Reported Speech: Important Grammar Rules and Examples
Reported speech is a very common aspect of the English language. You use it nearly every day, both in conversations and in writing. This reference covers key sections about reported speech, including what it is, examples, rules, and verb tense changes. You’ll also learn about modal verbs, changes in time and place, and different reporting verbs.
Reported Speech
What Is Reported Speech?
Reported speech is simply when you tell somebody what someone else said. You can do this in your writing, or in speech. Reported speech is very different from direct speech , which is when you show what somebody said in the exact way that they said it . In reported speech though, you do not need to quote somebody directly.
Instead, you use a reporting verb, such as ‘say’ or ‘ask’. These reporting verbs are used to report the speech to someone else. There are many different reporting verbs that can be used.
In short, reported speech is the linguistic technique that you use to tell somebody what someone else’s direct speech was. In reported speech though, you may need to make certain changes to the grammar to make the sentence make sense. Some examples below highlight what needs to be changed.
Reported Speech Examples
When using reported speech, you are usually talking about the past. The verbs, therefore, usually have to be in the past too.
For example :
- Direct speech: I’ve lost my umbrella .
- Reported speech: He said (that) he had lost his umbrella.
Another example :
- Direct speech: She is doing her homework .
- Reported speech: He said (that) she was doing her homework.
Table of Changes :
Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
---|---|
I am | He said he was |
I have | She said she had |
I will | They said they would |
Reported Speech Rules
Verb tense changes in reported speech.
When the reporting verb is in the present tense, only small changes are needed.
- Direct speech: I like dogs.
- Reported speech: She says she likes dogs.
When the reporting verb is in the past tense, you need to change the tense of both the reporting verb and the main verb.
- Reported speech: She said she liked dogs.
The tenses generally move backward as follows:
Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
---|---|
Past Simple | |
Present Continuous | Past Continuous |
Past Perfect | |
Past Simple | Past Perfect |
Past Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous |
Past Perfect | Past Perfect (remains unchanged) |
For sentences about the future, you also need to change the future verbs.
- Direct speech: I shall leave in a moment.
- Reported speech: She said that she would leave in a moment.
Here are the changes for future tenses:
Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
---|---|
Will | Would |
Will be | Would be |
Will have | Would have |
Will have been | Would have been |
Modal Verbs and Reported Speech
Modal verbs also change when used in reported speech.
Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
---|---|
Can | Could |
Could | Could (unchanged) |
Have to | Had to |
Must | Must/Had to |
May | Might |
Might | Might (unchanged) |
Should | Should (unchanged) |
- Direct speech: Will I see you later?
- Reported speech: He asked if he would see me later.
Some modal verbs do not need to change tense because they fit naturally.
- Direct speech: I should go to the park.
- Reported speech: He told me he should go to the park.
Here are both correct and incorrect examples of reported speech for clarity:
- Reported speech: He told me he should go to the park.
- Reported speech: He said he should go to the park.
- Incorrect reported speech: He told he should go to the park.
- Incorrect reported speech: He said me he should go to the park.
To correct these:
- Add ‘me’: He told me he should go to the park.
- Remove ‘me’ or add ‘to’: He said he should go to the park or He said to me he should go to the park.
Direct and Indirect Speech
Changes in time and place in reported speech.
References to time and place often need to change when you use indirect speech. Here is a useful guide to these changes:
Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
---|---|
Now | Then |
Today | That day |
Here | There |
This | That |
Tomorrow | The following day/ The next day |
Next week | The following week/ The week after |
Yesterday | The previous day/ The day before |
Last week | The previous week/ The week before |
Ago | Previously/ Before |
Tonight | That night |
No Change in Verb Tenses in Reported Speech
In some cases, verb tenses do not change when you report speech indirectly. Here are the key instances:
- When the introductory verb is in the present , present perfect , or future .
- When the reported sentence deals with a fact or general truth .
- When the reported sentence contains a time clause .
- If the verb of the sentence is in the unreal past (the second or the third conditional ).
- The subjunctive stays unchanged in the subordinate clause .
- Had better , could , would , used to , should , might , ought to , and mustn’t remain unchanged.
