What Is Reported Speech?

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way to tell someone what another person said without using their exact words. Instead of quoting them directly, we change the original words slightly.

Direct Speech vs. Reported Speech

• Direct Speech: Using the exact words someone said.
  Example: Sarah said, “I am hungry.”
• Reported Speech: Telling what someone said without quoting exactly.
  Example: Sarah said that she was hungry.

Why Is Reported Speech Important?

We often need to share information about what others have said. Understanding reported speech helps you communicate more effectively in English. It allows you to relay messages, stories, and conversations accurately.

How to Form Reported Speech

When changing direct speech into reported speech, you need to make some changes:

1. Pronouns: Change pronouns to match the perspective.
2. Verb Tenses: Usually shift the verb tense back one step.
3. Time and Place Words: Adjust words like “today” or “here” to fit the context.

1. Changing Pronouns

Pronouns are words like I, you, he, she, we, they.

Example:

• Direct Speech: John said, “I am tired.”
• Reported Speech: John said that he was tired.

2. Changing Verb Tenses

In reported speech, we usually move the verb tense back one step in time. This is called backshifting.

Verb Tense Changes

Direct Speech	Reported Speech
Present Simple “I eat apples.”	Past Simple He said he ate apples.
Present Continuous “I am eating apples.”	Past Continuous He said he was eating apples.
Present Perfect “I have eaten apples.”	Past Perfect He said he had eaten apples.
Past Simple “I ate apples.”	Past Perfect He said he had eaten apples.
Will “I will eat apples.”	Would He said he would eat apples.
Can “I can eat apples.”	Could He said he could eat apples.

Examples:

• Direct: “She works hard,” he said.
  Reported: He said that she worked hard.
• Direct: “They are watching a movie,” she said.
  Reported: She said that they were watching a movie.
• Direct: “I have finished my homework,” he said.
  Reported: He said that he had finished his homework.

3. Changing Time and Place Words

Words that show time and place may change in reported speech.

Common Changes:

Direct Speech	Reported Speech
now	then
today	that day
yesterday	the day before
tomorrow	the next day
here	there
this	that
these	those

Examples:

• Direct: “I will go tomorrow,” she said.
  Reported: She said that she would go the next day.
• Direct: “We are meeting here,” they said.
  Reported: They said that they were meeting there.

Special Cases in Reported Speech

Reporting Questions

When reporting questions, we change the question into a statement form and adjust the tense and pronouns.

Yes/No Questions

We use “if” or “whether” to introduce the reported speech.

Example:

• Direct: “Do you like pizza?” he asked me.
• Reported: He asked me if I liked pizza.

Wh- Questions

We use the question word (who, what, where, when, why, how) to introduce the reported speech.

Example:

• Direct: “Where are you going?” she asked him.
• Reported: She asked him where he was going.

Reporting Commands and Requests

When reporting commands or requests, we use verbs like “told” or “asked” followed by an object and the infinitive form of the verb.

Commands

Example:

• Direct: “Close the door,” she said to me.
• Reported: She told me to close the door.

Requests

Example:

• Direct: “Please help me,” he said to her.
• Reported: He asked her to help him.

Exercises

Practice changing the following sentences from direct speech to reported speech.

Exercise 1: Statements

1. “I am learning English,” she said.
2. “We have finished our project,” they said.
3. “He will come to the party,” John said.
4. “She can’t find her keys,” he said.
5. “They went to the museum yesterday,” she said.

Exercise 2: Questions

1. “What are you doing?” he asked me.
2. “Did you see the movie?” she asked him.
3. “Why is she crying?” they asked.
4. “Can you help me?” she asked.
5. “Where have you been?” he asked her.

Exercise 3: Commands and Requests

1. “Please sit down,” the teacher said to us.
2. “Don’t touch that,” he told the child.
3. “Turn off the lights,” she said to him.
4. “Bring me the book,” he said to me.
5. “Write your name here,” the officer said.

Answers

Exercise 1 Answers

1. She said that she was learning English.
2. They said that they had finished their project.
3. John said that he would come to the party.
4. He said that she couldn’t find her keys.
5. She said that they had gone to the museum the day before.

Exercise 2 Answers

1. He asked me what I was doing.
2. She asked him if he had seen the movie.
3. They asked why she was crying.
4. She asked if I could help her.
5. He asked her where she had been.

Exercise 3 Answers

1. The teacher told us to please sit down.
2. He told the child not to touch that.
3. She told him to turn off the lights.
4. He told me to bring him the book.
5. The officer told me to write my name there.

Tips for Mastering Reported Speech

• Practice regularly: The more you practice, the easier it becomes.
• Learn the tense changes: Familiarize yourself with how tenses shift.
• Pay attention to pronouns: Always adjust pronouns to match the speaker.
• Listen and read: Pay attention to reported speech in conversations and texts.
• Use time expressions carefully: Remember to change words like “today” to “that day.”

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Forgetting to change the tense: Always check if the verb tense needs to shift.
• Not adjusting pronouns: Ensure pronouns match the new subject.
• Leaving time and place words the same: Change words like “here” to “there.”
• Confusing “say” and “tell”: Use “say” when not mentioning the listener; use “tell” when mentioning who was told.

Conclusion

Reported speech is a valuable tool in English communication. It allows you to share information accurately and effectively. By understanding how to change pronouns, verb tenses, and time expressions, you can master reported speech. Keep practicing with the exercises provided, and soon you’ll be confident in using reported speech in your conversations and writing.