Now that you know some of the reported speech rules about backshift, let’s learn some exceptions.
There are two situations in which we do NOT need to change the verb tense.
For example, if someone says “I have three children” (direct speech) then we would say “He said he has three children” because the situation continues to be true.
If I tell you “I live in the United States” (direct speech) then you could tell someone else “She said she lives in the United States” (that’s reported speech) because it is still true.
When the situation is still true, then we don’t need to backshift the verb.
But when the situation is NOT still true, then we DO need to backshift the verb.
Imagine your friend says, “I have a headache.”
We also don’t need to backshift to the verb when somebody said something about the future, and the event is still in the future.
Here’s an example:
Let’s look at a different situation:
Quick review:
Those were the rules for reported statements, just regular sentences.
What about reported speech for questions, requests, and orders?
For reported requests, we use “asked (someone) to do something”:
For reported orders, we use “told (someone) to do something:”
The main verb stays in the infinitive with “to”:
For yes/no questions, we use “asked if” and “wanted to know if” in reported speech.
The main verb changes and back shifts according to the rules and exceptions we learned earlier.
Notice that we don’t use do/does/did in the reported question:
For other questions that are not yes/no questions, we use asked/wanted to know (without “if”):
Again, notice that we don’t use do/does/did in reported questions:
Also, in questions with the verb “to be,” the word order changes in the reported question:
Learn more about reported speech:
If you want to take your English grammar to the next level, then my Advanced English Grammar Course is for you! It will help you master the details of the English language, with clear explanations of essential grammar topics, and lots of practice. I hope to see you inside!
I’ve got one last little exercise for you, and that is to write sentences using reported speech. Think about a conversation you’ve had in the past, and write about it – let’s see you put this into practice right away.
Hi, I’m Shayna. I create courses helping English as a Second Language learners become more fluent in just a few minutes a day – so they can speak English naturally and confidently in work and daily life.
Published by
Olivia Drake
Reported speech and indirect speech are two terms that refer to the same concept, which is the act of expressing what someone else has said.
On this page:
Reported speech is different from direct speech because it does not use the speaker’s exact words. Instead, the reporting verb is used to introduce the reported speech, and the tense and pronouns are changed to reflect the shift in perspective. There are two main types of reported speech: statements and questions.
1. Reported Statements: In reported statements, the reporting verb is usually “said.” The tense in the reported speech changes from the present simple to the past simple, and any pronouns referring to the speaker or listener are changed to reflect the shift in perspective. For example, “I am going to the store,” becomes “He said that he was going to the store.”
2. Reported Questions: In reported questions, the reporting verb is usually “asked.” The tense in the reported speech changes from the present simple to the past simple, and the word order changes from a question to a statement. For example, “What time is it?” becomes “She asked what time it was.”
It’s important to note that the tense shift in reported speech depends on the context and the time of the reported speech. Here are a few more examples:
Reported speech is used to report what someone else has said, thought, or written. It is often used in situations where you want to relate what someone else has said without quoting them directly.
Reported speech can be used in a variety of contexts, such as in news reports, academic writing, and everyday conversation. Some common situations where reported speech is used include:
News reports: Journalists often use reported speech to quote what someone said in an interview or press conference.
Business and professional communication: In professional settings, reported speech can be used to summarize what was discussed in a meeting or to report feedback from a customer.
Conversational English: In everyday conversations, reported speech is used to relate what someone else said. For example, “She told me that she was running late.”
Narration: In written narratives or storytelling, reported speech can be used to convey what a character said or thought.
1. Change the pronouns and adverbs of time and place: In reported speech, you need to change the pronouns, adverbs of time and place to reflect the new speaker or point of view. Here’s an example:
Direct speech: “I’m going to the store now,” she said. Reported speech: She said she was going to the store then.
In this example, the pronoun “I” is changed to “she” and the adverb “now” is changed to “then.”
2. Change the tense: In reported speech, you usually need to change the tense of the verb to reflect the change from direct to indirect speech. Here’s an example:
Direct speech: “I will meet you at the park tomorrow,” he said. Reported speech: He said he would meet me at the park the next day.
In this example, the present tense “will” is changed to the past tense “would.”
3. Change reporting verbs: In reported speech, you can use different reporting verbs such as “say,” “tell,” “ask,” or “inquire” depending on the context of the speech. Here’s an example:
Direct speech: “Did you finish your homework?” she asked. Reported speech: She asked if I had finished my homework.
In this example, the reporting verb “asked” is changed to “said” and “did” is changed to “had.”
Overall, when making reported speech, it’s important to pay attention to the verb tense and the changes in pronouns, adverbs, and reporting verbs to convey the original speaker’s message accurately.
1. Changing Pronouns: In reported speech, the pronouns in the original statement must be changed to reflect the perspective of the new speaker. Generally, the first person pronouns (I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, ours) are changed according to the subject of the reporting verb, while the second and third person pronouns (you, your, yours, he, him, his, she, her, hers, it, its, they, them, their, theirs) are changed according to the object of the reporting verb. For example:
Direct speech: “I love chocolate.” Reported speech: She said she loved chocolate.
Direct speech: “You should study harder.” Reported speech: He advised me to study harder.
Direct speech: “She is reading a book.” Reported speech: They noticed that she was reading a book.
2. Changing Adverbs: In reported speech, the adverbs and adverbial phrases that indicate time or place may need to be changed to reflect the perspective of the new speaker. For example:
Direct speech: “I’m going to the cinema tonight.” Reported speech: She said she was going to the cinema that night.
Direct speech: “He is here.” Reported speech: She said he was there.
Note that the adverb “now” usually changes to “then” or is omitted altogether in reported speech, depending on the context.
It’s important to keep in mind that the changes made to pronouns and adverbs in reported speech depend on the context and the perspective of the new speaker. With practice, you can become more comfortable with making these changes in reported speech.
In reported speech, the tense of the reported verb usually changes to reflect the change from direct to indirect speech. Here are some guidelines on how to change the tense in reported speech:
Present simple in direct speech changes to past simple in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I like pizza.” Reported speech: She said she liked pizza.
Present continuous in direct speech changes to past continuous in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I am studying for my exam.” Reported speech: He said he was studying for his exam.
Present perfect in direct speech changes to past perfect in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I have finished my work.” Reported speech: She said she had finished her work.
Past simple in direct speech changes to past perfect in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I visited my grandparents last weekend.” Reported speech: She said she had visited her grandparents the previous weekend.
Will in direct speech changes to would in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I will help you with your project.” Reported speech: He said he would help me with my project.
Can in direct speech changes to could in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I can speak French.” Reported speech: She said she could speak French.
Remember that the tense changes in reported speech depend on the tense of the verb in the direct speech, and the tense you use in reported speech should match the time frame of the new speaker’s perspective. With practice, you can become more comfortable with changing the tense in reported speech.
No, you do not always need to use a reporting verb in reported speech. However, using a reporting verb can help to clarify who is speaking and add more context to the reported speech.
In some cases, the reported speech can be introduced by phrases such as “I heard that” or “It seems that” without using a reporting verb. For example:
Direct speech: “I’m going to the cinema tonight.” Reported speech with a reporting verb: She said she was going to the cinema tonight. Reported speech without a reporting verb: It seems that she’s going to the cinema tonight.
However, it’s important to note that using a reporting verb can help to make the reported speech more formal and accurate. When using reported speech in academic writing or journalism, it’s generally recommended to use a reporting verb to make the reporting more clear and credible.
Some common reporting verbs include say, tell, explain, ask, suggest, and advise. For example:
Direct speech: “I think we should invest in renewable energy.” Reported speech with a reporting verb: She suggested that they invest in renewable energy.
Overall, while using a reporting verb is not always required, it can be helpful to make the reported speech more clear and accurate
How to use reported speech to report questions and commands?
1. Reporting Questions: When reporting questions, you need to use an introductory phrase such as “asked” or “wondered” followed by the question word (if applicable), subject, and verb. You also need to change the word order to make it a statement. Here’s an example:
Direct speech: “What time is the meeting?” Reported speech: She asked what time the meeting was.
Note that the question mark is not used in reported speech.
2. Reporting Commands: When reporting commands, you need to use an introductory phrase such as “ordered” or “told” followed by the person, to + infinitive, and any additional information. Here’s an example:
Direct speech: “Clean your room!” Reported speech: She ordered me to clean my room.
Note that the exclamation mark is not used in reported speech.
In both cases, the tense of the reported verb should be changed accordingly. For example, present simple changes to past simple, and future changes to conditional. Here are some examples:
Direct speech: “Will you go to the party with me?”Reported speech: She asked if I would go to the party with her. Direct speech: “Please bring me a glass of water.”Reported speech: She requested that I bring her a glass of water.
Remember that when using reported speech to report questions and commands, the introductory phrases and verb tenses are important to convey the intended meaning accurately.
To make questions in reported speech, you need to use an introductory phrase such as “asked” or “wondered” followed by the question word (if applicable), subject, and verb. You also need to change the word order to make it a statement. Here are the steps to make questions in reported speech:
Identify the reporting verb: The first step is to identify the reporting verb in the sentence. Common reporting verbs used to report questions include “asked,” “inquired,” “wondered,” and “wanted to know.”
Change the tense and pronouns: Next, you need to change the tense and pronouns in the sentence to reflect the shift from direct to reported speech. The tense of the verb is usually shifted back one tense (e.g. from present simple to past simple) in reported speech. The pronouns should also be changed as necessary to reflect the shift in perspective from the original speaker to the reporting speaker.
Use an appropriate question word: If the original question contained a question word (e.g. who, what, where, when, why, how), you should use the same question word in the reported question. If the original question did not contain a question word, you can use “if” or “whether” to introduce the reported question.
Change the word order: In reported speech, the word order of the question changes from the inverted form to a normal statement form. The subject usually comes before the verb, unless the original question started with a question word.
Here are some examples of reported questions:
Direct speech: “Did you finish your homework?”Reported speech: He wanted to know if I had finished my homework. Direct speech: “Where are you going?”Reported speech: She wondered where I was going.
Remember that when making questions in reported speech, the introductory phrases and verb tenses are important to convey the intended meaning accurately.
Here you can find more examples of direct and indirect questions
In reported or indirect speech, you are retelling or reporting what someone said using your own words. The tense of the reported speech is usually shifted back one tense from the tense used in the original statement. For example, if someone said, “I am going to the store,” in reported speech you would say, “He/she said that he/she was going to the store.”
The main difference between reported speech and indirect speech is that reported speech usually refers to spoken language, while indirect speech can refer to both spoken and written language. Additionally, indirect speech is a broader term that includes reported speech as well as other ways of expressing what someone else has said, such as paraphrasing or summarizing.
Leave a reply cancel reply, i’m olivia.
Welcome to my virtual classroom! Join me on a journey of language and learning, where we explore the wonders of English together. Let’s discover the joy of words and education!
Stay updated with our latest tutorials and ideas by joining our newsletter.
Type your email…
Modal verbs in conditional sentences with examples, questions in future perfect continuous tense with examples, questions in future perfect tense with examples, questions in future continuous tense with examples, questions in future indefinite (simple) tense with examples, questions in past perfect continuous tense with examples, discover more from fluent english grammar.
Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.
Continue reading
What is reported speech, changing direct speech to reported speech, changing the tense (backshifting), no change of tenses, questions in reported speech, demands/requests, expressions with who/what/how + infinitive, typical changes to time and place markers.
Reported speech is when we repeat what another person has said but instead of using their exact words in quotation marks (direct speech), we use subordinate clause introduced by a reporting verb like the ones below:
Often, we have to change the tense, pronouns and time markers in reported speech.
Learn the rules for writing indirect speech in English with Lingolia’s simple explanation. In the exercises, you can test your grammar skills.
“I’ve prepared a presentation about the product, if you’re interested?” “I would love to see it. … This product is exactly what my company has been looking for! Is there any room to negotiate on price?” “I’m happy to hear that. Unfortunately, pricing is fixed.” “That’s a shame, but I appreciate your transparency. Could you send me a written offer?” “Yes, I will contact you tomorrow to finalise the details.” |
I had an appointment with a new client yesterday. I told him that and he said . |
When turning direct speech into reported speech, we may have to change all or some of the following:
If the reporting verb is in the simple past (e.g. said, told, asked, replied … ), the tense has to be set back by one degree (see the table below). This is known as backshifting .
Direct Speech | Reported Speech | |
---|---|---|
simple present | → | simple past |
present progressive | → | past progressive |
simple past | → | past perfect simple |
present perfect simple | ||
past perfect simple | ||
past progressive | → | past perfect progressive |
present perfect progressive | ||
past perfect progressive | ||
future with going to | → | was / were going to |
future with will | → | conditional (would) |
would |
The verbs could, should, would, might, must, needn’t, ought to, used to normally do not change.
If the reporting verb is in the simple present (e.g. says, tells, asks, replies … ), then the tense remains unchanged.
While the tense remains unchanged, we often still have to change the verb form to match the new pronouns.
We often omit the word that after a reporting verb, especially in spoken language and informal contexts.
When turning questions into reported speech, we follow the same rules as for declarative sentences: we change the pronouns as well as the time and place markers and backshift the tense as needed.
In addition, we also have to bear in mind the following:
Questions in reported speech do not end in a question mark.
When turning orders, demands and requests into reported speech, we only need to change the pronouns and the time and place information.
We don’t have to pay attention to the tense – we simply use an infinitive rather than a conjugated verb.
If the imperative is negated, then we use not + infinitive .
To express what someone should or can do in reported speech, we leave out the subject and the modal verb and instead we use the construction who/what/where/how + infinitive .
Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
---|---|
today | that day |
now | then at that moment/time |
yesterday | the day before |
… days ago | … days before |
last week | the week before |
next year | the following year |
tomorrow | the next day the following day |
here | there |
this | that |
these | those |
The words say and tell are not interchangeable.
Head over to the vocabulary section to learn more about the difference between say and tell .
How good is your English?
Find out with Lingolia’s free grammar test
Take the test!
Maybe later
One of the most common mistakes when becoming familiar with this type of grammar is not knowing the difference between direct speech and reported speech and the changes related to these types of sentences.