- If the speaker reports something immediately or soon after it was said .
Reporting Verbs in Indirect Speech
Reporting verbs are crucial in indirect speech. Here is a list categorized by their usage:
- Basic Verbs : Tell, say, ask
- Verb + that + clause : Complain, deny, explain, exclaim, remark, promise, boast, inform somebody, claim, agree, suggest
- Verb + to + infinitive : Agree, offer, refuse, demand, threaten, promise, claim
- Verb + indirect object + to + infinitive : Advise, allow, beg, command, encourage, forbid, invite, want, instruct, permit, urge, order, remind, warn
- Verb + “ing” form : Admit (to), accuse somebody of, apologize for, boast about/of, complain to somebody of, deny, insist on, suggest
- Verb + how : Explain to somebody
Reported Questions
When converting questions from direct to indirect speech, you follow rules similar to those for statements. Verbs used include inquire, wonder, want to know, ask.
Reported Commands and Requests
Commands and requests in Indirect Speech are formed using the to-infinitive and not to-infinitive . Common reporting verbs include order, shout, demand, warn, beg, command, tell, insist, beseech , threaten, implore, ask, propose, forbid.
Pronoun and tense changes are needed when shifting from direct to indirect speech.
Reported Speech Video
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Reported Speech
Perfect english grammar.
Reported Statements
Here's how it works:
We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. ( Click here for more about using 'say' and 'tell' .) If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence:
- Direct speech: I like ice cream.
- Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.
We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I' to 'she', for example. We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your'. (As I'm sure you know, often, we can choose if we want to use 'that' or not in English. I've put it in brackets () to show that it's optional. It's exactly the same if you use 'that' or if you don't use 'that'.)
But , if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported speech:
- Reported speech: She said (that) she liked ice cream.
present simple | I like ice cream | She said (that) she liked ice cream. |
present continuous | I am living in London | She said (that) she was living in London. |
past simple | I bought a car | She said (that) she had bought a car OR She said (that) she bought a car. |
past continuous | I was walking along the street | She said (that) she had been walking along the street. |
present perfect | I haven't seen Julie | She said (that) she hadn't seen Julie. |
past perfect* | I had taken English lessons before | She said (that) she had taken English lessons before. |
will | I'll see you later | She said (that) she would see me later. |
would* | I would help, but... | She said (that) she would help but... |
can | I can speak perfect English | She said (that) she could speak perfect English. |
could* | I could swim when I was four | She said (that) she could swim when she was four. |
shall | I shall come later | She said (that) she would come later. |
should* | I should call my mother | She said (that) she should call her mother |
might* | I might be late | She said (that) she might be late |
must | I must study at the weekend | She said (that) she must study at the weekend OR She said she had to study at the weekend |
* doesn't change.
- Direct speech: The sky is blue.
- Reported speech: She said (that) the sky is/was blue.
Click here for a mixed tense exercise about practise reported statements. Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.
Reported Questions
So now you have no problem with making reported speech from positive and negative sentences. But how about questions?
- Direct speech: Where do you live?
- Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.
- Direct speech: Where is Julie?
- Reported speech: She asked me where Julie was.
Where is the Post Office, please? | She asked me where the Post Office was. |
What are you doing? | She asked me what I was doing. |
Who was that fantastic man? | She asked me who that fantastic man had been. |
- Direct speech: Do you like chocolate?
- Reported speech: She asked me if I liked chocolate.
Do you love me? | He asked me if I loved him. |
Have you ever been to Mexico? | She asked me if I had ever been to Mexico. |
Are you living here? | She asked me if I was living here. |
Click here to practise reported 'wh' questions. Click here to practise reported 'yes / no' questions. Reported Requests
There's more! What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:
- Direct speech: Close the window, please
- Or: Could you close the window please?
- Or: Would you mind closing the window please?
- Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.
Please help me. | She asked me to help her. |
Please don't smoke. | She asked me not to smoke. |
Could you bring my book tonight? | She asked me to bring her book that night. |
Could you pass the milk, please? | She asked me to pass the milk. |
Would you mind coming early tomorrow? | She asked me to come early the next day. |
- Direct speech: Please don't be late.
- Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.
Reported Orders
- Direct speech: Sit down!
- Reported speech: She told me to sit down.
Go to bed! | He told the child to go to bed. |
Don't worry! | He told her not to worry. |
Be on time! | He told me to be on time. |
Don't smoke! | He told us not to smoke. |
- Click here for an exercise to practise reported requests and orders.
now | then / at that time |
today | yesterday / that day / Tuesday / the 27th of June |
yesterday | the day before yesterday / the day before / Wednesday / the 5th of December |
last night | the night before, Thursday night |
last week | the week before / the previous week |
tomorrow | today / the next day / the following day / Friday |
- Click here for an exercise about using 'say' and 'tell'.
- Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.
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Reported Speech
If we want to say what somebody has said, we basically have two options:
- We can use the person's exact words - in quotation marks "..." if we are writing ( direct speech ).
- We can change the person's words into our own words ( reported speech ).
direct speech (exact words) | reported speech (my words) |
---|---|
He said: "I love you." | He said that he loved me. |
In this lesson we learn about reported speech , the structure that we use when we report what another person has said, and reported speech rules.
Now we will look at:
- Reported Statements
- Time and Place
- Reported Questions
- Reported Requests
- Reported Orders And then you can check your understanding of reported speech with...
- Reported Speech Quiz
Reported speech is called "indirect speech" by some people. Other people regard reported speech simply as one form of indirect speech. Other forms are, for example:
- questions-within-questions: Can you tell me if they are expensive?
- mental processes: He believes that politics is a dirty game.
Search form
- B1-B2 grammar
Reported speech
Daisy has just had an interview for a summer job.
Instructions
As you watch the video, look at the examples of reported speech. They are in red in the subtitles. Then read the conversation below to learn more. Finally, do the grammar exercises to check you understand, and can use, reported speech correctly.
Sophie: Mmm, it’s so nice to be chilling out at home after all that running around.
Ollie: Oh, yeah, travelling to glamorous places for a living must be such a drag!
Ollie: Mum, you can be so childish sometimes. Hey, I wonder how Daisy’s getting on in her job interview.
Sophie: Oh, yes, she said she was having it at four o’clock, so it’ll have finished by now. That’ll be her ... yes. Hi, love. How did it go?
Daisy: Well, good I think, but I don’t really know. They said they’d phone later and let me know.
Sophie: What kind of thing did they ask you?
Daisy: They asked if I had any experience with people, so I told them about helping at the school fair and visiting old people at the home, that sort of stuff. But I think they meant work experience.
Sophie: I’m sure what you said was impressive. They can’t expect you to have had much work experience at your age.
Daisy: And then they asked me what acting I had done, so I told them that I’d had a main part in the school play, and I showed them a bit of the video, so that was cool.
Sophie: Great!
Daisy: Oh, and they also asked if I spoke any foreign languages.
Sophie: Languages?
Daisy: Yeah, because I might have to talk to tourists, you know.
Sophie: Oh, right, of course.
Daisy: So that was it really. They showed me the costume I’ll be wearing if I get the job. Sending it over ...
Ollie: Hey, sis, I heard that Brad Pitt started out as a giant chicken too! This could be your big break!
Daisy: Ha, ha, very funny.
Sophie: Take no notice, darling. I’m sure you’ll be a marvellous chicken.
We use reported speech when we want to tell someone what someone said. We usually use a reporting verb (e.g. say, tell, ask, etc.) and then change the tense of what was actually said in direct speech.
So, direct speech is what someone actually says? Like 'I want to know about reported speech'?
Yes, and you report it with a reporting verb.
He said he wanted to know about reported speech.
I said, I want and you changed it to he wanted .
Exactly. Verbs in the present simple change to the past simple; the present continuous changes to the past continuous; the present perfect changes to the past perfect; can changes to could ; will changes to would ; etc.
She said she was having the interview at four o’clock. (Direct speech: ' I’m having the interview at four o’clock.') They said they’d phone later and let me know. (Direct speech: ' We’ll phone later and let you know.')
