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Understanding Reported Speech Rules

Reported Speech, or Indirect Speech, conveys what someone has said without quoting their exact words, involving changes in tense, pronouns, and time/place words. It includes rules for reporting questions, commands, and advanced uses such as modals and mixed tenses. The document outlines basic to advanced reporting techniques with examples for clarity.

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Damith Soysa
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10 views3 pages

Understanding Reported Speech Rules

Reported Speech, or Indirect Speech, conveys what someone has said without quoting their exact words, involving changes in tense, pronouns, and time/place words. It includes rules for reporting questions, commands, and advanced uses such as modals and mixed tenses. The document outlines basic to advanced reporting techniques with examples for clarity.

Uploaded by

Damith Soysa
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Reported Speech

Reported Speech (also called Indirect Speech) is used to report what someone else has said,
without quoting their exact words.
Direct Speech:
She said, "I am tired."

Reported Speech:
She said that she was tired.

1. Basic Rules (Simple Level)

Changes in Tense (backshift)


Direct Speech Reported Speech
"I am happy" He said he was happy.

"I like ice cream" She said she liked ice cream.
"I went to school" He said he had gone to school.

Changes in Pronouns
Direct Speech Reported Speech
"I am busy," she said. She said she was busy.

"We are ready," they said. They said they were ready.

Time and Place Words


Direct Reported
Today that day

Tomorrow the next day


Now then
Here there

2. Reporting Different Tenses (Intermediate Level)

Direct Speech (Tense) Reported Speech (Tense)

Present Simple: "He eats rice." Past Simple: He said he ate rice.
Present Continuous: "I am going." Past Continuous: She said she was going.
Present Perfect: "I have seen it." Past Perfect: He said he had seen it.
Past Simple: "I saw it." Past Perfect: She said she had seen it.

3. Reporting Questions

Yes/No Questions
Use if or whether:
Direct: "Do you like tea?"

Reported: She asked if I liked tea.


Wh- Questions
Keep the question word (who, what, when, where, why, how):
Direct: "Where do you live?"
Reported: He asked where I lived.
Don't use question word order. Use statement word order.

4. Reporting Commands and Requests

Use verbs like tell, ask, advise, order, warn, followed by to + verb.
Direct: "Please sit down."
Reported: She asked me to sit down.
Direct: "Don’t be late!"
Reported: He told me not to be late.

5. Advanced Uses

Reporting Modals
Direct Reported

"I will go" He said he would go.


"You must study" She said I had to study.
"I can swim" He said he could swim.
"May I leave?" He asked if he might leave.

Mixed Tense and Context

Sometimes tense does not change when the fact is still true:
Direct: "The sun rises in the east."
Reported: He said the sun rises in the east.

Reporting with advanced verbs:

Instead of just said, use:


admitted: He admitted that he was wrong.
promised: She promised to help me.
warned: They warned us not to go there.

suggested: He suggested going to the beach.

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