The reported speech reproduces the words of another person by adapting certain temporal and local references of the original speech to the situation of the speaker, for example, personal pronouns, demonstratives, verb tenses, and adverbs of place or time.
It is characterized by introducing the message that is reproduced with a speaking verb followed by conjunctions that or if. The speaking verb reveals the intention of the speaker to convey what another person has said.
The most frequent speaking verbs are: say, affirm , count, explain, ask, warn, suggest, order, etc.
Both are the two different ways to transmit what someone has said.
With direct speech, the message is reproduced as we have heard it, in quotes and after a color meanwhile with reported speech the message is reproduced with our words, without commas but using that or if after the verb.
Tense Changes in Reported Speech
In short, the tense changes in the reported speech are made taking into account the verb in the direct speech. The tense changes are:
Just as there are certain changes in the verb tenses, you have to make changes in the demonstratives, pronouns , and expressions of time and place.
Other Changes in Reported Speech
Last Updated on October 25, 2023
Reported speech rules in english.
Talking about what someone else has already said, also known as reported speech, involves a few special grammar rules in English.
How you form reported speech will largely depend on what was said and when it was said. Unfortunately, you can’t always repeat back what you hear verbatim (using exactly the same words)!
So, how should you report speech in English? What are the grammar rules that dictate these indirect speech patterns? Finally, what are some examples of reported speech? We will answer all of these questions and more, but first, let’s take a look at exactly what is meant by “reported speech.”
Prefer to watch this lesson on video? Here’s our full length tutorial on Reported Speech Rules in English:
Reported speech simply refers to statements that recount what someone else has already said or asked. For example, let’s say that you and your two friends went to the movies. As you’re leaving the movie theater, the following conversation takes place:
Friend #1: That movie was really scary!
You: I know, right?
Friend #2: What did he say?
You: He said that the movie was really scary.
The last sentence is what is known as “reported speech,” because you reported something that someone else said. In most cases, a statement of reported speech uses verbs like “say” or “tell,” though you can also use verbs like “state,” “proclaim,” or “announce,” depending on the context of the original statement.
In any case, this is just one example of reported speech in the simple past tense. Different rules apply based on the verb tense and the content of the statement. First, let’s look at how reported speech statements work in the simple present tense:
If you report a statement using the simple present tense (say, tell, etc), then you can also leave the original statement in the present tense. Here are a few examples:
As you can see, both the reporting verb and the reported verb remain in the simple present tense. It is also important to note that, regardless of the tense, the word “that” is completely optional in reported speech. The meaning stays the same with or without it.
Generally, when the reporting verb is in the simple past tense, we change the reported verb as well. For example:
Since reported speech is reported after the fact, the reporting verb is usually in the simple past tense. This means that you will usually need to change the tense of the second clause. For example:
OR | ||
As you can see, the rules governing how to report speech can vary based on the tense of the original statement. Generally, you can’t go wrong if you follow these guidelines (from the original statement to reported speech):
That said, there are some exceptions in the present tense. For example, if the original statement is comprised of general information that is unchanging, you don’t need to report it in the past tense. Here are a few examples:
Reporting statements is relatively straightforward, as it usually just requires the second clause to change tense (sometimes not even that). However, reporting questions is more complex. First of all, when you report a question, you cannot just repeat the original question. Instead, you must turn it into a statement. Here’s an example question:
Do you have a lighter?
If you want to report this question later, you’ll need to change it, like so:
They asked me if I had a lighter.
Thankfully, once you learn the guidelines for reporting statements, you can apply many of the same rules to reporting questions. All of the tense changes are the same:
To keep things simple, requests are treated the same as questions when reported to someone else. For example:
However, if someone demands something, we generally report the speech using “told” instead of “asked” or “said.” Here are some commands in reported speech:
Finally, when reporting speech, you must always consider the time in which the original statement was made. If a time is mentioned within the statement, you will also have to consider how that time relates to the current moment.
You have a doctor’s appointment on Tuesday.
For example, let’s say that the statement above was reported to you a few days prior, but you reported it to someone else on Monday (the day before the appointment). You could say either of the following:
She told me that I have a doctor’s appointment on Tuesday , or
She told me that I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow.
Here are a few more time conversions to help you with reported speech:
Now that you have a better understanding of reported speech in English, it’s time to practice! Fortunately, there are a number of ways to practice reported speech in daily conversation. So, here are a few free online resources to help you get the hang of it:
Lastly, if you’d like to learn more about reported speech or find a highly qualified English tutor online to help guide you, visit Magoosh Speaking today!
Free practice (Facebook group)
Phone: +1 (510) 560-7571
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Company Home
How to use reported speech.
If you have a sentence in Direct Speech, try to follow our 5 steps to put the sentence into Reported Speech..
Mind the type of sentences when you use Reported Speech. There is more detailed information on the following pages.
If you use Reported Speech there are mostly two main differences.
The introductory sentence in Reported Speech can be in the Present or in the Past .
If the introductory sentences is in the Simple Present, there is no backshift of tenses.
If there is a pronoun in Direct Speech, it has possibly to be changed in Reported Speech, depending on the siutation.
Here I is changed to she .
If there is backshift of tenses in Reported Speech, the tenses are shifted the following way.
Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
---|---|
Simple forms | |
Simple Present | Simple Past |
Simple Past | Past Perfect |
Present Perfect | |
Past Perfect | |
will | would |
Progressive forms | |
am/are/is | was/were |
was/were | had been |
has been | |
had been |
If there is an expression of time/place in the sentence, it may be changed, depending on the situation.
Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
---|---|
this evening | that evening |
today/this day | that day |
these days | those days |
now | then |
a week ago | a week before |
last weekend | the weekend before / the previous weekend |
next week | the following week |
tomorrow | the next/following day |
here | there |
In some cases backshift of tenses is not necessary, e.g. when statements are still true. Backshift of tenses is never wrong.
when you use general statements.
* The word that is optional, that is the reason why we put it in brackets.
EnglishPost.org
Reported speech (Indirect Speech) is how we represent the speech of other people or what we ourselves say.
Reported Speech focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words
The structure of the independent clause depends on whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question, or a command.
Statement | She told me she was sick |
Question | He asked me whether I was sick or not |
Command | They ordered us to take a pill every day |
Table of Contents
Present tenses and reported speech, past tenses and reported speech, reported speech examples, reported speech and the simple present, reported speech and present continuous, reported speech and the simple past, reported speech and the past continuous, reported speech and the present perfect, reported speech and the past perfect, reported speech and ‘ can ’ and ‘can’t’, reported speech and ‘ will ’ and ‘ won’t ’, reported speech and could and couldn’t, reported speech and the future continuous, reported questions exercises online.
To turn sentences into Indirect Speech, you have to follow a set of rules and this is what makes reported speech difficult for some.
To make reported speech sentences, you need to manage English tenses well.
These are some examples of sentences using indirect speech
The present simple tense usually changes to the past simple
He said that he travelled a lot in his job | |
I play video games a lot | She said that he played video games a lot |
We run every morning | They said that they ran every morning |
I do yoga every weekend | She said that he did yoga every weekend |
The present continuous tense usually changes to the past continuous.
She said that her mom was cooking | |
My brother is watching TV | He said that his brother was watching TV |
My family is eating dinner | She said that her family was eating dinner |
I am doing Yoga | She said that she was doing yoga |
The past simple tense usually changes to the past perfect
My mom cooked dinner | She said that her mom had cooked dinner |
My brother watched a movie | He said that his brother had watched a movie |
My family just ate dinner | She said that her family just had eaten dinner |
I really enjoyed the party | |
Bill on Saturday | He said that Bill on Saturday |
The past continuous tense usually changes to the past perfect continuous.
She said that her mom had been cooking dinner | |
My brother was watching a movie | He said that his brother had been watching a movie |
My family was talking in the room | She said that her family had been talking in the room |
Derek was doing Yoga | She said that Derek was doing Yoga |
The present perfect tense usually changes to the past perfect tense
My mom has been kind | She said that her mom had always been kind |
My brother has worked hard | He said that his brother had worked hard |
My girlfriend has contributed a lot | He said that his girlfriend has contributed a lot |
My family has always helped | She said that her family had always helped |
The past perfect tense does not change
My mom had been kind | She said that her mom had always been kind |
My brother had worked hard | He said that his brother had worked hard |
He has played very well | He said that he had played very well |
My family had always helped | She said that her family had always helped |
‘ Can ’ and ‘can’t’ in direct speech change to ‘ could ’ and ‘ couldn’t ’
She said that her mom couldn’t remember his name | |
My brother can play soccer well | He said that his brother could play soccer well |
My family can help you a lot | She said that her family could help me a lot |
My mom can lend me money | She said that she could lend me money |
‘ Will ’ and ‘ won’t ’ in direct speech change to ‘ would ’ and ‘ wouldn’t ’
to my wedding | She said that her mom to her wedding |
My brother in my team | He said that his brother in her team |
My family me with some money | She said that her family her with some money |
She to Europe | She said that she to Europe |
Could and couldn’t doesn’t change
go to the wedding | She said that her mom go to the wedding |
My brother be in your team | He said that his brother be in your team |
My family help me out | She said that her family help me out |
Will ’ and ‘ won’t ’ in direct speech change to ‘ would ’ and ‘ wouldn’t ’
peech | |
the car next Friday | She said that she the car next Friday |
home | He said that he home |
I g in Norway | He said that he in Norway |
I exercises | He said that he exercises |
These are some online exercises to learn more about reported questions
Manuel Campos
I am Jose Manuel, English professor and creator of EnglishPost.org, a blog whose mission is to share lessons for those who want to learn and improve their English
Talk to our experts
1800-120-456-456
Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way of conveying what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. Instead of using quotation marks , the speaker paraphrases or summarises the original statement. This transformation often involves changes in pronouns, tenses, and time expressions to fit the context of the reporting. Understanding reported speech is crucial for effective communication , as it allows you to relay information accurately and fluently in both spoken and written English.
, reported speech does not use quotation marks, since it's not quoting the speaker's exact words. |
Indirect speech or Reported speech is just a way of expressing your intent in questions, statements or other phrases, without essentially quoting them outrightly as the way it is done in indirect speech.
To understand Reported Speech Grammar and Reported Verbs, you need to first understand reported speech rules and how it works. Here are some types of reported speech:
Reported Statements
Reported speech is used when someone says a sentence, like, "I'm going to the movie tonight". Later, we want to tell a 3rd person what the first person is doing.
It works like this:
We use a reporting verb i.e 'say' or 'tell'. In the present tense, just put in 'he says.
Direct Speech: I like burgers.
Reported Speech: He says (that) he likes burgers.
You don't need to change the tense, but you do need to switch the 'person' from 'I' to 'he’. You also need to change words like 'my' and 'your'.
But, in case the reporting verb is in the past tense, then change the tenses in the reported speech itself.
Reported Questions
Reported questions to go like
Direct Speech: Where do you reside?
We make the change to reported speech by-
It is similar to reported statements. The tense changes are exact, and we keep the question’s word. But we need to change the grammar of that normal sentence into positive. For eg:
Reported Speech: He asked me where I resided.
The direct speech question is in the present simple tense. We make a present simple question with 'do' or 'does'. For that, I need to take that away. Then change the verb to the past simple.
Direct Speech: Where is Jolly?
Reported Speech: He asked me where Jolly was.
The direct question is the present simple of 'be'. We change the question form of the present simple of being by changing the position of the subject and the verb. So, change them back before putting the verb into the past simple.
Reported Requests
The reported speech goes a long way. What if a person asks you to do something politely or make a request? It’s called a reported request. For example
Direct Speech: Close the door, please / Could you close the door please? / Would you mind closing the door, please?
All these requests mean the same, so we don't need to report every word there when we tell a 3rd person about it.
We can simply use 'ask me + to + infinitive':
Reported Speech: They asked me to close the door.
Direct Speech: Please be punctual.
Reported Speech: They asked us to be punctual.
Reported Orders
And lastly, how about when someone doesn't ask that politely? This is known as an 'order' in English, which is when someone tells you to do something pretty much directly. This is called a reported order. For example
Direct Speech: Stand up right now!
We make this into a reported speech in the same way as that for a request. Just use 'tell' rather than 'ask':
Reported Speech: She told me to stand up right now.
Direct Order | Reported Order |
Go to sleep! | He told the child to go to sleep |
Stop worrying! | He told her to stop worrying |
Be punctual! | He told me to be punctual. |
Don't move! | He told us not to move. |
Time Expressions within the Ambit of Reported Speech
Sometimes when we want to change the direct speech into reported speech, we will have to change the time expressions too. We don't necessarily always have to do that. However, It depends on when we heard the speech in indirect form and when we said the speech in reported form.
For Example,
It's Sunday. Kiran Ma’am says "I'm leaving today".
If You tell someone on Sunday, You will say "Kiran Ma’am said she was leaving today".
If you tell someone on Tuesday, You will say "Kiran Ma’am said she was leaving yesterday".
If you tell someone on Friday, you will say "Kiran Ma’am said she was leaving on Sunday ".
If you tell someone a month later, you will say "Kiran Ma’am said she was leaving that day".
So, technically there's no easy way to convert. You need to put in real effort and have to think about it when the direct speech is said.
Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
now can be converted to | then / at that time |
today can be converted to | yesterday / that day / Tuesday / the 27th of June |
yesterday can be converted to | the day before yesterday / the day before / Wednesday / the 5th of December |
last night can be converted to | the night before, Thursday night |
last week can be converted to | the week before / the previous week |
tomorrow can be converted to | today / the next day / the following day / Friday |
Tense | Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
present simple | I like Burger | She said (that) she liked Burger |
present continuous | I am living in Australia | She said (that) she was living in Australia |
past simple | I bought a new house | She said (that) she had bought a new house OR She said (that) she bought a new house |
past continuous | My mom was watching a movie | She said (that) her mom had been watching a movie |
present perfect | I haven't seen Ram | She said (that) she hadn't seen Ram. |
will | I will travel to Delhi | She said (that) she would travel to Delhi. |
would* | I would suggest, but..” | She said (that) she would suggest but... |
can | I can play cricket. | She said (that) she could play cricket |
could* | I could go to the wedding | She said (that) she could go to the wedding |
shall | I shall come later | She said (that) she would come later. |
should* | I should talk to her | She said (that) she should talk to her |
might* | I might be coming late | She said (that) she might be coming late |
must | I must attend the party | She said (that) she must attend the party She said she had to attend the party |
This is all about reported speech. English grammar is a tricky thing given both the rules and practice. Reading these rules solely will not help you to get a strong grasp of them. You also have to practice reported speech sentences in practical life to know how and when they can be used.
Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
I am happy. | He/She said he/she was happy. |
You will succeed. | He/She said I would succeed. |
We are going out. | They said they were going out. |
He is my friend. | He/She said he was his/her friend. |
She loves music. | He/She said she loved music. |
They will join us. | He/She said they would join them. |
My book is here. | He/She said his/her book was there. |
Your project is good. | He/She said my project was good. |
Our team won. | They said their team won. |
Their house is beautiful. | He/She said their house was beautiful. |
Direct Speech (Adverbs of Place & Time) | Reported Speech (Adverbs of Place & Time) |
Here | There |
Now | Then |
Today | That day |
Tomorrow | The next day / The following day |
Yesterday | The previous day / The day before |
This week | That week |
Last week | The previous week / The week before |
Next week | The following week |
Ago | Before |
Here | There |
Tonight | That night |
Direct Speech (Modal Verbs) | Reported Speech (Modal Verbs) |
Will | Would |
Can | Could |
Shall | Should |
May | Might |
Must | Had to |
Would | Would (No Change) |
Could | Could (No Change) |
Should | Should (No Change) |
Might | Might (No Change) |
Ought to | Ought to (No Change) |
Exercise 1: Convert the following sentences from direct speech to reported speech.
Direct: "I am going to the market now," said John.
Reported: __________________________
Direct: "We will finish the project tomorrow," the team leader said.
Direct: "Can you help me with my homework?" Sarah asked Tom.
Direct: "She is studying French," said her teacher.
Direct: "I must complete this assignment by tonight," the student mentioned.
Exercise 2: Correct the error in the following reported speech sentences.
He said that he will go to the party the next day.
Correction: __________________________
She told me that she can come to the meeting.
They said that they are going to visit their grandparents.
The teacher told us that we must complete the homework by tomorrow.
He said that he might will arrive late.
Exercise 3: Convert the following sentences from reported speech to direct speech.
Reported: She said that she had finished her work .
Direct: __________________________
Reported: He told me that he would help me later.
Reported: They mentioned that they were planning a trip.
Reported: The doctor said that the patient needed rest.
Reported: She said that she could not attend the party.
Find out if you got them right from the answers below.
John said that he was going to the market then.
The team leader said that they would finish the project the next day.
Sarah asked Tom if he could help her with her homework.
Her teacher said that she was studying French.
The student mentioned that he/she had to complete the assignment by that night.
He said that he would go to the party the next day.
She told me that she could come to the meeting.
They said that they were going to visit their grandparents.
The teacher told us that we had to complete the homework by the next day.
He said that he might arrive late.
"I have finished my work," she said.
"I will help you later," he told me.
"We are planning a trip," they mentioned.
"The patient needs rest," the doctor said.
"I cannot attend the party," she said.
Understanding the reported speech requires understanding how pronouns shift based on the speaker and context.
Recognising the necessary tense changes when converting from direct to reported speech is crucial for accurate communication.
Knowing how adverbs of time and place change in reported speech ensures clarity in conveying when and where something occurred.
Familiarity with how modal verbs like "will" change to "would" helps maintain the intended meaning when reporting statements.
1. How do you convert present tenses to reported speech?
To convert present tenses to reported speech, follow these rules:
Present Simple changes to Past Simple.
Present Continuous changes to Past Continuous.
Present Perfect changes to Past Perfect.
Present Perfect Continuous changes to Past Perfect Continuous.
"I do yoga every morning." → She said that she did yoga every morning.
"My friend is watching a movie." → She said that her friend was watching a movie.
"I have been to the USA." → She told me that she had been to the USA.
2. How do you convert past tenses to reported speech?
To convert past tenses to reported speech, follow these rules:
Past Simple changes to Past Perfect.
Past Continuous changes to Past Perfect Continuous.
Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous remain unchanged.
"He arrived on Friday." → He said that he had arrived on Friday.
"I was playing cricket." → He said that he had been playing cricket.
"She had worked hard." → She said that she had worked hard.
3. What are the rules for converting future tenses to reported speech?
When converting future tenses to reported speech:
Future Simple (will) changes to would.
Future Continuous (will be) changes to would be.
Future Perfect (will have) changes to would have.
Future Perfect Continuous (will have been) changes to would have been.
"I will be attending the wedding." → She said that she would be attending the wedding.
4. How do you convert sentences with 'can' and 'can't' to reported speech?
'Can' changes to 'could'.
'Can't' changes to 'couldn't'.
"I can help you." → She said that she could help me.
"I can't come to the party." → He said that he couldn't come to the party.
5. How do you convert sentences with 'will' and 'won't' to reported speech?
'Will' changes to 'would'.
'Won't' changes to 'wouldn't'.
"I will call you tomorrow." → She said that she would call me the next day.
"I won't attend the meeting." → He said that he wouldn't attend the meeting.
6. What are some examples of reported requests?
Reported requests typically use the verb "ask" followed by an infinitive.
Direct: "Please open the window."
Reported: She asked me to open the window.
Direct: "Could you help me with this?"
Reported: He asked me to help him with that.
7. What are some examples of reported orders?
Reported orders often use the verb "tell" followed by an infinitive.
Direct: "Sit down."
Reported: The teacher told the student to sit down.
Direct: "Don't touch that."
Reported: He told me not to touch that.
8. How do time expressions change in reported speech?
Time expressions change as follows:
Today → That day
Tomorrow → The next day
Yesterday → The day before
Next week → The following week
Last week → The previous week
9. Does the past perfect tense change in reported speech?
No, the past perfect tense remains the same in reported speech.
"She had left early." → He said that she had left early.
10. What happens to pronouns in reported speech?
Pronouns in reported speech usually change based on the speaker and listener.
"I am going to the store." → He said that he was going to the store.
"You should see this." → She told me that I should see that.
https://first-english.org
Reported speech - English online exercises
Use Direct speech Reported speech Simple present Simple past Change of tenses Questions Commands Negatives Change of pronouns Change of date and time
When you report someone ' s words you can do it in 2 ways:
1. You can use direct speech with quotation marks. Example: He said: I work in a bank.
2. You can use reported speech. Example: He said he worked in a bank. The tenses, word-order, pronouns may be different from those in the direct speech sentence.
Direct speech: Jake said: I bought some DVDs. Reported speech: Jake said that he bought some DVDs .
Simple present tense usually changes to the simple past in reported speech.
Examples: Direct speech Reported speech / Indirect speech
He says, " We are in London for the first time ." Direct speech He says (that) they are in London for the first time . Reported speech - Indirect speech He says, " We were in London for the first time ." Direct speech He says (that) they were in London for the first time . Reported speech - Indirect speech
The simple past tense usually changes to the past perfect in reported speech.
The tenses , word-order, pronouns may be different from those in the direct speech sentence. The Past Perfect Tense does not change in the Reported Speech.
Direct speech | Reported speech | |
Ann : | "I want ice-cream." | Ann that she wanted ice-cream. |
Simple Past | Simple Present | Simple Past |
Simple Past | Simple Past Present Perfect Past Perfect | Past Perfect |
Simple Past | will | would |
Simple Past | am/is/are | was/were |
Simple Past | was/were have/has been had been | had been |
"Do you like Jake?" She asked me if/whether I liked Jake.
Who is your friend? She asked me who my friend was .
Sit down! - The teacher told them to sit down. Drink a lot of tea! - He told us to drink a lot of tea.
Ann said that she wanted coke. Ann said that she did n`t want coke. Tom said that he was ill. Tom said that he was n't ill.
the change of tenses the change of pronouns the change of time and place words
Direct speech | ||
I We my your our me us | ⇒ he/she ⇒ they ⇒ his/her ⇒ my ⇒ their ⇒ him/her ⇒ them | |
words | here today this morning yesterday tomorrow next week next month | ⇒ there ⇒ that day ⇒ that morning ⇒ the day before ⇒ the next day ⇒ the following week ⇒ the following month |
41 Reported speech all tenses all tenses 42 Mixed exercises all forms tenses 43 All tenses place, time 44 Reported speech place, time 45 All tenses place, time
Reported speech with explanations, examples and exercises. Change the following sentences into Reported speech and learn with English online exercises.
Free tutorial Reported speech. English Reported speech exercises. English grammar easy to learn. Ejercicios en linea ingles. Exercicios das aulas de Ingles gratis online, exercicios de vocabularios, gramatica inglesa.
Definition :.
In order to report a dialogue, one should be well-versed in changing sentences from Direct Speech to Indirect Speech . Of course, we need not reproduce the actual words of the speaker exactly. We are more concerned with the sense of the utterance than in the literal repetition of the words. The following guidelines will help you to refresh what you have studied about the transformation of sentences from Direct to Indirect Speech.
Statements : When the utterance of the speaker is a statement we use the reporting verbs - say, tell. The conjunction used is - that . In order to preserve the original tone of the speaker ‘say’ or ‘tell’ can be replaced with:- suggest, agree, mutter, admit, insist, whisper, boast, state, remark, claim, object, protest, etc.
There are several differences between a sentence with direct speech and a sentence with indirect speech.
Dialogue | Reported form |
---|---|
He said, I can speak four language . | He boasted that he could speak four languages. |
Some more examples .
Dialogue | Reported form |
---|---|
“Let’s go out for a walk,” | She suggested going out for a walk. |
“That mobile is mine”, | He claimed that that mobile was him. |
“Yes, I took the mobile”, | He admitted that he had taken the mobile. |
“You can’t arrest me”, | He protested that they could not arrest him. |
“You shouldn’t take my laptop” | He objected that I shouldn’t take his atlas. |
We can replace ‘ tell ’ with the following verbs suited to the context: complained, stammered, sneered, snapped, explained, declared, announced, groaned, promised, gasped, conceded, etc.
Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
---|---|
The boy said to his friend, “I am waiting for you here now.” | The boy told his friend that he was waiting for him there then. |
Changes to be noted:
Kinds | Dialogue | Reporting |
---|---|---|
Reporting Verb | said to | told |
Pronouns | I | he |
you | him | |
Tense | am waiting | was waiting |
Place Concept | here | there |
Time Concept | now | then |
A. pronouns:.
Direct Speech | Indirect Speech (Reported Speech) |
---|---|
I, you | he, she, it |
my, mine, your, yours | his, her, hers, its |
we | they |
our, ours | their, theirs |
us | them |
Direct Speech (speaker’s words) | Indirect Speech (Reporter or Listener) |
---|---|
am, is, are | was, were |
make, makes | made |
am / is / are eating | was / were eating |
will / can / may eat | would / could / might eat |
has, have | had |
has / have eaten | had eaten |
Direct Speech (speaker’s words) | Indirect Speech (Reporter or Listener) |
was / were | had been |
ate | had eaten |
was / were eating | had been eating |
Direct Speech | Indirect Speech (Reported Speech) |
---|---|
now | then |
today | that day |
tonight | that night |
yesterday | the previous day / the day before |
tomorrow | the next / following day |
the day before yesterday | two days before |
the day after tomorrow | in two days |
last week | the previous week or the week before |
last month | the previous month or the month before |
last year | the previous year or the year before |
next week / month / year | the following week / month / year |
a week / month | a week / month |
last night | the previous night |
here | there |
this / it | that |
these | those |
thus | so |
ago | before |
Kind of Sentences | Reporting Verbs | Conjunctions |
---|---|---|
Statement | said, told, suggested, admitted, remarked | that |
Direct Speech | Rosy said, “I have a habit of reding before I go to bed”. |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | Rosy said that she had a habit of reading before she went to bed. |
Direct Speech | David said, ‘Here is the pen I borrowed yesterday, John.” |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | David said to John that there was the pen he had borrowed the previous day. |
In reported speech people often leave out the conjunction that .
Reported Speech |
---|
Sarah said that she felt ill. |
Malika said that she couldn’t find her pendrive |
Peter said that David was hitting him. |
Direct Speech | Sarah says, “I kids”. |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | Sarah says that she kids. |
Direct Speech | Mohan said, “I written a novel”. |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | Mohan said that he written a novel. |
Direct Speech | She said, “I the dentist next week”. |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | She said that she the dentist the following week. |
Direct Speech | She said, “When I in a village I faced a lot of hardships”. |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | She said that when she in a village she faced a lot of hardships. (Don’t use had lived / had been living) |
Direct Speech | She said, “I wish I an angel.” |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | She said that she wished she an angel. (Don’t use had been) |
Direct Speech | He said, “I starve than beg.” |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | He said that he starve than beg. |
Direct Speech | He said, “If won the election I would become a minister.” |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | He said that if he won the election he would become a minister. |
Direct Speech | He said, “Habit is a second nature.” |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | He said that habit is a second nature. |
Likewise a comment clause (parenthesis) is left out
you see, as you know, to tell you frankly etc. |
Well, very well, now, so etc.
The teacher asked the children to lision to him. (now left out) |
Direct Speech | My neighbour said, “My guests arrived last evening. They are staying with us today. They will be leaving early tomorrow morning.” |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | My neighbour told me that her guests had arrived the previous evening they were staying with them that day they would be leaving early the following morning. |
Sentence with the same concept should be joined with ‘and’ but when there is a contract use ‘but’.
A. the reporting verbs for questions are:.
Kind of Sentences | Reporting Verbs | Conjunctions |
---|---|---|
Questions (1) W/H type | asked, enquired, wanted to know | if / whether |
Questions (2) Verbal | asked, enquired, wanted |
if / whether |
Direct Speech | My friend said, “Are they coming with us?” |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | My friend asked me whether they were coming with us. |
Direct Speech | I said, “Were they angry with you?” |
Indirect Speech | I asked him whether they had been angry with him. |
Direct Speech | Sarah to her mother, “Can the milkman milk in heavy rain?” |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | Sarah asked her mother if the milkman could bring milk in that heavy rain. |
When using; do, does (present tense) - the main verb converts into the past (does / do go -> went) did (past tense) - the main verb converts into past perfect. (did go -> had gone)
Direct Speech | “Does David study late at night?” Sonia. |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | Sonia me David studied late at night. |
Direct Speech | Jems ,“Do college students cellphones?” |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | Jems college students used cellphones. |
“Is he here?” | Whether he was there |
These questions begin with a question word ( Who, What, When, Why, Where, How, How long ... ). While changing such a question into reported form we do not use any conjunction. We simply invert the word order (Verb + Subject is changed into Subject + Verb). Do not use if/whether in W/h Questions .
