R E P O RT E D S P E E C H
Presented by:
Maissae Mansouri
Zakariae Ech chaafai
Ismail Elhilaly
CONTEN
Defining reported speech
TS Changes
Direct VS Reported speech Questions in indirect speech
Statements in indirect speech Expressing indirect commands
Defining reported speech
• Reported speech, also known as
indirect speech, is the process of
paraphrasing or reporting someone else’s
words.
• It involves conveying what someone
said without using their exact words.
Direct VS Reported speech
• In direct speech, we quote the
speaker’s exact words, using quotation
marks.
He said, 'I have lost my umbrella.'
• In reported speech, we report what
someone said without using quotation
marks. It involves paraphrasing the
original statement.
He said (that) he had lost his umbrella.
• There is no comma after say in indirect speech.
• that can usually be omitted after say and tell + object. But it should be
kept after other verbs: complain, explain, object, point out, protest,
etc.
• When we turn direct speech into indirect, some changes are usually
necessary. These are most easily studied by separately considering
statements, questions, and commands.
Statements in indirect speech
• Indirect speech can be introduced by a verb in the present tense: He says that.
..
This is usual when we are:
(a) reporting a conversation that is still going on
(b) reading a letter and reporting what it says
(c) reading instructions and reporting them
(d) reporting a statement that someone makes very often, e.g. Tom says that he'll never
get married.
• When the introductory verb is in a present, present perfect or future tense we can report
the direct speech without any change of tense:
PAUL (phoning from the station): I'm trying to get a taxi.
ANN (to Mary, who is standing beside her): Paul says he is trying to get a taxi.
• But indirect speech is usually introduced by a verb in the past tense. Verbs in
the direct speech have then to be changed into a corresponding past tense.
Changes in verb tenses
• When converting direct speech to reported
speech, we need to shift the verb tenses
one step back in time. This process is called
backshifting.
• Most modals do not undergo backshifting in
reported speech. There are, however, a few
exceptions.
CHANGES IN VERB TENSES & MODALS
PRESENT* PAST* PAST PERFECT*
PRESENT PERFECT* PAST PERFECT*
WILL WOULD
SHALL SHOULD
MUST/HAVE TO HAD TO
CAN COULD
MAY MIGHT
OUGHT TO
*When backshifting, the aspect (simple or continuous) remains
NOTE
Future Conditional
He said, I will/shall be in Paris =He said he would be in Paris
on Monday. on Monday.
Future continuous Conditional continuous
‘I will/shall be using the car =She said she’d be using the
myself on the 24th,’ She said car herself on the 24th.
But note, But note,
Conditional Conditional
I said, ‘I would/should like to =I said I would/should like to
see it’ see it.
All those changes represent the distancing effect of the reported speech. Common
sense and the time aspect from the speaker’s point of view are more important
than the rules when making the usual changes.
Change in Pronouns
• In reported speech, pronouns often change
based on the context. Possessive
pronouns and adjectives also need
adjustment to match the reported speaker.
• First-person pronouns may change to
third-person pronouns, reflecting the
speaker perspective.
Change in Pronouns
• Pronouns and possessive adjectives usually change from first or second to third person
except when the speaker is reporting his own words:
He said, 'I've forgotten the combination of my safe' = He said that he had forgotten the
combination of his safe.
I said, 'I like my new house' = I said that I liked my new house, (speaker reporting his own
words)
• Sometimes a noun must be inserted to avoid ambiguity: Tom said. 'He came in through
the window' would not normally be reported Tom said he had come in through the
window as this might imply that Tom himself had come in this way; but if we use a noun
there can be no confusion:
Tom said that the man/burglar/cat etc, had come in . . .
Change in Pronouns
• this and these
• this used in time expressions usually becomes that:
He said, 'She is coming this week' = He said that she was coming that week. Otherwise, this
and that used as adjectives usually change to the:
He said, 'I bought this pearl/these pearls for my mother' = He said that he had bought the
pearl/pearls for his mother.
