb + object + to + base verb.

-> This structure is used when there is an object after the reporting verb.

Example 1 – Command:

Direct speech:

“Close the door,” she said to Tom.

Reported speech:

She told Tom to close the door.

Example 2 – Negative Command:

Direct speech:

“Don’t touch that,” he said.

Reported speech:

He told me not to touch that.

(For negative sentences: object + not to + verb).

Example 3 – Request:

Direct speech:

“Can you open the window?” she said.

Reported speech:

She asked me to open the window.

* Important Notes:

We use “to + verb” for commands and requests.

We use “not to + verb” for negative commands.

We do not use “that” in this structure.

No tense backshift is needed after “to”.

4. REPORTING STATEMENTS WITH THAT-CLAUSES

In this section, we focus on how to report statements by using that-clauses. This

structure is commonly used when we want to report information, opinions,
announcements, explanations, or confirmations.

S + reporting verb + (object) + that + clause (S + V).

The word that can be omitted in informal spoken English; however, it is usually
included in formal or academic writing for clarity.

Common reporting verbs used with that-clauses include: say, tell, explain, state,
announce, confirm, claim, admit, promise, agree, mention, and report.

When the reporting verb is in the past tense, we normally apply tense changes in the
reported clause. This is known as backshifting. For example:

+ Present simple  Past simple.

+ Present continuous  Past continuous

+ Will  Would.

+ Can  Could.

+ Present perfect  Past perfect.

For example:

+) Direct speech:
“I manage the sales department,” she said.

Reported speech:

She said that she managed the sales department.

+) Direct speech:

“The company will increase salaries next year,” the director announced.

Reported speech:

The director announced that the company would increase salaries the following year.

In addition to tense changes, time and place expressions may also need adjustment.
For instance, “today” becomes “that day”, “tomorrow” becomes “the next day”, and
“now” becomes “then”.

This structure is essential in business communication, especially when reporting

meetings, interviews, or official statements.

5. REPORTED STATEMENTS WITH GERUNDS

Form:

S + V + (O) + (prep) + V-ing.

This structure is used when certain reporting verbs are not followed by a that-clause
but instead require a gerund (V-ing form). Depending on the specific verb, the
structure may or may not include an object and a preposition. Therefore, learners need
to remember each verb together with its fixed grammatical pattern in order to use
reported speech accurately.

 S + V-ing:

- suggest

- admit

- deny

This group of verbs is followed directly by a gerund without a preposition or an object.

The structure is commonly used to report suggestions, admissions, or denials.
“Let’s improve the marketing strategy,” the director said.

 The director suggested improving the marketing strategy.

“I made a serious mistake,” she said.

 She admitted making a serious mistake.

In these examples, the content of the direct speech is transformed into a gerund phrase,
which makes the reported statement more concise and formal compared to using a
that-clause.

 S + V + preposition + V-ing:

- insist on

- dream of

- think of

- look forward to

- apologize (to sb) for

- complain about

- confess to

- object to

This group of verbs requires a fixed preposition before the gerund. The preposition is
an essential part of the verb pattern and cannot be omitted.

“I’m sorry I interrupted the meeting,” he said.

 He apologized for interrupting the meeting.

“I strongly disagree with this proposal,” she said.

 She objected to accepting the proposal.

In this structure, the gerund functions as the complement of the verb-preposition

combination.
  S + V + Object + preposition + V-ing

- accuse sb of

- thank sb for

- congratulate sb on

- prevent sb from

- warn sb about / against

- blame sb for

- criticize sb for

- praise sb for

This group of verbs requires both an object and a preposition before the gerund. The
object refers to the person who is affected by the action being reported.

“You leaked the confidential data,” the manager said to Alex.

 The manager accused Alex of leaking confidential data.

“Thank you for completing the task on time,” she said to her assistant.

 She thanked her assistant for completing the task on time.

In such cases, the structure clearly indicates the relationship between the speaker, the
listener, and the action mentioned.

Important Notes:

Different reporting verbs follow different grammatical patterns. Some verbs can take
more than one structure.

For example, with the verb deny:

deny + noun:

 She denied the allegation.

deny + that-clause:
 She denied that she was responsible.

deny + V-ing:

 She denied breaking the rules.

This demonstrates that mastering verb patterns is essential for using reported speech
accurately, particularly in academic writing and professional communication contexts.

6. REPORTED STATEMENTS WITH COMMANDS

Reported speech with commands is used to report orders, instructions, warnings,

advice, or requests given by a speaker. When changing from direct speech to reported
speech, the imperative form is transformed into an infinitive structure. Some
grammatical changes such as pronouns, time expressions, and reporting verbs may
also be required.

Affirmative Commands/ Requests

Structure:

S + told / asked + O + to + V.

This structure is used to report positive commands or requests. The imperative verb in
direct speech changes into the infinitive form “to + base verb.”

Example:

“Close the door.” → He told me to close the door.

Negative Commands/ Requests

Structure:

S + told / asked + O + not + to + V.

This structure is used to report negative commands or requests. The word “not” is
placed before the infinitive verb.

Example:
“Don’t be late.” → She told me not to be late.

