Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.

Reported speeches

General rule

In the reported speech, the tense used in the speaker’s sentence is always moved back a tense when the reporting verb is in the past (said, told, asked…). But it does not change when the reporting verb is in the present simple, present perfect or in the future.

A: Change in tenses

B: Change in time and place

Exercise1:

Report the following sentences without changing their meanings

1. “I will come and see you on Friday if that’s possible” (she said)

…………………………………………………………………………………………

2. “The conference will be spending a considerable time discussing the word debt crisis” (it said)

…………………………………………………………………………………………

3. “The shop’s closing in half an hour” (she explained)

…………………………………………………………………………………………

4. “My new computer has made a lot of difference to me” (she says)

…………………………………………………………………………………………

5. “When we were setting up the organization, we had very little money” (they told me)

…………………………………………………………………………………………

6. “You work too late. You should take more time off” (he has told me)

………………………………………………………………………………………

C: Reporting questions

The rule about tense changes apply to the questions in the same way as it apply to the statements

C.1: Wh-questions

The subject and the verb are not inverted in the reported speech

“Why didn’t you tell me the truth?”

She asks me why I hadn’t told her the truth

C.2: Yes/no-questions

Put if or whether before the subject + verb

“Have I seen you before?”

She asked me if she had seen me before

To-infinitive in reported speech

In reported requests, advice and commands… use to-infinitive

“Can you help me write my speech?”

She asked me to help her write her speech

“Don’t stay out too late”

She told me not to stay out too late

When reporting shall/should questions, we can use to-infinitive after the question word:

“How much should we give them?”

He wanted to know how much to give them

“What should I buy for Peter?”

She asked me what to buy for Peter

“Should I tell her what happened?”

He wanted to know whether to tell her what had happened

Note: we don’t use the to-infinitive after why or if

Practice:

Write the following words in reported speech

1. “Where do you think we should advertise?” (She asked me)

……………………………………………………………………………………………

2. “Are you going to audition for the play” (Emma asked me)

……………………………………………………………………………………………

3. “Give me a ring if you need any help” (he told me)

……………………………………………………………………………………………

4. “How is Laura getting on?” (She often asks me…you…)

……………………………………………………………………………………………

5. “Must we stay here all evening?” (He asked)

………………………………………………………………………………………………

6. “Do you think you could keep your voice down a bit” (she asked us)

………………………………………………………………………………………………

7. “What have you done with the students ‘record?” (She asked me)