Verb + Subject | She said to me, “What do you want?” |
Subject + Verb | She asked me what I wanted. |
Direct Speech | My neighbour , “when did the men the stray dogs” |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | My neighbour when the men the stray dogs. |
Direct Speech | My friend , “Which colour you choose?” |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | My fiend me which colour ? |
Direct Speech | Father to mother, “Why was Angelina when she from school?” |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | father asked mother why Angelina crying when she from school. |
These are questions begining with a verb. ( Are you ready? Is it true? ) Here we use the conjunction ‘ if’ or ‘whether ’. The word order is changed as mentioned earlier.
Verb + Subject | She said to me, “Is Tom at home?” |
Subject + Verb | Sh asked me if Tom was at home. |
To report a command we can use a number of verbs
Kind of Sentences | Reporting Verbs | Conjunctions |
---|---|---|
Commands & Requests | told, asked, requested, warned, advised, instructed, ordered | to - not to |
We use the conjunction ‘ to ’ . When the command is a negative one beginning with “Don’t” we change it to ‘not to’ .
Direct Speech | The Captain , “Get ready to board the ship.” |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | The Captain his sailors ready to board the ship. |
Direct Speech | Teacher to Jems, “Get out” |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | Teacher Jems out. |
Direct Speech | The Judge to the culprit, “Tell me the truth.” |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | The Judge the culprit the truth. |
Direct Speech | Headmaster to the students, “ copy in the examination”. |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | Headmaster the students in the examination. |
Please - requested + whom + to + v
Direct Speech | The teacher sa id, “Please improve your knowledge.” |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | The teacher the student to his knowledge. |
Direct Speech | Robert to me, “Please post letters”. |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | Robert me to post letters. |
Direct Speech | Mother , “Please keep your room neat.” |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | Mother me to keep my room neat. |
Exclamations can be reported with adverbs of manner.
Kind of Sentences | Reporting Verbs | Conjunctions |
---|---|---|
Exclamations | exclaimed with joy / exclaimed with sorrow | that |
a) Reporting Verb: exclaimed with (emotion) b) The exclamation should be changed into a statement. c) Use suitable emotions to the exclamation.
Direct Speech | Rosy said to David, “How wonderfully you sang!” |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | Rosy with happiness that David had sung wonderfully. |
Direct Speech | The foreigner said, “What a man Obama is!.” |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | The foreigner in wonder that Obama a man. |
Direct Speech | John said, “That I should see you here!” |
---|---|
Indirect Speech | John to see . |
Alas!- exclaimed with sadness / regret / disappoinment. | |
---|---|
Direct Speech | The reporter said, “Alas! Many lives due to tsunami” |
Indirect Speech | The reporter sadly that many lives due to tsunami. |
May you!- blesses / wished. | |
---|---|
Direct Speech | The grandmother said, “May with success wherever ” |
Indirect Speech | The grandmother blessed her grandson that he with success wherever he . |
Don’t / never - warned or forbade. (when using forbid do not use negatives) | |
---|---|
Direct Speech | Father said, “Shakshi, don’t play in dirty water!” |
Indirect Speech | Father his daughter Sakshi to in dirty water. |
O God! - called upon God with regret / sadness / disappointment. | |
---|---|
Direct Speech | The beggar said, “O God! I have been cheated”. |
Indirect Speech | The beggar called upon God that he . |
Non-defining relative clause Non-defining relative clauses are placed after nouns which are definite already. The adjective clause which does not define the noun before it but gives additional information about the noun is called the non-defining relative clause.
Indirect speech focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words. In indirect speech , the structure of the reported clause depends on whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question or a command.
direct | indirect | reported clause | |
statement | ) I was tired. | -clause | |
question | . . | clause clause clause | |
command | . | -infinitive clause |
Indirect speech: reporting statements
Indirect reports of statements consist of a reporting clause and a that -clause. We often omit that , especially in informal situations:
The pilot commented that the weather had been extremely bad as the plane came in to land. (The pilot’s words were: ‘The weather was extremely bad as the plane came in to land.’ )
I told my wife I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday. ( that -clause without that ) (or I told my wife that I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday .)
Reporting yes-no questions and alternative questions.
Indirect reports of yes-no questions and questions with or consist of a reporting clause and a reported clause introduced by if or whether . If is more common than whether . The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:
She asked if [S] [V] I was Scottish. (original yes-no question: ‘Are you Scottish?’ )
The waiter asked whether [S] we [V] wanted a table near the window. (original yes-no question: ‘Do you want a table near the window? )
He asked me if [S] [V] I had come by train or by bus. (original alternative question: ‘Did you come by train or by bus?’ )
Questions: yes-no questions ( Are you feeling cold? )
Indirect reports of wh -questions consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a wh -word ( who, what, when, where, why, how ). We don’t use a question mark:
He asked me what I wanted.
Not: He asked me what I wanted?
The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:
She wanted to know who [S] we [V] had invited to the party.
Not: … who had we invited …
In indirect questions with who, whom and what , the wh- word may be the subject or the object of the reported clause:
I asked them who came to meet them at the airport. ( who is the subject of came ; original question: ‘Who came to meet you at the airport?’ )
He wondered what the repairs would cost. ( what is the object of cost ; original question: ‘What will the repairs cost?’ )
She asked us what [S] we [V] were doing . (original question: ‘What are you doing?’ )
Not: She asked us what were we doing?
We also use statement word order (subject + verb) with when , where, why and how :
I asked her when [S] it [V] had happened (original question: ‘When did it happen?’ ).
Not: I asked her when had it happened?
I asked her where [S] the bus station [V] was . (original question: ‘Where is the bus station?’ )
Not: I asked her where was the bus station?
The teacher asked them how [S] they [V] wanted to do the activity . (original question: ‘How do you want to do the activity?’ )
Not: The teacher asked them how did they want to do the activity?
Questions: wh- questions
Indirect reports of commands consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a to -infinitive:
The General ordered the troops to advance . (original command: ‘Advance!’ )
The chairperson told him to sit down and to stop interrupting . (original command: ‘Sit down and stop interrupting!’ )
We also use a to -infinitive clause in indirect reports with other verbs that mean wanting or getting people to do something, for example, advise, encourage, warn :
They advised me to wait till the following day. (original statement: ‘You should wait till the following day.’ )
The guard warned us not to enter the area. (original statement: ‘You must not enter the area.’ )
Verbs followed by a to -infinitive
We can use the reporting verb in the present simple in indirect speech if the original words are still true or relevant at the time of reporting, or if the report is of something someone often says or repeats:
Sheila says they’re closing the motorway tomorrow for repairs.
Henry tells me he’s thinking of getting married next year.
Rupert says dogs shouldn’t be allowed on the beach. (Rupert probably often repeats this statement.)
We often use the present simple in newspaper headlines. It makes the reported speech more dramatic:
JUDGE TELLS REPORTER TO LEAVE COURTROOM
PRIME MINISTER SAYS FAMILIES ARE TOP PRIORITY IN TAX REFORM
Present simple ( I work )
Reported speech
Reported speech: direct speech
In indirect speech, we can use the past continuous form of the reporting verb (usually say or tell ). This happens mostly in conversation, when the speaker wants to focus on the content of the report, usually because it is interesting news or important information, or because it is a new topic in the conversation:
Rory was telling me the big cinema in James Street is going to close down. Is that true?
Alex was saying that book sales have gone up a lot this year thanks to the Internet.
‘Backshift’ refers to the changes we make to the original verbs in indirect speech because time has passed between the moment of speaking and the time of the report.
direct speech | indirect speech |
not very happy at work.’ | not very happy at work. |
going home.’ | going home. |
be late.’ | be late. |
been working,’ she said. | . |
to make her so angry?’ he asked. | to make her so angry. |
In these examples, the present ( am ) has become the past ( was ), the future ( will ) has become the future-in-the-past ( would ) and the past ( happened ) has become the past perfect ( had happened ). The tenses have ‘shifted’ or ‘moved back’ in time.
direct | indirect | |
present simple | → | past simple |
present continuous | → | past continuous |
present perfect simple | → | past perfect simple |
present perfect continuous | → | past perfect continuous |
past simple | → | past perfect simple |
past continuous | → | past perfect continuous |
future (will) | → | future-in-the-past (would) |
past perfect | ↔ | past perfect (no change) |
The past perfect does not shift back; it stays the same:
Direct speech | Indirect speech |
| already left. |
Some, but not all, modal verbs ‘shift back’ in time and change in indirect speech.
direct speech | indirect speech | change | |
| be there,’ he promised. | be there. | becomes |
| need more money.’ I open it?’ she asked. | need more money. open it. | usually becomes in reported questions, becomes |
| see you at 2.30,’ he added. | see me at 2.30. | becomes |
| be back later,’ she said. wait in the hallway,’ he said. | be back later. wait in the hallway. | (possibility) becomes (permission) becomes |
| pay by 30th April.’ be awful to live in such a noisy place,’ she said. | pay by 30th April. be awful to live in such a noisy place. | (obligation) usually becomes (speculation) does not change |
| sell it for about 2,000 euros,’ he said. | sell it for about 2,000 euros. | no change |
| go there immediately,’ she said. | go there immediately. | no change |
| buy it if I had the money,’ he said. | buy it if he had the money. | no change |
| snow tonight,’ he warned. | snow that night. | no change |
| come till six o’clock,’ he said. | come till six o’clock. | no change |
We can use a perfect form with have + - ed form after modal verbs, especially where the report looks back to a hypothetical event in the past:
He said the noise might have been the postman delivering letters. (original statement: ‘The noise might be the postman delivering letters.’ )
He said he would have helped us if we’d needed a volunteer. (original statement: ‘I’ll help you if you need a volunteer’ or ‘I’d help you if you needed a volunteer.’ )
Used to and ought to do not change in indirect speech:
She said she used to live in Oxford. (original statement: ‘I used to live in Oxford.’ )
The guard warned us that we ought to leave immediately. (original statement: ‘You ought to leave immediately.’ )
We don’t need to change the tense in indirect speech if what a person said is still true or relevant or has not happened yet. This often happens when someone talks about the future, or when someone uses the present simple, present continuous or present perfect in their original words:
He told me his brother works for an Italian company. (It is still true that his brother works for an Italian company.)
She said she ’s getting married next year. (For the speakers, the time at the moment of speaking is ‘this year’.)
He said he ’s finished painting the door. (He probably said it just a short time ago.)
She promised she ’ll help us. (The promise applies to the future.)
Changes to personal pronouns in indirect reports depend on whether the person reporting the speech and the person(s) who said the original words are the same or different.
direct | indirect | |
don’t want to shock people,’ Tom said. | said he didn’t want to shock people. | different speakers ( changes to ) |
’ll look after Toby,’ I said. | said I would look after Toby. | same speaker (no change) |
need to be here at nine o’clock,’ George told Beatrice. | told Beatrice she needed to be there at nine o’clock. | different speakers ( changes to ) |
hope you will join us tonight,’ I said to James. | told James I hoped he would join us that night. | same speaker (no change to ; changes to ) |
We often change demonstratives ( this, that ) and adverbs of time and place ( now, here, today , etc.) because indirect speech happens at a later time than the original speech, and perhaps in a different place.
direct speech | indirect speech |
.’ | the next/following day. |
this moment in time.’ | . |
.” | . |
,’ the boy protested. | . |
direct | indirect | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The word order in indirect reports of wh- questions is the same as statement word order (subject + verb), not question word order:
She always asks me where [S] [V] I am going .
Not: She always asks me where am I going .
We don’t use a question mark when reporting wh- questions:
I asked him what he was doing.
Not: I asked him what he was doing?
Word of the Day
play truant
to be regularly absent from school without permission
It’s not really my thing (How to say you don’t like something)
To add ${headword} to a word list please sign up or log in.
Add ${headword} to one of your lists below, or create a new one.
{{message}}
Something went wrong.
There was a problem sending your report.
Are you having trouble understanding the difference between direct and indirect speech? Direct speech is when you quote someone’s exact words, while indirect speech is when you report what someone said without using their exact words. This can be a tricky concept to grasp, but with a little practice, you’ll be able to use both forms of speech with ease.
When someone speaks, we can report what they said in two ways: direct speech and indirect speech. Direct speech is when we quote the exact words that were spoken, while indirect speech is when we report what was said without using the speaker’s exact words. Here’s an example:
Direct speech: “I love pizza,” said John. Indirect speech: John said that he loved pizza.
Using direct speech can make your writing more engaging and can help to convey the speaker’s tone and emotion. However, indirect speech can be useful when you want to summarize what someone said or when you don’t have the exact words that were spoken.
To change direct speech to indirect speech, you need to follow some rules. Firstly, you need to change the tense of the verb in the reported speech to match the tense of the reporting verb. Secondly, you need to change the pronouns and adverbs in the reported speech to match the new speaker. Here’s an example:
Direct speech: “I will go to the park,” said Sarah. Indirect speech: Sarah said that she would go to the park.
It’s important to note that when you use indirect speech, you need to use reporting verbs such as “said,” “told,” or “asked” to indicate who is speaking. Here’s an example:
Direct speech: “What time is it?” asked Tom. Indirect speech: Tom asked what time it was.
In summary, understanding direct and indirect speech is crucial for effective communication and writing. Direct speech can be used to convey the speaker’s tone and emotion, while indirect speech can be useful when summarizing what someone said. By following the rules for changing direct speech to indirect speech, you can accurately report what was said while maintaining clarity and readability in your writing.
When it comes to reporting speech, there are two ways to go about it: direct and indirect speech. Direct speech is when you report someone’s exact words, while indirect speech is when you report what someone said without using their exact words. Here are some of the key differences between direct and indirect speech:
In direct speech, the pronouns used are those of the original speaker. However, in indirect speech, the pronouns have to be changed to reflect the perspective of the reporter. For example:
In the above example, the pronoun “I” changes to “he” in indirect speech.
