REPORTED SPEECH
Reported speech is when we tell someone what another person said.
To do this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech.
direct speech: 'I work in a bank,' said Daniel.
indirect speech: Daniel said that he worked in a bank.
In indirect speech, we often use a tense which is 'further back' in the
past (e.g. worked) than the tense originally used (e.g. work). This is
called 'backshift'. We also may need to change other words that were
used, for example pronouns.
Present simple, present continuous and present perfect
When we backshift, present simple changes to past simple, present
continuous changes to past continuous and present perfect changes
to past perfect.
'I travel a lot in my job.'
Jamila said that she travelled a lot in her job.
'The baby's sleeping!'
He told me the baby was sleeping.
'I've hurt my leg.'
She said she'd hurt her leg.
Past simple and past Continuous
When we backshift, past simple usually changes to past perfect
simple, and past continuous usually changes to past perfect
continuous.
'We lived in China for five years.'
She told me they'd lived in China for five years.
'It was raining all day.'
He told me it had been raining all day.
Past perfect
The past perfect doesn't change.
'I'd tried everything without success, but this new medicine is great.'
He said he'd tried everything without success, but the new
medicine was great.
Pronouns, demonstratives and adverbs of time and place
Pronouns also usually change in indirect speech.
'I enjoy working in my garden,' said Bob.
Bob said that he enjoyed working in his garden.
'We played tennis for our school,' said Alina.
Alina told me they'd played tennis for their school.
However, if you are the person or one of the people who spoke, then
the pronouns don't change.
'I'm working on my thesis,' I said.
I told her that I was working on my thesis.
'We want our jobs back!' we said.
We said that we wanted our jobs back.
We also change demonstratives and adverbs of time and place if they
are no longer accurate.
'This is my house.'
He said this was his house. [You are currently in front of the
house.]
He said that was his house. [You are not currently in front of the
house.]
'We like it here.'
She told me they like it here. [You are currently in the place
they like.]
She told me they like it there. [You are not in the place they
like.]
'I'm planning to do it today.'
She told me she's planning to do it today. [It is currently still the
same day.]
She told me she was planning to do it that day. [It is not the
same day any more.]
In the same way, these changes to those, now changes
to then, yesterday changes to the day before, tomorrow changes
to the next/following day and ago changes to before.
ACTIVITY
'My best friend at school became a nurse first, then a paramedic.' →
He told me that his best friend at school ___ a nurse first, then a
paramedic.
was becoming
had become
has become
'I had lived in four countries by the age of ten.' → She said that she
___ in four countries by the age of ten.
lived
was living
had lived
'I commute 45 minutes to work.' → She told me that she ___ 45
minutes to work, but I bet it takes longer now with the roadworks.
has commuted
commuted
had commuted
'We were hoping to have our wedding in June.' → She told me that
they ___ to have their wedding in June. In the end, though, they got
married in September.
had been hoping
are hoping
have been hoping
'Oh, hi, Ethan! I'm just leaving, unfortunately.' → When I got there I
saw him, but he said he ___.
is just leaving
was just leaving
had just left
'We've seen four elephants already and it's only our first day.' → He
said that they ___ four elephants on their first day. Imagine what
animals they've seen by now!
were seeing
have seen
had seen
'I love this restaurant!' → We could go back to Bella Roma? Chloe said
she loved ___ restaurant!
that
this
there
'I told Dom to email you three days ago.' → She said that she had told
Dom to email me three days ___, but it's been a week now and I still
haven't heard.
then
ago
before