• this, these used as pronouns can become, it, they/them:
He said, 'We will discuss this tomorrow' = He said that they would discuss it the next day.
• this, these (adjectives or pronouns), used to indicate choice or to distinguish some things
from others, can become the one(s) near him etc., or the statement can be reworded: 'I'll
have this (one),' he said to me = He said he would have the one near him or He pointed
to/touched/showed me the one he wanted.
Change in Adverbials
• Time references shift to reflect the
reported speaker’s perspective, such as
changing “today” to “that day”.
• Similarly, place references may need
adjustments based on the reported context,
e.g., changing “here” to “there”.
TODAY THAT DAY
THE NEXT / FOLLOWING
TOMORROW
CHANGES IN ADVERBIALS DAY
YESTERDAY THE DAY BEFORE
NOW THEN
AT THE MOMENT AT THAT MOMENT
THE DAY BEFORE
TWO DAYS BEFORE
YESTERDAY
THE DAY AFTER
IN TWO DAYS’ TIME
TOMORROW
NEXT WEEK/YEAR etc. THE FOLLOWING WEEK/.
LAST WEEK/YEAR etc. THE PREVIOUS WEEK/.
A YEAR etc. AGO A YEAR BEFORE
HERE THERE
IN THIS CITY IN THAT CITY
NOTE
-Logical adjustments are of course
-If the speech is made and reported on
necessary if a speech is reported one/two
the same day these time changes are not
days after it is made.
necessary:
On Monday Jack said to Tom: I'm leaving the
At breakfast this morning he said. ‘I’ll be very
day after tomorrow. If Tom reports this speech
busy today'
on the next day (Tuesday) he will probably say:
At breakfast this morning he said that he
Jack said he was leaving tomorrow. If he
would be very busy today.
reports it on Wednesday, he will probably say:
Jack said he was leaving today.
Imagine you want to repeat sentences that you heard two weeks ago in another place. Rewrite the
sentences in the reported speech. Change pronouns and expressions of time and place where
necessary.
• She said, "I went to the cinema yesterday."
→ She said that she had gone to the cinema the day before.
• He said, "I am writing a test tomorrow."
→ He said that he was writing a test the next day.
• You said, "I will do this for him."
→ You said that you would do that for him.
• She said, "I am not hungry now."
→ She said that she was not hungry then.
• They said, "We have never been here before."
→ They said that they had never been there before.
• They said, "We were in Tanger last week."
→ They said that they had been in Tanger the week before.
Questions in indirect speech
Direct question: He said, 'Where is she going?'
Indirect question: He asked where she was going.
When we turn direct questions into indirect speech, the following changes are necessary:
• Tenses, pronouns and possessive adjectives, and adverbs of time and place change as in statements.
• The interrogative form of the verb changes to the affirmative form.
• The question mark (?) is omitted in indirect questions:
He said, 'Where does she live?' = He asked where she lived.
If the introductory verb is 'say,' it must be changed to a verb of inquiry, e.g. ask, inquire, wonder, want
to know, etc.:
He said, 'Where is the station?' = He asked where the station was.
ask, inquire, wonder can also be used in direct speech. They are then usually placed at the end of the
sentence:
'Where is the station?' he inquired.
Questions in indirect speech
ask can be followed by the person addressed (indirect object):
He asked, 'What have you got in your bag?' = He asked (me) what I had got in
my bag.
But wonder and want to know cannot take an indirect object, so if we wish to report a
question where the person addressed is mentioned, we must use ask:
He said, 'Mary, when is the next train?' = He asked Mary when the next train
was.
If the direct question begins with a question word (when, where, who, how, why etc.) the
question word is repeated in the indirect question:
He said, 'Why didn't you put on the brake?' = He asked (her) why she hadn 'f put
on the brake.
She said, 'What do you want?' = She asked (them) what they wanted.