Another major difference between direct and indirect speech is the change of tenses. In direct speech, the verb tense used is the same as that used by the original speaker. However, in indirect speech, the verb tense may change depending on the context. For example:
In the above example, the present continuous tense “am studying” changes to the past continuous tense “was studying” in indirect speech.
When reporting indirect speech, the time and place references may also change. For example:
In the above example, “tomorrow” changes to “the next day” in indirect speech.
Overall, it is important to understand the differences between direct and indirect speech to report speech accurately and effectively. By following the rules of direct and indirect speech, you can convey the intended message of the original speaker.
When you need to report what someone said in your own words, you can use indirect speech. To convert direct speech into indirect speech, you need to follow a few rules.
The first step is to remove the quotation marks that enclose the relayed text. This is because indirect speech does not use the exact words of the speaker.
To indicate that you are reporting what someone said, you need to use a reporting verb such as “said,” “asked,” “told,” or “exclaimed.” You also need to use a linker such as “that” or “whether” to connect the reporting verb to the reported speech.
For example:
When you use indirect speech, you need to change the tense of the verb in the reported speech to match the tense of the reporting verb.
You also need to change the pronouns in the reported speech to match the subject of the reporting verb.
By following these rules, you can convert direct speech into indirect speech and report what someone said in your own words.
Converting indirect speech into direct speech involves changing the reported speech to its original form as spoken by the speaker. Here are the steps to follow when converting indirect speech into direct speech:
Here is an example to illustrate the process:
Indirect Speech: John said that he was tired and wanted to go home.
Direct Speech: “I am tired and want to go home,” John said.
By following these steps, you can easily convert indirect speech into direct speech.
Direct and indirect speech are two ways to report what someone has said. Direct speech reports the exact words spoken by a person, while indirect speech reports the meaning of what was said. Here are some examples of both types of speech:
Direct speech is used when you want to report the exact words spoken by someone. It is usually enclosed in quotation marks and is often used in dialogue.
Indirect speech, also known as reported speech, is used to report what someone said without using their exact words. It is often used in news reports, academic writing, and in situations where you want to paraphrase what someone said.
Here are some examples of indirect speech:
In indirect speech, the verb tense may change to reflect the time of the reported speech. For example, “I am going to the store” becomes “Sarah said that she was going to the store.” Additionally, the pronouns and possessive adjectives may also change to reflect the speaker and the person being spoken about.
Overall, both direct and indirect speech are important tools for reporting what someone has said. By using these techniques, you can accurately convey the meaning of what was said while also adding your own interpretation and analysis.
What is direct and indirect speech?
Direct and indirect speech refer to the ways in which we communicate what someone has said. Direct speech involves repeating the exact words spoken, using quotation marks to indicate that you are quoting someone. Indirect speech, on the other hand, involves reporting what someone has said without using their exact words.
How do you convert direct speech to indirect speech?
To convert direct speech to indirect speech, you need to change the tense of the verbs, pronouns, and time expressions. You also need to introduce a reporting verb, such as “said,” “told,” or “asked.” For example, “I love ice cream,” said Mary (direct speech) can be converted to “Mary said that she loved ice cream” (indirect speech).
What is the difference between direct speech and indirect speech?
The main difference between direct speech and indirect speech is that direct speech uses the exact words spoken, while indirect speech reports what someone has said without using their exact words. Direct speech is usually enclosed in quotation marks, while indirect speech is not.
What are some examples of direct and indirect speech?
Some examples of direct speech include “I am going to the store,” said John and “I love pizza,” exclaimed Sarah. Some examples of indirect speech include John said that he was going to the store and Sarah exclaimed that she loved pizza .
What are the rules for converting direct speech to indirect speech?
The rules for converting direct speech to indirect speech include changing the tense of the verbs, pronouns, and time expressions. You also need to introduce a reporting verb and use appropriate reporting verbs such as “said,” “told,” or “asked.”
What is a summary of direct and indirect speech?
Direct and indirect speech are two ways of reporting what someone has said. Direct speech involves repeating the exact words spoken, while indirect speech reports what someone has said without using their exact words. To convert direct speech to indirect speech, you need to change the tense of the verbs, pronouns, and time expressions and introduce a reporting verb.
You might also like:
This website is AMNAZING
MY NAAMEE IS KISHU AND I WANTED TO TELL THERE ARE NO EXERCISES AVAILLABLEE BY YOUR WEBSITE PLEASE ADD THEM SSOON FOR OUR STUDENTS CONVIENCE IM A EIGHT GRADER LOVED YOUR EXPLABATIO
sure cries l miss my friend
he saiad,” we are all sinners”. convert into indirect speech
He said that they were all sinners.
Reported speech is used when we want to convey what someone else has said to us or to another person. It involves paraphrasing or summarising what has been said , often changing verb tenses , pronouns and other elements to suit the context of the report.
Tense | Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
---|---|---|
Present Simple | She sings in the choir. | He said (that) she sings in the choir. |
Present Continuous | They are playing football. | She mentioned (that) they were playing football. |
Past Simple | I visited Paris last summer. | She told me (that) she visited Paris last summer. |
Past Continuous | I was cooking dinner. | He said (that) he had been cooking dinner. |
Present Perfect | We have finished the project. | They said (that) they had finished the project. |
Past Perfect* | I had already eaten when you called. | She explained (that) she had already eaten when I called. |
Will | I will call you later. | She promised (that) she would call me later. |
Would* | I would help if I could. | He said (that) he would help if he could. |
Can | She can speak French fluently. | He mentioned (that) she could speak French fluently. |
Could* | I could run fast when I was young. | She recalled (that) she could run fast when she was young. |
Shall | Shall we meet tomorrow? | They asked (whether) we should meet the next day. |
Should* | You should visit the museum. | She suggested (that) I should visit the museum. |
Might* | It might rain later. | He mentioned (that) it might rain later. |
Must | I must finish my homework. | She reminded me (that) I must finish my homework. |
*doesn’t change
The formula for reported speech involves transforming direct speech into an indirect form while maintaining the meaning of the original statement. In general, the formula includes:
Here’s a simplified formula:
Reporting Verb + Indirect Object + Conjunction + Reported Clause
For example:
Reporting Verbs: We use verbs like ‘say’ or ‘tell’ to introduce reported speech. If the reporting verb is in the present tense, the tense of the reported speech generally remains the same.
Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
---|---|
“I enjoy playing tennis.” | She said (that) she enjoys playing tennis. |
“We plan to visit Paris.” | They told us (that) they plan to visit Paris. |
“He loves listening to music.” | She said (that) he loves listening to music. |
“She bakes delicious cakes.” | He told me (that) she bakes delicious cakes. |
“They watch movies every weekend.” | She said (that) they watch movies every weekend. |
If the reporting verb is in the past tense , the tense of the reported speech often shifts back in time.
Direct Speech | Reported Speech (Reporting verb in past tense) |
---|---|
“I eat breakfast at 8 AM.” | She said (that) she ate breakfast at 8 AM. |
“We are going to the beach.” | They told me (that) they were going to the beach. |
“He speaks Spanish fluently.” | She said (that) he spoke Spanish fluently. |
“She cooks delicious meals.” | He mentioned (that) she cooked delicious meals. |
“They play soccer every weekend.” | She said (that) they played soccer every weekend. |
Tense Changes: Tense changes are common in reported speech. For example, present simple may change to past simple, present continuous to past continuous, etc. However, some verbs like ‘would’, ‘could’, ‘should’, ‘might’, ‘must’, and ‘ought to’ generally don’t change.
Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
---|---|
“I like chocolate.” | She said (that) she liked chocolate. |
“We are watching TV.” | They told me (that) they were watching TV. |
“He is studying for the exam.” | She mentioned (that) he was studying for the exam. |
“She has finished her work.” | He said (that) she had finished her work. |
“They will arrive soon.” | She mentioned (that) they would arrive soon. |
“You can swim very well.” | He said (that) I could swim very well. |
“She might be late.” | He mentioned (that) she might be late. |
“I must finish this by tonight.” | She said (that) she must finish that by tonight. |
“You should call your parents.” | They told me (that) I should call my parents. |
“He would help if he could.” | She said (that) he would help if he could. |
Reported Questions: When reporting questions, we often change them into statements while preserving the meaning. Question words are retained, and the tense of the verbs may change.
Direct Question | Reported Statement (Preserving Meaning) |
---|---|
“Where do you live?” | She asked me where I lived. |
“What are you doing?” | They wanted to know what I was doing. |
“Who was that fantastic man?” | He asked me who that fantastic man had been. |
“Did you turn off the coffee pot?” | She asked if I had turned off the coffee pot. |
“Is supper ready?” | They wanted to know if supper was ready. |
“Will you be at the party?” | She asked me if I would be at the party. |
“Should I tell her the news?” | He wondered whether he should tell her the news. |
“Where will you stay?” | She inquired if I had decided where I would stay. |
Reported Requests and Orders: Requests and orders are reported similarly to statements. Reported requests often use ‘asked me to’ + infinitive, while reported orders use ‘told me to’ + infinitive.
Direct Request/Order | Reported Speech |
---|---|
“Please help me.” | She asked me to help her. |
“Please don’t smoke.” | He 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?” | He asked me to pass the milk. |
“Would you mind coming early tomorrow?” | She asked me to come early the next day. |
“Please don’t be late.” | He told me not to be late. |
“Go to bed!” | She 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. |
Time Expressions: Time expressions may need to change depending on when the reported speech occurred in relation to the reporting moment. For instance, ‘today’ may become ‘that day’ or ‘yesterday’, ‘yesterday’ might become ‘the day before’, and so forth.
Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
---|---|
“I finished my homework.” | She said she had finished her homework. |
“We are going shopping.” | He told me they were going shopping. |
“She will call you later.” | They mentioned she would call me later. |
“I saw him yesterday.” | She said she had seen him the day before. |
“The party is tonight.” | He mentioned the party would be that night. |
“The concert was last week.” | She told me the concert had been the previous week. |
Reported Speech PDF – download
Reported Speech A2 – B1 Test – download
Onlymyenglish.com
Learn English
Table of Contents
If we want to describe the speech of some other people with other people in our own words, that speech is called a Reported speech or Narration.
In the English language, there are certain ways to express the spoken words between two people.
The speech has two main types, Direct speech , and Indirect speech , respectively.
These two ways of narration of spoken words are also called Direct and Indirect speech, also known as Direct and Indirect narrations.
Direct and indirect speech is majorly used in any conversations, scripts, or any biographies, etc. where one or more than one person converses with each other.
It is also called straight speech or quoted speech, which is spoken or written directly in the text by the speaker, writer, or the first person, who is going to speak with anyone with him.
The spoken statements of the speaker normally come under the inverted commas notation, and a speaker who speaks these sentences may come like “he said/he said that.”
The speaker’s words or statements are mentioned in a single phrase pattern or direct discussion.
An Indirect speech is also called a reported speech, or secondary speech means the speech, which has spoken indirectly.
It is simply an overlook statement that is used to say about the incident that has happened in the past time.
The actual words of the speaker changed into the past tense and the sentence, and hence the reported speech of the direct speech does not come inside the inverted commas.
A person who is going to report the speech or a speech that comes in the first part of the direct speech is called a reporting speech.
Reported speech is a speech that is always in an inverted comma or quotation marks.
It is a second part of the direct speech sentence.
The verb, which is used in a reporting speech to report something in a direct speech, is called a reporting verb.
The verb which comes inside the reported speech is called reported verb, respectively.
As we start writing any direct and indirect conversation, we often use reported verbs like “say, tell, ask, inform, instruct, claim, suggest, enquire, etc.”
These reported verbs, whenever used in direct or indirect speech, change into the past simple form like said, told, asked, informed, instructed, claimed, suggested, enquired, etc.
But the verbs used in a speech between the inverted commas will remain as it is.
Rule 1 : “no inverted commas.”.
The reported speech does not come into inverted commas or quotation in an indirect speech.
Example: Direct: He said, “I have completed my assignments yesterday.”
Indirect: He said that he had completed his assignments the previous day.
Using the conjunction word “that” in-between the reporting speech and reported speech in an indirect speech.
Example:
While writing a direct speech into an indirect speech, we have to change the tense of the reported speech because whatever we are writing in indirect speech has already happened in the past timing.
If the tense of the reporting verb of direct speech is in the past tense, then the tense will change according to these criteria.
Simple present tense will change into simple past tense..
Direct: He said, “They come to meet me.”
Indirect: He said that they came to meet him.
Direct: She said, “They are coming to meet me.”
Indirect: She said that they were coming to meet her.
Direct: He said, “They have come to meet me.”
Indirect: He said that they had come to meet him.
Direct: She said, “They have been coming to meet me.”
Indirect: She said that they had been coming to meet her.
Simple past tense will change into the past perfect tense.
Direct: He said, “They came to meet me.”
Indirect: He said that they had come to meet him.
Past continuous tense will change into past perfect continuous tense.
Direct: She said, “They were coming to meet me.”
Indirect: She said that they had been coming to meet her.
Past perfect tense and past perfect continuous tense will remain the same.
Direct: He said, “They had come to meet me.”
Direct: She said, “They had been coming to meet me.”
There are no changes in the future tense sentences; only shall/will may change into would, can change into could.
Indirect: She said that could he come on the next day
Indirect: He said that he would never forgive me.
The pronoun used as an indirect subject speech sometimes needs to be changed accordingly in indirect speech as of the reported verb of the direct speech.
The mentioned time (not the timing) in a direct speech sentence will have to change in indirect speech like now becomes then, tomorrow becomes the next day, yesterday becomes the previous day, today becomes that day, later becomes soon.
Assertive sentences:.
Assertive sentences are simple statements that may be affirmative or negative.
If we are going to convert assertive sentences from direct speech into indirect speech, we have to replace “said” with “told” sometimes.
Here, the subject in direct speech refers to someone in his talk.
Indirect: He told me that she was working on that project.
Indirect: She told me that she was going for a long drive.
Imperative sentences are statements that deliver a command, order, request, appeal, or advice.
It depends on the speaker, how he delivers the message to the other person.
