Reported SpeechThere are two ways of relating what a person has said: direct and indirect. In direct speech we repeat the original speaker’s exact words. E.g. He said, “I have lost my umbrella.”Remarks thus repeated are placed between inverted commas, and a comma or colon is placed immediately before the remark.Direct speech is found in conversations, in books, in plays, any quotations.

In direct speech we the exact meaning of a remark or speech, without necessarily using the speaker’s exact words:He said that he had lost his umbrella.Indirect speech is normally used in conversation, though direct speech is sometimes employed here to give more dramatic effect. When we turn direct speech into indirect, some changes are usually necessary.

A. The future, future cont-, simple present, present cont-, present perfect, present perfect cont- as follows:

Direct speech Indirect speechFuture Future continuousSimple presentPresent continuousPresent perfectPresent perfect continuous

To conditionalTo conditional continuousTo simple pastTo past continuousTo past perfectTo past perfect continuous

E.g. He said, “Ann will be in Paris on Monday. =He said that Ann would be in Paris on Monday.He said, “I’ll be using the car myself on the 24th.”=He said that he would be using the car himself on the 24th.

B. In theory the past tense changes to the past perfect, but in spoken English it is often left unchanged, provided this can be done without causing confusion about relative times of actions. E.g. He said, “I loved her.” must become He said he had loved her.

In written English past tense usually do change to past perfect but there are the following expectations:

• I. Past/past continuous tense used in time clauses do not normally change:

He said, “When we were living/lived in Paris…” =He said that when they were living/lived in Paris…The main verb of such sentences can either remain unchanged or become the past perfect: He said, “When we were living/lived we often saw Paul.’ =He said that when they were living/lived in Paris they often saw Paul/had often seen Paul.

II. A past tense used to describe a state of affairs which still exists when the speech is reported remains unchanged.

• She said, “I decided not to buy the house because it was on the main road.”

• She said that she had decided to buy the house because it was on a main road.

III. Would, should, ought, had better, might, used to, could and must do not normally change:

• He said, “I might be there.”• He said that he might be there.

IV. Conditional sentences type 2 remain entirely unchanged, and past tenses (subjective) used after wish, would rather, it is time:

• He said, “If my children were older I would emigrate.

• He said that if his children were older he would emigrate.

• He said, “I wish I knew.”• He said that he wished he knew.• She said, “I’d rather Tom went.”• She said that she’d rather Tom went.

C. The past continuous tense in theory changes to the past perfect continuous but in practice usually remains unchanged except when it refers to a completed action:

• She said, “We were thinking of selling the house but we have decided not to.”

• She said that they had been thinking of selling the house but had decided not to.

Other changes necessary when turning direct speech into indirect speech:• A. In indirect speech the conjunction that can be

placed immediately after he introductory verb, but it is not essential and is often omitted:

Other changes cont-

• He said, “I have seen a ghost.”• He said (that) he had seen a ghost.B. Pronouns and possessive adjectives normally change

from first or second person to third person except when the speaker is reporting his own words:

• I said, “I like my new house.”• I said that I liked my new house (speaker reporting his

own words).• “You’ve overcooked the steak again, Mary,” he said.• He told Mary that she had overcooked the steak

again.

c. This and these

• This is used in time expression usually become 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 (s) for his

mother.

D. Adverbs and adverbial phrases or time change as follows:

Direct Indirect

TodayYesterdayThe day before yesterdayTomorrow

The day after tomorrowNext week/year etc.Last week/year etc.A year ago

That dayThe day beforeTwo days beforeThe next day/the following dayIn two day’s time The following week/year the previous week/yearA year before/the previous year

Questions in indirect speech

• 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 the statement.

• The interrogative form of the verb changes to the affirmative form. The question mark (?) is therefore 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.

Questions in indirect speech cont-• But inquire, wonder, 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 word is repeated in the indirect question:

• He said, “Why didn’t you put on the brake?”• He asked (her) why she hadn’t put on the brake.

Questions in indirect speech cont-• If there is no question word if or whether is placed

after the introductory verb:• “Is anyone there?” he asked.• He asked if any was there.• “Did you enjoy the party?” she asked.• She asked whether I had enjoyed the party.

Questions beginning shall I/we and will you/would you/could you

• A. Questions beginning shall I/we can be of four kinds:

I. Speculations, or requests for information about a future event:

“Where shall I be this time next year?” This follows the ordinary rule about shall/will.

Speculations are usually introduce by wonder: He wondered where he would be in a year’s

time.

Questions beginning shall I/we and will you/would you/could you cont-

• II. Requests for instructions or advice: “What shall I do with it?”(=tell me what to do

with it).These are expressed in indirect speech by ask, inquire

etc., with should or the be + infinitive construction; requests for advice are normally reported by should:

“Shall we send it to you flat, sir?” he said. He asked the customer if they were to send it to

his flat.

• He asked the customer if they should send it to his flat.

• III. Offers: “Shall I bring you some tea?” could be reported: He offered to bring me some tea.• IV. Suggestions: “Shall we meet at the theater?” could be

reported: He suggested meeting at the theater.• B. Questions beginning will you/would you/could

you may be ordinary questions but may also be requests, commands or invitations:

• He said, “Will you be there tomorrow?” (ordinary question)

• He asked if she would be there the next day.But He said, “Will you help me, please?” (request) =He asked me to help him.He said, “Will you have a drink/Would you like a

drink?” (invitation) =He offered me a drink or asked if I would have

/like a drink. “Will you post this for me?” he said. =He asked if I would post for him.

Indirect commands

• Direct command: He said, “Lie down, Tom.”• Indirect command: He told me to lie down.Changes necessary when we turn direct commands

into indirect commands: A. The introductory verb, say, etc., changes to a

verb of command or request, such as tell, order, command, ask etc. (see the example above).

B. The introductory verb of the indirect command must be followed immediately by the person addressed and the infinitive (i.e. the accusative + infinitive construction):

Indirect commands cont-

He said, “Get your coat, Tom.” =He told Tome to get his coat.In direct commands the person addressed is often not

mentioned: He said, “Go away.”But in indirect commands the person addressed must

be included, so that in cases such as the above it is necessary to add a noun or pronoun:

He told me (him, her, the children ) to go away.

Indirect commands cont- C. Negative commands are expressed by not

+infinitive He said, “Don’t move, boys.” =He told the boys not to move. D. Beg, urge, remind, warn, advise, recommend

and invite are often useful in indirect commands/requests:

He said, “Please, please give me another chance.” He begged them to give him another chance.

Indirect commands cont-

E. Commands/requests introduced by will you/would you/could you:

When used for requests they are expressed in indirect speech by ask + object + infinitive.

He said, “Will you/would you/could you sign my autograph book, please?”

=He asked the champion to sign his autograph book.Let’s let him/them and second person suggestionsHe said, “Let’s leave the case at the station.” =He suggested leaving the case at the station.