OK, in that last example, you changed you to me too.
Yes, apart from changing the tense of the verb, you also have to think about changing other things, like pronouns and adverbs of time and place.
'We went yesterday.' > She said they had been the day before. 'I’ll come tomorrow.' > He said he’d come the next day.
I see, but what if you’re reporting something on the same day, like 'We went yesterday'?
Well, then you would leave the time reference as 'yesterday'. You have to use your common sense. For example, if someone is saying something which is true now or always, you wouldn’t change the tense.
'Dogs can’t eat chocolate.' > She said that dogs can’t eat chocolate. 'My hair grows really slowly.' > He told me that his hair grows really slowly.
What about reporting questions?
We often use ask + if/whether , then change the tenses as with statements. In reported questions we don’t use question forms after the reporting verb.
'Do you have any experience working with people?' They asked if I had any experience working with people. 'What acting have you done?' They asked me what acting I had done .
Is there anything else I need to know about reported speech?
One thing that sometimes causes problems is imperative sentences.
You mean like 'Sit down, please' or 'Don’t go!'?
Exactly. Sentences that start with a verb in direct speech need a to + infinitive in reported speech.
She told him to be good. (Direct speech: 'Be good!') He told them not to forget. (Direct speech: 'Please don’t forget.')
OK. Can I also say 'He asked me to sit down'?
Yes. You could say 'He told me to …' or 'He asked me to …' depending on how it was said.
OK, I see. Are there any more reporting verbs?
Yes, there are lots of other reporting verbs like promise , remind , warn , advise , recommend , encourage which you can choose, depending on the situation. But say , tell and ask are the most common.
Great. I understand! My teacher said reported speech was difficult.
And I told you not to worry!
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Reported Speech – Free ESL Lesson Plan
Our new ESL Lesson Plan , “Introduction to Reported Speech,” helps students understand how to describe someone else’s words. Learning how to transform direct speech into reported speech is essential to everyday communication, and students will certainly benefit from this engaging lesson that includes clear descriptions, examples and practice opportunities. Keep reading to find out what to expect and how to teach it virtually or in-person.
When should you teach “Introduction to Reported Speech”?
“Introduction to Reported Speech” is an ESL lesson plan download aimed at students with advanced proficiency levels. To fully grasp the material, students must be very comfortable with changing verbs between various tenses including the perfect, simple and continuous tenses.
You can download the lesson plan here:
How to teach the “Introduction to Reported Speech” lesson
To help students understand this concept, this lesson breaks down the components of transforming direct speech into reported speech: pronouns, tenses, time and the removal of quotation marks. It also spends a substantial portion of slides going over how to backshift by “going back a tense” and how to employ possessive adjectives successfully.
The slides are playful and illustrated with many pictures and fun examples to keep your students engaged and motivated.
If you are looking for even more information on how to teach this lesson plan on reported speech, be sure to download a free Off2Class account . You will gain access to teacher notes that will guide and prepare you.
Don’t forget about our free lessons!
If you enjoyed this ESL lesson plan download, there are 149 more available here . The lesson plans are designed to save you time . Also, let us know what kind of lessons you are looking for from Off2Class. More than anything, we love hearing from our teachers. So leave your general suggestions, lesson plan ideas, teaching philosophy or anything related in the comments below. Happy teaching!
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Reported Speech - Prediction Game. To report statements said by the characters of the movie School of Rock. Students predict how to report in indirect speech, and then the answer is revealed so they can... 852 uses. A selection of English ESL reported speech video quizzes.
25 Reported speech statements English ESL video lessons. SORT BY. Most popular. TIME PERIOD. All-time. msgchan. Dumbo Trailer - Repo. Reported Speech Stat. 189 uses. msgchan. ... Reported speech prac. 18 uses. msgchan. Peppa Pig - Broken W. Reported speech - pe. 274 uses. Kisdobos. The Princess Who Nev. Fifteen sentences ne. 21785 uses.
