Reported Speech

REPORTED SPEECH

Reporting Statements

What is Reported Speech?

It's used when we want to talk about something we said or heard someone say in the past or in another situation.

For example:

"I fell asleep during the maths lesson," said Martin.

Becomes:

Matin said that he had fallen asleep during the maths lesson.

How do we use Reported Speech?

• Usually, when we report something in the past the verb "goes back" one tense.

• For example: "I have a present"

• Becomes: He said he had a present.

So . . .

• Present Simple ► Past Simple

• Present Continuous ► Past Continuous

• Present Perfect ► Past Perfect

• But... What about past tenses?

With Past Tenses . . .

• Past Simple ► Past Perfect

• Past Continuous ► Past Perf. Continuous

• Past Perfect ► Past Perfect

• Remember we always 'go back'.

Reporting Verbs

• These are verbs we use to start our 'report'. For statements we usually use the verbs:

• He said that he had been there before.

• She told me that she liked my idea.

• For tell you need an object while we use say without anything after it.

• She said me that she ate ice-cream. X

• He told he liked to ride bicycles. X

Multiple Choice

"I see the clouds.".

He told me that she ________ the clouds.

• sees

• is seeing

• saw

Multiple Choice

"My mother is taking the bus to work now".

He told me that his mother ________ the bus to work then.

• is taking

• was taking

• will take

Multiple Choice

"I loved him very much".

My sister told me that she ________ him very much.

• was loving

• had loved

• would love

Multiple Choice

"I am writing an email to my girlfriend."

He told me that he ________ an email to his girlfriend.

• is writing

• was writing

• writes

Other things that change . . .

• will/can/may ► would/could/might

• have to/must ► had to

• would/could/might/should ► no change

'Deitic' Words

• Deictic words  are those whose meaning shifts depending on the point of view of the speaker.

• "I'm polishing my nails" ► Steph said she was polishing her nails.

• "I will go tomorrow" ► He said that he would go the following day.

• today ► that day

• now ►at that moment

• here ► there / this ► that

• yesterday ► the previous day / the day before

Multiple Choice

Report this sentence correctly.

He said, "I will ring her."

• He said that he would have rung her.

• He said that he would ring her.

• He said that he will ring her.

Multiple Choice

Report this sentence correctly.

Tom said "I’m going to London tomorrow."

Five days later you say...

• Tom said he is going to London the following day.

• Tom said he was going to London the following day.

• Tom said he was going to London tomorrow.

Multiple Choice

Report this sentence correctly.

‘I can swim really fast.’

• He said that he could swim really fast.

• He told that he could swim really fast.

• He said me that he could swim really fast.