Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way to convey what someone said without using their exact words. It is used in conversation, journalism, fiction, and more. In English, we use reported speech to talk about what someone said or thought in the past. In this comprehensive guide, we will cover the basics of reported speech, including tense changes, using reporting verbs, converting direct speech to reported speech, and handling time expressions. We will also discuss common mistakes students make while using reported speech in English.
What is Reported Speech?
Reported speech is a way of reporting what someone has said. It is also known as indirect speech because the speaker does not use the exact words of the original speaker.
Types of Reported Speech
Reported speech can be divided into four types:
a. Reported statements: These are sentences that report what someone said.
For example:
Direct speech: “I am going to the store.”
Reported speech: She said she was going to the store.
b. Reported questions: These are sentences that report what someone asked.
For example:
Direct speech: “Are you going to the store?”
Reported speech: She asked if I was going to the store.
c. Reported requests: These are sentences that report what someone asked for.
For example:
Direct speech: “Can you pass me the salt?”
Reported speech: She asked if I could pass her the salt.
d. Reported orders: These are sentences that report what someone ordered.
For example:
Direct speech: “Bring me some water.”
Reported speech: She ordered me to bring her some water.
Tense Changes in Reported Speech
In reported speech, we often change the tense of the verb from the original sentence. The following chart shows how tense changes work in reported speech:
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| Present simple | Past simple |
| Present continuous | Past continuous |
| Present perfect | Past perfect |
| Past simple | Past perfect |
| Past continuous | Past perfect continuous |
| Past perfect | Past perfect |
| Future | Conditional |
Here are some examples:
Direct speech: “I am going to the store.”
Reported speech: She said she was going to the store. (Present simple becomes past simple)
Direct speech: “I am studying English.”
Reported speech: He said he was studying English. (Present continuous becomes past continuous)
Direct speech: “I have finished my homework.” Reported speech: She said she had finished her homework. (Present perfect becomes past perfect)
Direct speech: “He went to the store.”
Reported speech: She said he had gone to the store. (Past simple becomes past perfect)
Direct speech: “I was watching TV.”
Reported speech: She said she had been watching TV. (Past continuous becomes past perfect continuous)
Direct speech: “They had already left.”
Reported speech: He said they had already left. (Past perfect remains past perfect)
Direct speech: “I will come tomorrow.”
Reported speech: She said she would come the next day. (Future becomes conditional)
Reporting Verbs
In reported speech, we use reporting verbs such as said, told, asked, and ordered to introduce the reported speech. The choice of reporting verb depends on the type of speech being reported and the relationship between the original speaker and the reporter.
Here are some examples:
Direct speech: “I love chocolate.”
Reported speech: She said she loved chocolate.
Direct speech: “What time is it?”
Reported speech: He asked what time it was.
Direct speech: “Please close the door.”
Reported speech: She told me to close the door.
Direct speech: “Don’t touch that!”
Reported speech: He ordered me not to touch that.
Converting Direct Speech to Reported Speech
To convert direct speech to reported speech, follow these steps:
a. Identify the reporting verb: Identify the verb that introduces the reported speech. This could be said, told, asked, ordered, and so on.
b. Identify the subject and verb: Identify the subject and verb of the reported speech.
c. Change the tense: Change the tense of the verb in the reported speech according to the rules we discussed earlier.
d. Change pronouns and adverbs: Change any pronouns or adverbs in the reported speech to reflect the new subject or time frame.
e. Use appropriate punctuation: Use a comma before the reported speech and a full stop at the end of the reported speech.
Here are some examples:
Direct speech: “I love you,” he said.
Reported speech: He said he loved me.
Direct speech: “What are you doing?” she asked.
Reported speech: She asked what I was doing.
Direct speech: “Don’t forget to bring the book,” he reminded her.
Reported speech: He reminded her not to forget to bring the book.
Direct speech: “I will call you later,” she promised.
Reported speech: She promised she would call me later.
Time Expressions
When using reported speech, it is important to pay attention to time expressions, such as yesterday, last week, or tomorrow. These expressions indicate when the original speech was made and may need to be adjusted in the reported speech.
When the reported speech refers to something that is still true, we do not change the time expressions.
For example:
Direct speech: “I live in New York.”
Reported speech: She said she lives in New York.
When the reported speech refers to something that is no longer true, we need to adjust the time expressions.
For example:
Direct speech: “I saw him yesterday.”