If there is no question word, if or whether must be used:
Is anyone there?' he asked = He asked if/whether anyone was there.
'Do you know Bill?' he said = He asked if/whether I knew Bill.
Reported questions –
Exercise
Mark, "Has John arrived?"
Mark asked me if John had arrived.
Ronald, "Where does Maria park her car?"
Ronald asked me where Maria parked her car.
Anne, "Did you watch the latest film?"
Anne asked me if I had watched the latest film.
Justin, "What are you doing?"
Justin asked me what I was doing.
Frank, "How much pocket money does Lisa get?"
Frank wanted to know how much pocket money Lisa got.
Anne, "Must I do the shopping?"
Anne asked if she had to do the shopping.
Expressing indirect commands
Commands, requests, and advice in indirect speech
Direct command: He said, 'Lie down, Tom.’
Indirect command: He told Tom to lie down.
Indirect commands, requests, and advice are usually expressed by a verb of
command/request/advice + object + infinitive.
A. The following verbs can be used: advise, ask, beg, command, encourage, entreat, forbid, implore,
invite, order, recommend, remind, request, tell, urge, warn.
He said, 'Get your coat, Tom!' = He told Tom to get his coat.
'You had better hurry, Bill!' she said = She advised Bill to hurry.
B. Negative commands or requests are usually reported by not + infinitive: 'Don't swim out too
far, boys,' I said = I warned/told the boys not to swim out too far.
C. Verbs in A above require object + infinitive, i.e. they must be followed directly by the person
addressed without preposition: He said, 'Go away!' When reporting we must add a noun or
pronoun: He told me/him/her/us/them/the children to go away
Expressing indirect commands
Examples of indirect commands, requests, and advice Note that the imperative usually expresses
direct commands, but that requests and advice can be expressed in various ways:
'If I were you, I’d stop taking tranquilizers,' I said = I advised him to stop taking tranquilizers.
'Why don't you take off your coat?' he said = He advised me to take off my coat.
' Would/Could you show me your passport, please?' he said = He asked me to show him my
passport.
'Do sit down.' said my hostess =- My hostess asked/invited me to sit down.
'Don't forget to order lunch.' said Maria = Maria reminded her sister to order lunch.
Exercise
The doctor said to me, "Stop smoking!".
→ The doctor told me to stop smoking.
"Get out of the car!" said the policeman.
→ The policeman ordered him to get out of the car.
The man with the gun said to us, "Don't move!"
→ The man with the gun warned us not to move.
"Don't worry about us," they said.
→ They told her not to worry about them.
"Don't be late," he advised us.
→ He advised us not to be late.
"Park your car behind the hotel, please," the porter asked me.
→ The porter asked me to park our car behind the hotel.
Exclamations and yes and
no
Exclamations usually become statements in indirect speech. The exclamation mark
disappears.
1 Exclamations beginning What a ... or How ... can be reported
(a) by exclaim/say that:
He said, 'What a dreadful idea!' or 'How dreadful.'' = He exclaimed that it was a
dreadful idea/was dreadful or
(b) by giving an exclamation of delight/disgust/horror/relief/ surprise etc.
2 Other types of exclamation, such as Good! Splendid! Heavens! Oh! Ugh! etc. can be
reported as:
'Good!' he exclaimed = He gave an exclamation of pleasure/satisfaction.
' Ugh!' she exclaimed and turned the program off = With an exclamation of
disgust she turned the program off.
Note also: He said, 'Thank you!' = He thanked me. He said, 'Good luck!' = He
wished me luck. He said, 'Happy Christmas'.' = He wished me a happy Christmas.
He said, 'Congratulations' = He congratulated me. He said, 'Liar!' = He called me
a liar. He said, 'Damn’ etc. = He swore.
yes and no are expressed in indirect speech by subject + appropriate ' auxiliary
verb:
He said, 'Can you swim?’ and I said ‘ No' = He asked (me) if I could swim and I
Thank
you