Changes When Transforming into Reported Speech:

When converting commands into reported speech, several changes may occur. “Said
to” is usually replaced by “told” or “asked.” An object must be included after these
verbs. The imperative verb changes into “to + V,” and the word “please” is removed.
Time expressions and pronouns may also need adjustment, such as “today” becoming
“that day” and “this afternoon” becoming “that afternoon.”

The difference between “Told” and “Asked”:

The choice between “told” and “asked” depends on the speaker’s intention. “Told” is
used for strong commands or instructions and implies authority. “Asked” is used for
polite requests and expresses a softer tone.

Example:

“Submit the report now.” → The boss told the staff to submit the report immediately.

“Please send me the file.” → She asked him to send her the file.

Common errors:

Incorrect: The teacher told to the students to finish homework.

Incorrect: The teacher told the students finish homework.

Correct: The teacher told the students to finish homework.

The correct structure must always be: told / asked + object + to + V.

7. REPORTED STATEMENTS WITH EXCLAMATIONS

What is it?

This is when we report a sentence that originally expresses strong feelings such as
surprise, happiness, anger, admiration, etc.

Instead of keeping the exclamation form (What / How + adj + !), we change it into a
normal statement using verbs such as exclaimed that, said with excitement (that), gave
an exclamation of, cried out that, remarked that, shouted that, etc.
Form:

1. What + (a/an) + adj + noun + S + V!

➝ S + said/exclaimed that + clause

2. How + adj/adv + S + V!

➝ S + said/exclaimed that + clause

Example:

+) Direct speech: “What a beautiful view!” , she said.

Reported speech: She exclaimed that it was a beautiful view.

+) Direct speech: “How exciting the game is!” they said.

Reported speech: They said with excitement that the game was very exciting.

When do we know a sentence is an exclamation?

We know it is an exclamatory sentence when:

It shows strong emotion: Surprise 😮Happiness 😊Anger 😡Admiration 😍Shock 😲

Excitement 🤩

It ends with an exclamation mark (!)

This symbol shows a strong feeling.

Example:

What a surprise!

How fast he runs!

⚠ Note: Not every sentence with “what” or “how” is an exclamation.

Example (question not exclamation):

What is your name?

How are you?

Where are you?

How did she do that?

=>These are questions, not exclamations.

8. SPECIAL CASES:

"Special Case" refers to a situation where we don't just report what someone said, but
rather the purpose or action of their words.

Instead of repeating every word (using "say" or "tell"), these cases use a specific
Reporting Verb that summarizes the speaker's intent.

Why is this called a "Special Case"?

It is "special" because it breaks the normal rules of "Backshifting" (changing tenses).

Instead of worrying about whether "is" becomes "was," you simply choose a powerful
verb that covers the whole meaning of the exclamation.

Comparison Example:

Normal: He said, "I am grateful to you for helping me." ➝ He said that he was grateful
to me for helping him.

Special Case: He said, "Thank you!" ➝ He thanked me.

SPECIAL CASES IN REPORTED SPEECH

1. Focus on the Action, Not the Words

In standard reported speech, we usually use a "that" clause (e.g., "He said that..."). In
special cases, you use a verb that explains the social function of the speech:

 Greeting:

Instead of saying: “He said hello.” We say: greeted.

=> Structure:

S + Greeted + O.

Example:
“Hello.” ➝ He greeted me.

 Thanking:

Instead of saying: “She said thank you.”

We say: thanked.

=> Structure:

S + Thanked + O.

Example:

“Thank you!” ➝ She thanked me.

Or you can use an another strucure:

S + thanked + O + for + V-ing.

Example:

"Thanks for helping me," she said. → She thanked him for helping her.

 Apologizing:

Instead of saying: “He said sorry.”

We say: apologized.

=> Structure:

S + apologized for + V-ing.

Example:

“Sorry, I am late.” ➝ He apologized for being late.

2. Reporting Strong Emotions and Outbursts

Exclamatory sentences or short expressions can be difficult to report using normal

tense backshift rules. Therefore, we usually use reporting verbs that describe the
speaker’s attitude or feeling. When the speaker shows anger or curses, we use verbs
such as swore or cursed.
Swearing/ Angry Words.

We use swore or cursed.

Example:

“Damn!” ➝ He swore.

“Curse this fog!” ➝ He cursed the fog.

Calling Someone a Name:

If someone shouts “Liar!”, we use called.

“Liar!” ➝ He called me a liar.

3. Summarize a Decision (Agree or Disagree).

Instead of reporting "Yes" or "No" literally, we report the final decision or stance the
speaker took during the conversation

Agree:

Instead of saying Yes, let’s + V we report the final decision by using Agree

For example:

“Yes, let’s go.” ➝ He agreed to go.

Disagree:

Instead of saying No, let’s + V we report the final decision by using Be against the
idea.

For example:

“No, let’s not go.” ➝ He was against the idea.

CONCLUSION

1. Reviewing all main points

So we’ve just introduced about REPORTING AND SUMMARIZING and TYPES OF

INDIRECT SPEECH
2. Ending the presentation

We’ve finished our presentation. Do you have any questions about our topic, be
comfortable to ask. All comments are welcome.