While converting these types of sentences cum statements from direct speech to indirect speech, we have to check the type of sentence, whether it is a command, order, request, or else.
Indirect: The teacher ordered me to sit properly.
Indirect: The Boss commanded an office boy to bring a coffee for him.
Indirect: The teacher requested me to sit properly.
Indirect: The bartender advised me to try that drink.
An interrogative sentence is a sentence which interrogates or ask questions.
Each interrogative sentence ends with an interrogative sign or a question mark sign “?”.
While writing interrogative sentences from direct speech into indirect speech,
Exclamatory sentences are those sentences that show emotions, feelings and ends with an exclamation mark!
If any interjection comes in an exclamation sentence, then the exclamation sign removes in an indirect speech, and an exclamatory sentence gets converted into an assertive sentence.
The replacement of reporting verb “said” with exclaimed with (great wonder, sorrow, joy) exclaimed (joyfully, sorrowfully)
Replace with very or very great , if words like how or what comes at the beginning of the reported speech.
Use of would and could with an example.
Vowels and consonants in english.
SURPRISE, AZ (AZFamily) —A heated exchange during a Surprise City Council meeting ended with a West Valley mom in handcuffs.
Mayor Skip Hall said she violated a city rule that bans complaints about city workers during public comment.
Arizona’s Family spoke with some experts who argued the city violated her First Amendment rights.
“I think that she may have a case against the City of Surprise,” said constitutional law attorney Robert McWhirter.
Activist Rebekah Massie went to the podium during public comment on Tuesday and criticized how much money the city attorney makes.
The mayor cut her off and pointed to the city’s rule: “Oral communications during the City Council meeting may not be used to lodge charges or complaints against any employee of the City or members of the body...”
It led to a tense confrontation between the two. Massie was later removed by a police officer in front of her 10-year-old daughter and arrested for trespassing. She is facing an additional charge for resisting arrest.
“The physical removal by being handcuffed by a deputy, well, lets just say that is a pretty bad look. I think it was a poor response of the city council to a citizen talking,” said McWhirter.
McWhirter said the government could place “reasonable” restrictions on speech during open meetings. That includes limiting the amount of time a person talks during public comment or prohibiting disruptive behavior.
However, McWhiter believes the city’s rule goes too far.
“The issue here is that they are restricting her speech,” said McWhirter. “We are allowed to criticize our government and who is in our government.”
Arizona’s Family reached out to the City of Surprise and Mayor Hall but has not heard back.
Mayor-elect Kevin Sartor sent Arizona’s Family the following statement:
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression is now representing Massie.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it .
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2024 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.
Entertainment
East Valley
West Valley
Here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.
Verification Code
An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify
Thanks for your comment !
Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.
Reported Speech: Reported Speech or also known as indirect speech, is typically used to convey what has been said by someone at a particular point of time. However, owing to the nuances of the systems involved, English grammar may be a complicated language to learn and understand. But once you get hold of the grammar fundamentals , you can be a pro. It’s these fundamentals that will help you create a solid base. The rest of the journey becomes much easier once you get a good grip on the english grammar for competitive exams . So, today, we’re going to talk about one of those basics that is an important part of English grammar, i.e., Reported Speech with multiple definition, usage with examples and numerous practise exercicses.
What is reported speech, definition of reported speech, reported speech rules, rules for modal verbs, rules for pronouns, rules for change in tenses, rules for changing statements into reported speech, rules for changing interrogative sentences into reported speech, rules for changing commands and requests into indirect speech, tips to practise reported speech, fun exercises for reported speech with answers.
When we use the exact words spoken by someone, it is known as Direct Speech or Reported Speech. Reporting speech is a way to effectivley communication something that has been spoken, usually in the past, by the speaker. It is also possible to describe it from the speaker’s perspective from the third person. Since you are only communicating the message and are not repeating the speaker’s exact words, you do not need to use quotation marks while using this type of speaking.
For example: Rita said to Seema, “ I am going to bake a cake ”
Here we are using the exact words spoken by Rita, however, reported or Indirect speech is used when we are reporting something said by someone else but we do not use the exact words. So, we use this form of speech to talk about the past. For example:
Rita told Seema that she was going to bake a cake
In this case, we haven’t used the exact words of Rita but conveyed her message.
Difference Between Reporting Clause and Reported Speech
The words that come before the inverted commas are known as the reporting clause, in the example given above, the reporting clause will be – Rita said to Seema, where ‘said’ is the verb and is known as the reporting clause/verb . The words written within the inverted commas are known as the Reported speech, in the above example, the reported speech is “I am going to bake a cake” .
Also Read: 55+ Phrases with Meaning to Boost Your Vocabulary
Here are some common definitions of reported speech for your reference:
➡️ An Oxford Learner’s Dictionary definition of reported speech is “a report of what somebody has said that does not use their exact words.”
➡️ Reporter speech is described as “speech which tells you what someone said but does not use the person’s actual words” by the Collins Dictionary.
➡️ “The act of reporting something that was said, but not using the same words,” according to the Cambridge Dictionary.
➡️ Reported speech is defined as “the words that you use to report what someone else has said” by the Macmillan Dictionary.
Also Read: Adjective: Definition, Usage, Example, Forms, Types
Now let us take a look at the rules for changing direct speech to indirect or reported speech –
➡️ First and foremost, we do not use inverted commas in reported speech which must be clear from the example given above.
➡️ We use conjunctions like ‘if’, and ‘whether’ after the reporting verb in reported speech
➡️ The reporting verb’s tense is never altered.
➡️ The verb of reporting varies according to sense: it can be told, inquired, asked, etc.
For example: Direct : Mohan said to Sohan, “I am going to school” Reported : Mohan told Sohan that he is going to school
Also Read: Useful Idioms for IELTS Exams That Will Boost Your Score
Modal words are used to show a sense of possibility, intent, necessity or ability. Some common examples of verbs can include should, can and must. These words are used to express hypothetical conditions. Check the table of contents below for rules with examples of modal verbs.
this | that |
there | those |
now | then |
Here | There |
today | That day |
tomorrow | The next day |
yesterday | The previous day |
last night | The previous night |
can | Could |
may | Might |
shall | Should |
will | Would |
ago | Before |
just | Then |
come | Go |
Also Read: Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises With Answers for Class 12
Listed below are some common rules followed in pronouns using reported speech:
✏️ We change the first-person pronouns (I, my, us, our, me, we) as per the subject of the reporting verb in the reported speech. ✏️ We change the second-person pronouns (you, your, yourself) as per the object of the reporting verb in the reported speech. ✏️ There is no change in the third-person pronouns.
I | He, she |
We | They |
Me | Him, her |
Us | Them |
My | His, her |
You | He, she, they |
Our | Their |
Your | His, her, their |
Mine | His, hers |
Ours | Theirs |
You | Him, her, them |
Yours | His, hers, theirs |
For example:
Direct : Rita said, “I like the book.” Reported : Rita said that she likes the book.
Direct : Arun said to me, “Do you like to eat cakes?” Reported : Arun asked me if I liked eating cakes.
Direct : Ravi said, “I enjoy fishing.” Reported : Ravi said that he enjoys fishing.
Also Read: Reported Speech Interrogative: Rules, Examples & Exercise
Here are some common ruled used for change in tenses:
✏️ The tense of the reported speech is not changed if the reporting verb is in the present or the future tense. ✏️ If a historical fact, a universal reality or a habitual fact is conveyed in a direct speech. The indirect speech tense will not change. ✏️ If the reporting verb is in the past tense, then it will change the tense of the reported speech as follows:
Simple Present Sheela said, “I wash clothes.” | Simple Past Sheela said she washed clothes |
Present Continuous Sheela said, “I am washing clothes.” | Past continuous Sheela said that she was washing clothes. |
Present Perfect Sheela said, “I have washed clothes.” | Past Perfect Sheela said that she has washed clothes. |
Simple Past Sheela said, “I washed clothes.” | Past Perfect Sheela said that she has washed clothes. |
Past Continuous Sheela said, “I was washing clothes.” | Past Perfect Continuous Sheela said she had been washing clothes. |
Direct : Reema says, “I am going out.” Reported : Reema says that she is going out.
Direct : Ramesh said, “Honesty is the best policy.” Reported : Ramesh said that honesty is the best policy.
Direct : Vishnu said that, “India gained independence in 1947.” Reported : Vishnu said that India gained independence in 1947.
Direct : Akshat will say, “I want a slice of cake.” Reported : Akshat will say that he wants a slice of cake.
Direct : Reena said, “I am writing a novel.” Reported : Reena said that she was writing a novel.
Direct : Ayushi said, “I was working on my project.” Reported : Ayushi said that she had been working on her project.
Also Read: Exploring the Types of Reported Speech: A Complete Guide
Here are some common rules for changing statements into reported speech:
✏️ The “said to” reporting verb is changed to “told,” “replied,” “remarked,” ✏️ We do not change the object i.e., the reporting verb is not followed by an object. ✏️ We drop the inverted commas and use a conjunction to join the reporting clause and speech/ ✏️ The laws are followed for the changing of pronouns, tenses, etc.
Direct: Ramu said, “I saw a lion in the forest.” Indirect: Ramu said that he had seen a lion in the forest.
Direct : Satish said to me, “I am very happy here.” Indirect : Satish told me that he was very happy there.
Direct : He said, “I can do this work.” Indirect: He said that he could do that work.
50 Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech Interrogative Sentences
Here are some common rules followed for changing interrogative sentences into reported speech:
✏️ The reporting verb “say” is transformed into “ask, inquire,” ✏️ By inserting the subject before the verb, the interrogative clause is converted into a declaration and the full stop is inserted at the end of the sentence. ✏️ The wh-word is repeated in the sentence if the interrogative sentence has a wh-word (who, where, where, how, why, etc). This works as a conjunction. ✏️ If the asking phrase is a yes-no answer style phrase (with auxiliary verbs are, were, were, do, did, have, shall, etc.), then if or whether is used as a conjunction. ✏️ In the reported speech, the auxiliaries do, did, does drop in a positive question. ✏️ The conjunction after the reporting clause is not used.
Direct: I said to him, “Where are you going?” Indirect: Tasked him where he was going.
Direct: He said to me, “Will you go there?” Indirect: He asked me if I would go there.
Direct: My friend said to Deepak, “Have you ever been to Agra?” Indirect: My friend asked Deepak if he had ever been to Agra.
How to Change Sentences into Indirect Speech
The reporting verb is changed into command, order, say, enable, submit, etc. in imperative sentences that have commands.
✏️ By positioning it before the verb, the imperative mood is converted into the infinitive mood. The auxiliary ‘do’ is dropped in the case of negative sentences, and ‘to’ is substituted after ‘not
Direct: She said to me, “Open the window.” Indirect: She ordered me to open the window.
Direct: The captain said to the soldiers, “Attack the enemy.” Indirect: The captain commanded the soldiers to attack the enemy.
Direct: I said to him, “Leave this place at once.” Indirect: I told him to leave that place at once.
Also Read: Direct And Indirect Speech Questions
Indirect speech, sometimes referred to as reported speech, is used to communicate ideas without directly quoting another person. The following advice will help you become proficient in reported speech:
👉 Understand the Basics : Ensure you have a solid understanding of direct speech (quoting exact words) before moving on to reported speech.
👉 Identify Reporting Verbs : Recognize common reporting verbs such as “say,” “tell,” “ask,” “inform,” etc. These verbs are often used to introduce reported speech.
👉 Practice with Various Tenses : Work on reported speech with different tenses (present, past, future) to become comfortable with each.
👉 Use Reporting Words Appropriately : Experiment with different reporting words to convey the speaker’s attitude or emotion accurately. For example, “complain,” “admit,” “suggest.”
👉 Write Dialogues : Create dialogues and convert them into reported speech. This will help you practice both creating and transforming speech.
👉 Use Authentic Materials : Practice reported speech by reading books, articles, or watching videos. Try to convert the direct speech in these materials into reported speech.
Here are a few exercises for reported speech along with answers:
Change the following sentences from direct speech to reported speech.
Reported Speech Exercises For Class 9
Combine the following sentences into reported speech.
Transform the sentences into reported speech.
Direct And Indirect Speech Questions: Comprehensive Guide with Examples
Reporting speech is the way we present our own or other people’s words. Direct speech and indirect speech are the two primary categories of reported speech. Direct communication restates the speaker’s precise words or their words as we recall them: “I didn’t realize it was midnight,” Barbara remarked.
The speech that is being reported may be declarative, interrogative, exclamatory, or imperative.
Quote marks are not used when putting the speaker’s words or ideas into a sentence in reported speech. Typically, noun clauses are employed. When reading a reported speech, the reader should not assume that the words are exactly what the speaker said; frequently, they are paraphrased.
The reported speech can be Assertive/Declarative, Imperative, Interrogative, and Exclamatory.
We hope that this blog helped you learn about the basics of Reported Speech. Planning for English proficiency exams like IELTS or TOEFL ? Our Leverage Edu experts are here to guide you through your exam preparation with the best guidance, study materials and online classes! Sign up for a free demo with us now!
Vaishnavi has 2+ years of experience in SEO and Content Marketing. She is highly proficient in English, possessing exceptional language skills and a deep understanding of English grammar and communication. Currently working on Ed Tech, Finance, Lifestyle, and other niches. All her works are infused with love for writing!
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Contact no. *
i visited this website during my exams so it was really helpful.. my dounts are cleared… Thanks alot to leverageedu.. i will also suggest this website to my frnds..
Thank you Hansini! Your comment just made our day!
I love it, it like the best to me
Leaving already?
Grab this one-time opportunity to download this ebook
45,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. take the first step today..
Resend OTP in
Study abroad.
UK, Canada, US & More
IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More
Scholarship, Loans & Forex
New Zealand
Which academic test are you planning to take.
Not Sure yet
Already booked my exam slot
Within 2 Months
Want to learn about the test
When do you want to start studying abroad.
September 2024
January 2025
How would you describe this article ?
Please rate this article
We would like to hear more.
Prosecutors say the men ‘treated the Quran in a manner intended to express contempt for Muslims because of their faith’.
Two men in Sweden will go on trial after burning the Quran several times during protests last year, which sparked widespread outrage in Muslim countries.