124 Reported Speech (Indirect speech) English ESL video lessons. SORT BY. Most popular. TIME PERIOD. All-time. Kisdobos. The Princess Who Nev. Fifteen sentences ne. 21783 uses. alejandracano. Coco Trailer - Repor. Students will have t. 17106 uses. vampirufo. Black Panther Traile. Gap filling exercise. 14322 uses. juanguillenn.
Here is a link to practice Reported Speech in movies:https://en.islcollective.com/video-lessons/reported-speech-movie-quotes
Here is a link to practice direct speech:https://en.islcollective.com/video-lessons/reported-speech-direct-speech
Learn all about reported speech or indirect speech!Reported speech or indirect speech is used to report something that someone said in the past.Practice here...
COCO REPORTED SPEECH: ESL video lesson of the day on March 12, 2018 by romi1227 https://en.islcollective.com/video-lessons/coco-reported-speech
We have included an idea of a competition in which students predict the actual events and some of the language in the video (using narrative tenses and reported speech) and then check each other's work.
Reported Speech Examples. When using reported speech, you are usually talking about the past. The verbs, therefore, usually have to be in the past too. For example: Direct speech: I've lost my umbrella. Reported speech: He said (that) he had lost his umbrella. Another example: Direct speech: She is doing her homework.
Nightcrawler - Interrogation Scene - Reported Speech. Practice reported speech using a variety of reporting verbs. 63 uses. A selection of English ESL reported speech: reporting verbs video quizzes.
Watch my reported speech video: Here's how it works: We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. ... Time Expressions with Reported Speech Sometimes when we change direct speech into reported speech we have to change time expressions too. We don't always have to do this, however. It depends on when we heard the direct speech and when we say ...
If you're looking for some of the best reported speech games and activities, then I've got the top 5 of them for you in this video. Continue watching for the...
Reported Speech. If we want to say what somebody has said, we basically have two options: We can use the person's exact words - in quotation marks "..." if we are writing ( direct speech ). We can change the person's words into our own words ( reported speech ). He said: "I love you." He said that he loved me.
167 Reported speech English ESL video lessons. SORT BY. Most popular. TIME PERIOD. All-time. Sofyg. Reported Speech - Pr. To report statements. 848 uses. Gryzelda1. The Crown - Reported. Students learn and r. 652 uses. mariadltl. Grammar Tutorial - R. Listen to the explan. 601 uses. AnnaChyrkova. Oppenheimer Trailer . The students need to.
Yes, and you report it with a reporting verb. He said he wanted to know about reported speech. I said, I want and you changed it to he wanted. Exactly. Verbs in the present simple change to the past simple; the present continuous changes to the past continuous; the present perfect changes to the past perfect; can changes to could; will changes ...
Students will have to rewrite direct speech into indirect speech from the dialogues of Coco. Donate a coffee. English ESL Video Lessons. Grammar Practice. General grammar practice. Reported Speech (Indirect speech) Coco Trailer - Reported Speech. alejandracano.
http://www.learn-to-speak-english-esl.com This lesson gives the definition of "reported speech" or "indirect speech." It demonstrates the pronoun and verb ch...
Reported Speech. Greg: "I am cooking dinner Maya.". Maya: "Greg said he was cooking dinner.". So most often, the reported speech is going to be in the past tense, because the original statement, will now be in the past! *We will learn about reporting verbs in part 2 of this lesson, but for now we will just use said/told.
When teaching reported speech the potential for mistakes, errors, and the general difficulty is enormous due to the number of changes that are made with verb...
Our new ESL Lesson Plan, "Introduction to Reported Speech," helps students understand how to describe someone else's words.Learning how to transform direct speech into reported speech is essential to everyday communication, and students will certainly benefit from this engaging lesson that includes clear descriptions, examples and practice opportunities.
Video Lessons. Search. Filters. Browse Topics: Grammar Topics General Topics. 394 Reported speech English ESL worksheets pdf & doc. SORT BY. Most popular. TIME PERIOD. All-time. Zmarques. Reported Speech. It consists of seven. 103487 uses. ... reported speech. reported speech. sim. 5679 uses ...
This video is about reported speech.To make reported speech in English, change direct speech in the following way:Present changes to past.Past changes to pas...