Reported speech: She said she had seen him the day before.
When the reported speech refers to something that will happen in the future, we also need to adjust the time expressions.
For example:
Direct speech: “I will call you tomorrow.”
Reported speech: She said she would call me the next day.
Common Mistakes
Here are some examples to illustrate common mistakes in using reported speech:
a. Forgetting to change the tense of the verb in the reported speech:
Direct speech: “I am going to the party,” she said.
Incorrect reported speech: She said she is going to the party.
Correct reported speech: She said she was going to the party.
In this example, the student forgot to change the tense of the verb “am” to “was” in the reported speech. This mistake can lead to confusion about the timing of the events being reported.
b. Using the wrong reporting verb:
Direct speech: “Can you help me?” he asked.
Incorrect reported speech: He said he can help me.
Correct reported speech: He asked if he could help me.
In this example, the student used the reporting verb “said” instead of “asked.” This mistake can change the meaning of the reported speech and make it unclear whether the speaker was making a statement or asking a question.
c. Forgetting to change pronouns or adverbs in the reported speech:
Direct speech: “I will see you later,” she said to him.
Incorrect reported speech: She said she would see me later.
Correct reported speech: She said she would see him later.
In this example, the student forgot to change the pronoun “me” to “him” to reflect the new subject of the reported speech. This mistake can lead to confusion about who said what and to whom.
d. Misusing time expressions:
Direct speech: “I saw him yesterday,” she said.
Incorrect reported speech: She said she saw him today.
Correct reported speech: She said she had seen him the day before.
In this example, the student misused the time expression “today” instead of “the day before,” which accurately reflects the past tense of “yesterday.” This mistake can create confusion about the timing of the events being reported.
Practice Questions:
1. Direct speech: “I am happy,” she said.
Reported speech:
2. Direct speech: “Can you help me with my homework?” he asked.
Reported speech:
3. Direct speech: “I have never been to Paris before,” she said.
Reported speech:
4. Direct speech: “Don’t forget to buy bread,” he reminded her.
Reported speech:
5. Direct speech: “I am going to the beach tomorrow,” she said.
Reported speech:
6. Direct speech: “What are you doing?” he asked.
Reported speech:
7. Direct speech: “I will study harder next time,” she promised.
Reported speech:
8. Direct speech: “I am sorry I cannot come,” he said.
Reported speech:
9. Direct speech: “I am cooking dinner,” she said.
Reported speech:
10. Direct speech: “I will visit my parents next week,” he said.
Reported speech:
11. Direct speech: “I love you,” she said.
Reported speech:
12. Direct speech: “Don’t touch that!” he shouted.
Reported speech:
13. Direct speech: “Have you finished the report?” she asked.
Reported speech:
14. Direct speech: “I had a great time,” he said.
Reported speech:
15. Direct speech: “I will be there at 8 o’clock,” she said.
Reported speech:
16. Direct speech: “I can’t go to the party,” he said.
Reported speech:
17. Direct speech: “I was watching TV,” she said.
Reported speech:
18. Direct speech: “Will you help me with this?” he asked.
Reported speech:
19. Direct speech: “I don’t like pizza,” she said.
Reported speech:
20. Direct speech: “I have been working all day,” he said.
Reported speech:
21. Direct speech: “Please come to my party,” she said.
Reported speech:
22. Direct speech: “I am reading a book,” he said.
Reported speech:
23. Direct speech: “I have never seen that before,” she said.
Reported speech:
24. Direct speech: “I will call you later,” he said.
Reported speech:
25. Direct speech: “I had a dream last night,” she said.
Reported speech:
Practice Answers:
- She said she was happy.
- He asked if I could help him with his homework.
- She said she had never been to Paris before.
- He reminded her not to forget to buy bread.
- She said she was going to the beach the next day.
- He asked what I was doing.
- She promised she would study harder next time.
- He said he was sorry he could not come.
- She said she was cooking dinner.
- He said he would visit his parents the following week.
- She said she loved him.
- He ordered me not to touch that.
- She asked if I had finished the report.
- He said he had had a great time.
- She said she would be there at 8 o’clock.
- He said he couldn’t go to the party.
- She said she had been watching TV.
- He asked if I would help him with that.
- She said she didn’t like pizza.
- He said he had been working all day.
- She asked me to come to her party.
- He said he was reading a book.
- She said she had never seen that before.
- He said he would call me later.
- She said she had had a dream the previous night.