Swedish prosecutors said on Wednesday that Salwan Momika and Salwan Najem committed “offences of agitation against an ethnic or national group” four separate times.
Amid quran burnings, sweden raises ‘terror’ threat, copy of quran desecrated outside stockholm’s royal palace, sweden rules out sweeping changes to free speech law amid quran burnings.
The charges said the two desecrated the Quran, including burning it, while making derogatory remarks about Muslims, in one case outside a mosque in the capital, Stockholm.
The events in the summer of 2023 angered Muslim leaders, prompted Sweden to tighten security and strained its relations with countries in the Middle East.
“Both men are prosecuted for having on these four occasions made statements and treated the Quran in a manner intended to express contempt for Muslims because of their faith,” Senior Prosecutor Anna Hankkio said in a statement.
“In my opinion, the men’s statements and actions fall under the provisions on agitation against an ethnic or national group, and it is important that this matter is tried in court,” she added.
Evidence against the men was mainly video recordings, Hankkio said.
Najem said he was not in the wrong, his lawyer, Mark Safaryan, told the Reuters news agency.
“The permit granted in connection with the demonstration is covered by my client’s intent. His rights are protected by the Swedish Constitution,” Safaryan said.
Momika, a Christian refugee from Iraq, has said he wanted to protest against the institution of Islam and to ban its holy book.
Sweden’s migration agency has said it wanted to deport Momika due to false information on his application for residency but the order would not be carried out because he was at risk of torture in Iraq.
The burnings prompted large protests in many countries.
In Iraq, protesters stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad twice in July 2023, starting fires in the compound.
As a result of the Quran burnings, the United Nations Human Rights Council approved a resolution on religious hatred and bigotry with only the United States and the European Union abstaining due to a conflict with their positions on freedom of expression.
Critics have said Quran burnings are a form of free speech that should be protected by law.
This month, prosecutors also charged Swedish-Danish right-wing activist Rasmus Paludan with the same crime over a 2022 Quran burning protest in the southern Swedish city of Malmo.
In neighbouring Denmark, which also saw a spate of Quran burnings last year, legislation was tightened to ban the practice.
Vice President Kamala Harris attacked former President Donald J. Trump and played up the Biden administration’s record, saying, “There’s more to do.” But she did not offer many specific proposals.
Jonathan Weisman
Vice President Kamala Harris, in her first interview since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, refused to break with President Biden, to be pulled into a conversation about her race or ethnicity or to lurch toward any new policies that would distinguish her candidacy from the Democratic mainstream.
Instead, she adopted the tone of an experienced leader loyal to those who brought her to the edge of the presidency and vowed to bring the country past a brutal era of division, led by her opponent, Donald J. Trump.
“I believe the American people deserve a new way forward,” she said in a 27 minute interview on CNN. She promised to “turn the page on the last decade.”
That last decade, of course, included nearly four years with her and President Biden in the White House. She said she was speaking of “an era” that had been “contrary to where the spirit of our country really lies.”
She embraced the economic record of the Biden-Harris administration, carefully playing up the investments the White House has secured for domestic manufacturing, clean energy and infrastructure, and progress in lowering prescription drug costs — without saying Americans are economically secure.
“That’s good work,” she said of the administration’s record. “There’s more to do, but that’s good work.”
But when asked what she would do on Day 1, she struggled to lay out any specific plans, speaking generally of promoting an “opportunity economy” that strengthens the middle class and brings down costs, but not spelling out executive orders or other immediate actions. She repeated her desire to secure a $25,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers to make their down payment and an expanded $6,000 parental tax credit for the first year of a child’s life, but those would require congressional action.
In the interview, which included her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, Ms. Harris was pressed on Mr. Biden’s mental and physical state. She was steadfast, saying she had no regrets about standing by him.
“He has the intelligence, the commitment, and the judgment — and disposition that I think the American people rightly deserve in their president,” she said, adding, “by contrast, the former president has none of that.”
And she repeatedly declined to engage in a discussion about her path-breaking candidacy. She would be the first woman president, the first Black woman and first president of Asian descent. But even when presented with a New York Times photo of her niece watching her deliver her acceptance speech at the Democratic convention, Ms. Harris was reluctant to engage.
“I am running because I believe that I am the best person to do this job at this moment for all Americans, regardless of race and gender,” the vice president said.
For his part, Mr. Walz sidestepped questions on whether he had overstated his military service, saying he did not intend to suggest he had ever gone into combat.
The interview in Savannah, Ga., where Ms. Harris and Mr. Walz had been campaigning, was part of a busy day in battleground states for both presidential candidates. Mr. Trump hosted a town-hall meeting in La Crosse, Wis., after an earlier stop in Potterville, Mich. There, in a cavernous steel processing and distribution facility, he mocked Ms. Harris as “incompetent” for not participating in an interview until now.
The Trump campaign was still contending with fallout from its actions at Arlington National Cemetery four days ago. The Army on Thursday criticized the conduct of members of Mr. Trump’s campaign in a statement about a confrontation at Arlington this week, in which campaign staff clashed with a cemetery official who was trying to enforce a prohibition on political activity on site. Ms. Harris’s time in the spotlight might be a relief to Mr. Trump in the aftermath of the cemetery incident.
The Trump campaign criticized what his team saw as a short, substance-free interview.
“Kamala spoke for just over 16 minutes and didn’t even address the crime crisis in this nation,” a Trump campaign statement said after the broadcast was over. “She spent a mere three minutes and 25 seconds talking about the economy and two minutes and 36 seconds talking about immigration.”
Here’s what else to know:
Harris attacks Trump while campaigning in Georgia: Speaking at a rally in Savannah, Ga. , before the interview aired, Ms. Harris focused on Mr. Trump, saying he represented a “full-on assault on hard-fought, hard-won freedoms and rights.” Her audience broke into chants of “We’re not going back,” which has quickly become a favorite slogan at her rallies.
Trump tries to reposition himself on reproductive access : Mr. Trump, who frequently takes credit for helping to overturn Roe v. Wade, opened his town-hall event by listening to the moderator, former Representative Tulsi Gabbard, recount her experience with in vitro fertilization treatment. Mr. Trump responded by repeating a vow he made earlier on Thursday to have I.V.F. fully covered by the government or insurance companies.
Trump’s history of crass insults: Mr. Trump on Wednesday shared a series of posts on Truth Social, his social platform, including one with a crude sexual remark about Ms. Harris. While Mr. Trump has a history of making crass insults about opponents, his reposts signal his willingness to continue to shatter longstanding political norms.
Georgia election rules: County election officials from across Georgia expressed frustration at a meeting this week over new election rules approved by the Republican-controlled State Election Board, which they said would make the process less secure and their jobs more difficult.
Nicholas Nehamas , Maya King , Maggie Astor and Chris Cameron contributed reporting.
Patricia Mazzei
Reporting from Miami
Former President Donald J. Trump suggested on Thursday that he might support a ballot measure that would expand abortion rights in his adopted state of Florida, though his campaign quickly sought to make clear that his remarks were not indicative of how he would vote.
In an interview with NBC, Mr. Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, was asked on how he would vote on the measure known as Amendment 4, which would guarantee the right to abortion “before viability,” usually around 24 weeks of pregnancy.
Mr. Trump initially repeated his past criticism of the state’s current ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. When pressed further , he stopped short of outright endorsing the proposal but said, “I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks.”
The only way to do that directly on the November ballot would be to vote “Yes” on Amendment 4, which would put Mr. Trump at odds with Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, and most of the state’s Republican leaders, who have vowed to defeat the measure.
Later on Thursday, however, Mr. Trump’s campaign said in a statement that the former president “has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida.”
“He simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short,” said the statement from Karoline Leavitt, the campaign’s national press secretary.
"I think the six week is too short, there has to be more time," former President Trump says how he'll vote on an abortion rights amendment in Florida. pic.twitter.com/rQAdPtW9i0 — NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) August 29, 2024
Florida, which now trends Republican , is no longer considered a top-priority battleground state. But most polls show that Amendment 4 is more popular than even Mr. Trump is in the state.
That indicates that many voters could split their ticket and vote both for the former president and for expanded abortion rights. But the measure would need to meet a high threshold — more than 60 percent support — to pass.
Mr. Trump has shifted his views on abortion and for months has refused to take sides on the Florida referendum. In April, after the State Supreme Court allowed the measure on the November ballot, shaking up the state’s politics, Mr. Trump said at the time that he would address the issue “next week.” He made a similar statement during a news conference this month in Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach estate.
In a statement, the Yes on 4 campaign called the amendment “a nonpartisan issue.”
“Republican, Democrat or independent, the overwhelming majority of Floridians do not want the government making decisions for them when it comes to something as personal and complicated as pregnancy,” said Natasha Sutherland, the campaign’s communication director.
Mr. Trump appointed justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who helped overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022. Mr. DeSantis signed Florida’s six-week abortion ban last year, and it went into effect in May. Mr. DeSantis previously enacted a 15-week abortion ban in 2022; before then, Florida allowed abortions up to 24 weeks.
Last year, when Mr. DeSantis was still running against Mr. Trump in the Republican presidential primary, Mr. Trump denounced the six-week ban as “a terrible mistake.”
This year, Mr. DeSantis and leading Florida Republicans have helped finance the campaign against Amendment 4, calling it too extreme.
Before Mr. Trump’s campaign walked back his comments on Thursday, his remark had prompted the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America to issue a statement noting that Mr. Trump ”has consistently opposed abortions after five months of pregnancy.”
“Voting for Amendment 4 completely undermines his position,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, the group’s president, said in the statement.
The group later issued a “correction.”
“I spoke with President Trump this evening,” Ms. Dannenfelser said. “He has not committed to how he will vote on Amendment 4.”
Advertisement
Reid J. Epstein
Reid J. Epstein covers Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign. He reported from Washington.
The main reason CNN’s interview with Vice President Kamala Harris turned out to be remarkable was that it was the first one she had done since President Biden bowed out and tapped her as his successor.
Seated alongside her running mate, the quietly supportive Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, Ms. Harris parried questions from Dana Bash on Thursday without causing herself political harm or providing herself a significant boost.
She was methodical and risk-averse in the 27-minute interview, performing like a top seed in the early rounds of the U.S. Open tennis tournament trying to hold serve, survive and advance to the next round — in this case, her Sept. 10 debate with former President Donald J. Trump.
Here are seven takeaways from the interview:
The Biden administration’s economic record? Terrific. The president’s stance toward Israel and Gaza? Hers is the same. His position on the border? She shares it, and would sign the bill his team helped negotiate. Fracking in Pennsylvania? Mr. Biden is for it, and so is she.
As it turns out, Ms. Harris is a better salesperson for Mr. Biden’s accomplishments and defender of his record than he ever was. Perhaps that’s little surprise, given the president’s diminished political skills and trouble speaking coherently in recent years.
But if there were any question about whether Ms. Harris would put any daylight between herself and the Biden legacy, she provided a definitive answer on Thursday night.
She will not.
What Ms. Harris did do was offer herself up as a continuation of Mr. Biden’s leadership even as she distanced herself from him.
Asked by Ms. Bash if she had any regrets about defending Mr. Biden’s fitness for office and ability to serve a second term, Ms. Harris said she did not and praised the president.
Then, in the next breath, she deftly put both him and Mr. Trump in the rearview mirror.
“I am so proud to have served as vice president to Joe Biden,” she said. “I’m so proud to be running with Tim Walz for president of the United States and to bring America what I believe the American people deserve, which is a new way forward, and turn the page on the last decade of what I believe has been contrary to where the spirit of our country really lies.”
Mr. Biden, of course, has been either president, vice president or a leading candidate for president for most of the last 15 years.
Since her rise, Ms. Harris has moved carefully toward the political center. She abandoned a host of left-wing positions from her 2020 presidential campaign and showcased never-Trump Republicans at the Democratic convention last week.
On Thursday, she suggested she would appoint a Republican to her cabinet, a symbolic move to show that she would govern in a bipartisan manner.
“It would be to the benefit of the American public to have a member of my cabinet who was a Republican,” she said.
It was once common for presidents to give the other party at least one cabinet post. President Barack Obama named Representative Ray LaHood of Illinois, a Republican, as his transportation secretary. President George W. Bush put Norman Y. Mineta, a Democrat, in the same role.
Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump did not appoint any members of the other party to their cabinets.
Mr. Trump set off a blitz of negative headlines when he falsely suggested that Ms. Harris had identified as Black only later in life, and for political gain. It was an absurd assertion, and the vice president has sought to cut off oxygen to it.
“Same old, tired playbook,” she said when Ms. Bash asked her about the claim. “Next question, please.”
Asked if she had anything to add, Ms. Harris replied: “That’s it.”
Even after a softball question about a viral New York Times photo of her niece watching her speak at the Democratic convention, Ms. Harris refused to lean into the prospect of becoming the first Black woman elected as president.
“I am running because I believe that I am the best person to do this job at this moment for all Americans, regardless of race and gender,” she said, offering a clinical description of the photograph instead of revealing any emotions she felt viewing it.
“I did see that photograph,” she went on. “And I was deeply touched by it. And, you’re right, she’s — it’s the back of her head, and her two little braids, and — and then I’m in the front of the photograph, obviously speaking. It’s very humbling.”
Ms. Harris’s speeches are filled with simple, declarative sentences.
But Thursday’s interview was a reminder that unscripted, she can sometimes deliver discursive answers that ramble and zigzag.
Discussing her feelings when Mr. Biden told her he was ending his campaign and endorsing her, Ms. Harris said she had not at first thought about how the momentous turn of events would affect her life and legacy.
“My first thought was about him, to be honest,” she said. “I think history is going to show a number of things about Joe Biden’s presidency. I think history is going to show that in so many ways it was transformative, be it on what we have accomplished around finally investing in America’s infrastructure, investing in new economies, in new industries, what we have done to bring our allies back together, and have confidence in who we are as America, and grow that alliance, what we have done to stand true to our principles, including the — one of the most important international rules and norms, which is the importance of sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Simple and declarative it was not.
In a setting arranged by the Harris campaign to appear friendly — just three people sitting together at a neighborhood coffee shop in Savannah — it was going to be difficult for Ms. Bash to extract much news out of the vice president.
Still, the veteran journalist had a good night. Conducting one of the most prominent interviews of her career, she ticked through the biggest questions looming over Ms. Harris’s young candidacy, including what specific plans, exactly, she would pursue and why she hadn’t carried out some of her proposals while serving as vice president.
When Ms. Harris dodged an opening question about what her “Day 1” plans were, Ms. Bash asked it again. When there still wasn’t a clear answer, she asked Mr. Walz. He did not really answer it, either. At some point, any inquisitor must move on, and Ms. Bash did.
Republican critics of Ms. Harris may have wished for a harsher grilling — or for more direct questions about how she felt about Mr. Biden’s aptitude and acuity — but Ms. Bash pressed the vice president when necessary.
She also forced Mr. Walz to concede he had misspoken about the extent of his military service: “My grammar’s not always correct,” he said.
At their joint rallies, Mr. Walz has played the role of excited cheerleader, offering a jubilant double-armed wave to crowds in support of Ms. Harris.
But in a joint interview setting, his role was more serene. He mostly sat there, silent, waiting for Ms. Bash to ask him to say something. At one point during the interview’s first segment, he went a full eight minutes without speaking.
Ms. Bash knew that the important person to hear from was Ms. Harris, and Mr. Walz probably did, too.
Michael M. Grynbaum contributed reporting from New York.
Michael Gold
Even before Vice President Kamala Harris’s interview with CNN aired on Thursday night, former President Donald J. Trump began attacking it.
In the morning, he criticized her for having her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, on hand beside her. After seeing a clip of the interview, he criticized her for rambling “incoherently.” And about half an hour before the interview was broadcast, he told a crowd in Wisconsin that the setting — a table for four at a restaurant in Savannah, Ga. — made Ms. Harris look unpresidential.
“She was sitting behind that desk, this massive desk, and she didn’t look like a leader today,” Mr. Trump said at a town hall in La Crosse, Wis. “I’ll be honest. I don’t see her negotiating with President Xi of China. I don’t see her with Kim Jong-un, like we did with Kim Jong-un. So we’re going to have to see what happens.”
After the interview concluded, the usually loquacious Mr. Trump reduced his take to a single word on Truth Social, his social media platform: “BORING!!!”
Mr. Trump and his campaign have spent weeks criticizing Ms. Harris for not holding a news conference with reporters or sitting for a major interview. After she became the Democratic nominee, Mr. Trump held two news conferences aimed at taunting Ms. Harris and showing his willingness to address the media. Last week, he granted a number of interviews to mainstream media outlets.
But after Ms. Harris agreed to an interview with Dana Bash on CNN, Mr. Trump began criticizing her almost immediately.
He opened Thursday with a social media post predicting “inevitable Kamala stumbles” and tried to press Ms. Bash to be “fair but tough.” He argued that Mr. Walz might give Ms. Harris an undue advantage and seeded doubts about the interview’s integrity.
And after CNN aired a clip on Thursday evening in which Ms. Bash asked about Ms. Harris’s shifting positions since her failed 2020 presidential bid, Mr. Trump criticized the “very weakly-phrased question” and Ms. Harris’s answer, which he said “rambled incoherently.”
While the interview was airing, Mr. Trump suggested that he was not impressed with Ms. Harris’s responses.
“I look so forward to Debating Comrade Comrade Kamala Harris and exposing her for the fraud she is,” he wrote on Truth Social, repeating “Comrade.” He added: “Harris has changed every one of her long held positions, on everything.”
Michael D. Shear
Reporting from Washington
Vice President Kamala Harris said on Thursday that she did not regret defending President Biden against claims that he had declined mentally, saying that she believes he has the “intelligence, the commitment and the judgment and disposition” Americans expect from their president.
“No, not at all. Not at all,” the vice president said when asked if she regretted saying Mr. Biden was “extraordinarily strong” in the moments following the disastrous debate in June that led him to abandon his bid for re-election a month later.
“He is so smart and loyal to the American people,” she said.
In her first prime-time interview since Mr. Biden stepped aside and she became the new face of the Democratic Party, Ms. Harris continued to embrace the president and the record she has been a part of for almost four years. She told CNN’s Dana Bash that the administration’s efforts to help the economy recover after the pandemic and its push to secure the border are part of a record worth running on.
But she talked about Mr. Biden mostly in the past tense — fondly, but with a kind of nostalgia that made it clear that he no longer represents the future of the country that she hopes to be leading in January.
The challenge for her campaign over the next 67 days, top advisers say, is tricky: She must forge her own political identity separate from the president, who was pushed out amid voter concerns about his age and capacity to serve. But she can’t afford to break from his accomplishments, which remain popular, or to disrespect Mr. Biden, who remains a beloved figure among many in the party.
“History is going to show,” she said, “not only has Joe Biden led an administration that has achieved those extraordinary successes, but the character of the man is one that he has been in his life and career, including as a president, quite selfless and puts the American people first.”
Her reminiscing about Mr. Biden’s place in history — she said it was “one of the greatest honors of my career” to serve with him — came just after she said she was determined to “turn the page” on a decade of American politics that has not been good for the country.
“Of course, the last three and a half years has been part of your administration,” Ms. Bash reminded the vice president.
Ms. Harris said she was talking about “an era that started about a decade ago,” an apparent reference to the beginning of former President Donald J. Trump’s first campaign for the White House in 2015. She said the era represented a “warped” idea that “the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down.”
That was clearly directed at Mr. Trump, and she suggested that the warped era would continue if he returned to the White House next year.
Throughout the interview, she twice used her campaign slogan — “a new way forward” — to send a message to voters that they should not simply expect a second Biden term if she wins.
“I think that people are ready for a new way forward, in a way that generations of Americans have been fueled by hope and by optimism,” she told Ms. Bash.
What she did not do on Thursday was describe in any detail how that new future would look very different from the America under Mr. Biden’s leadership. Even in response to a question about the violence in the Middle East, she did not stray at all from the position staked out by the president following the attack by Hamas on Israel last year.
“I’m unequivocal and unwavering in my commitment to Israel’s defense and its ability to defend itself, and that’s not going to change,” she said, adding that she remains committed to “a two-state solution where Israel is secure and in equal measure, the Palestinians have security and self-determination and dignity.”
Nicholas Nehamas
Trump just gave what appears to be his review of Harris’s CNN interview: “BORING!!!” he wrote on Truth Social. That response could be exactly what Harris and her team were hoping for.
Harris returned to Washington tonight and will stay there on Friday, the White House said, with no public events scheduled. She will appear on Labor Day in Detroit and is then scheduled to travel to Pittsburgh to hold her first joint campaign appearance with Biden. Unions will be the focus of both events.
Harris may have missed some opportunities — such as a chance to be specific about her plans for her first day as president — but she did not appear to have any major stumbles that could cause negative headlines. That might be all she needs to do as she prepares to debate Trump on Sept. 10.
Maggie Haberman
This was essentially an introductory interview. It probably didn’t change anything in terms of attracting new voters, but she most likely did not do herself harm, which was the goal.
Harris has made the calculation that voters know she’s Black and that she’s a woman and has let other people talk about the historic nature of her candidacy. It’s the same approach Barack Obama took in 2008 when he successfully ran for president and became the nation’s first Black president.
Michael Grynbaum
CNN says it has also invited Trump and JD Vance to sit for an interview with the network. Although Trump has made numerous media appearances recently, only a few involved an adversarial interviewer or a sustained line of tough questioning.
Harris remains reluctant to embrace her trailblazing status. “I am running because I believe I am the best person to do the job, for all Americans, regardless of race and gender,” she said when that photo was brought up.
Dana Bash asked about a photograph of Harris speaking at the Democratic National Convention taken by Todd Heisler of The New York Times. The image, which depicts Harris’s young niece watching her speak, went viral after her acceptance speech.
Kellen Browning
Walz just got a softball question, talking about the viral moment from the Democratic convention when his son, Gus, was shown on screen saying “That’s my dad” and crying. Walz described it as a “visceral, emotional moment.”
So much of what Harris has been doing in this campaign so far is avoiding being caricatured by Trump as she runs to be the first Black woman president in the U.S.
CNN is now airing the final segment. The interview lasted for 27 minutes in total.
It is clear from this interview that Harris feels warmly toward Biden — or at least that she feels it is good politics for her to make it appear that she has warm feelings for him. She has not only embraced his policies and his character, but also just now described him as a “transformative” president.
Harris says that Biden had no hesitation in endorsing her. He was “very clear,” she says.
Erica L. Green
Harris describes the Sunday when President Biden called her and told her he had decided to drop out of the race. She said she asked him: “Are you sure?” That is revelatory about their relationship.
Harris has appeared to grow more comfortable as this interview has gone on. She is also clearly much more at ease giving interviews now that she is not No. 2 to someone running for re-election.
Harris made a couple of interesting strategic political choices in this appearance. She hugged Biden’s record, choosing not to distance herself from him even on issues where he is not an asset, like immigration. And she tried to ignore and minimize Trump by literally laughing off his attacks.
As Trump continues to question who is actually in charge of the White House, Harris said Biden “has the intelligence, the judgment and the commitment and the disposition to serve the American people.”
That was a very deft turn by Harris from defending Biden’s legacy to saying she is ready to turn the page on him and Trump in favor of the “new way forward” she has built her campaign message around.
Harris says she has “no regrets” about defending Biden’s ability to serve a second term.
So far, Harris has done fine. She hasn’t had any major missteps. There may have been a few missed opportunities to draw a sharper contrast with Trump. But she has ripped off the Band-Aid on interviews, and that’s not nothing.
The choice by the Harris campaign to bring along Walz tonight is interesting, given how relaxed and commanding Walz sounded when he answered questions. In some ways, his easy manner on-camera highlighted Harris’s discomfort in this sort of environment.
Rebecca Davis O’Brien
Michael, I was struck by the way he parried the last question, about I.V.F. In a somewhat indirect way, he was arguing that his language about methods of fertility treatment wasn’t as important as the obfuscation of Republicans about their actual aims with regard to women’s health and fertility care.
Well into Vice President Kamala Harris’s first interview since assuming her party’s presidential mantle, there have been no breakthrough moments. She defended her tack to the political center but declined to lay out any new specific proposals for a Harris administration — or any action that she might take on her first day in office. She vowed not to change course in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But she also maintained her composure.
Walz has essentially tried to push past questions on the details of what he has said, arguing that the bigger concern to Americans is policy positions. “I won’t apologize for speaking passionately” on gun control or reproductive rights, he said.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Learn how to use reported speech with clear explanations and lots of exercises. Perfect English Grammar helps you master grammar skills.
Learn about reported speech in English language: what it is, examples, rules, verb tense changes, modal verbs, time/place changes, and reporting verbs.
We call them reported speech. Every time we use reported speech in English, we are talking about something said by someone else in the past. Thinking about it brings me back to high school, when reported speech was the main form of language! Learn all about the definition, rules, and examples of reported speech as I go over everything.
Reported Speech - Definition, Rules and Usage with Examples Reported speech or indirect speech is the form of speech used to convey what was said by someone at some point of time. This article will help you with all that you need to know about reported speech, its meaning, definition, how and when to use them along with examples.
We use "reported speech" to talk about what someone said. Let's learn rules for changing the verb tense, as well as exceptions - plus quizzes!
Reported speech is a way of relaying what someone else has said. Learn how to use it correctly with examples and tips in this comprehensive guide.
Reported speech - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary
In English grammar, we use reported speech to say what another person has said. In reported speech, we change the tense and pronouns to show that some time has passed. Learn all about reported speech in English with Lingolia, then test your knowledge in the interactive exercises.
Reported Speech The reported speech reproduces the words of another person by adapting certain temporal and local references of the original speech to the situation of the speaker, for example, personal pronouns, demonstratives, verb tenses, and adverbs of place or time.
Talking about what someone else has already said, also known as reported speech, involves a few special grammar rules in English.
How to use Reported Speech If you have a sentence in Direct Speech, try to follow our 5 steps to put the sentence into Reported Speech..
Reported Speech Rules and Examples To turn sentences into Indirect Speech, you have to follow a set of rules and this is what makes reported speech difficult for some.
Explore the concept of reported speech with clear definitions, rules, and examples. Understand how to transform direct speech into reported speech, and practice with exercises.
English Reported speech rules with backshift, examples, exercises and answers. All English Reported speech - exercises free and with help function, teaching materials and grammar rules.
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.
Learn about reported speech with clear definitions, rules for converting direct speech to indirect speech, and effective dialogue reporting in English. Enhance your writing skills with comprehensive guides and examples.
REPORTED SPEECH! https://7esl.com/reported-speech/ Reported speech is often also called indirect speech in English.
Reported speech: indirect speech - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary
In summary, understanding direct and indirect speech is crucial for effective communication and writing. Direct speech can be used to convey the speaker's tone and emotion, while indirect speech can be useful when summarizing what someone said. By following the rules for changing direct speech to indirect speech, you can accurately report what was said while maintaining clarity and ...
Reported Speech with Examples and Test (PDF) Reported speech is used when we want to convey what someone else has said to us or to another person. It involves paraphrasing or summarising what has been said, often changing verb tenses, pronouns and other elements to suit the context of the report. She sings in the choir.
Indirect speech: An Indirect speech is also called a reported speech, or secondary speech means the speech, which has spoken indirectly. It is simply an overlook statement that is used to say about the incident that has happened in the past time.
"The right to free speech is at the heart of our democracy, and as your next mayor, I will ensure that every citizen's voice is heard, respected, and protected," Sartor stated. "While there must ...
The speech used to communicate what someone said at a certain point in time is known as Reported Speech or Indirect Speech.
Last month, Mr. Trump questioned Ms. Harris's identity as a Black woman, suggesting at a convention of Black journalists that Ms. Harris had used her racial profile as a way to gain a political ...
Sweden rules out sweeping changes to free speech law amid Quran burnings end of list. The charges said the two desecrated the Quran, including burning it, while making derogatory remarks about ...
The former president has made America's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 a central focus of his attacks on Democrats over foreign policy and national security issues.
Ms. Harris's speeches are filled with simple, declarative sentences. But Thursday's interview was a reminder that unscripted, she can sometimes deliver discursive answers that ramble and zigzag.