Reported Speech

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 4

Unit 11 grammar

Reported Speech (talking about what 

other people have said)

What is reported speech?

Sometimes someone says a sentence, for example "I'm going to the cinema tonight". 

Later, maybe we want to tell someone else what the first person said. We report what was said. 

We will look at how to do this.

Reported speech

Direct speech: the literal, exact words someone says:

• Mike: “I am very angry with you”. 

Often in written text with quotation marks "..."/'...'

Indirect or reported speech: when you tell someone what somebody else said. 

• He said (that) he was very angry with me. 

No quotation marks in written text.

What changes:  - Tense  (present to past) - Pronouns ( I, we, you)  - Pronouns (here → there, this → that, these → those)  - Adverbials of time (yesterday → the day before, tomorrow→ the following/ next day)  

Changing the tense

Direct speech                      Mary: "He tells a lie"   

Reported speech               Mary said that he told a lie

Present simple        →       Past simple  

So what happens is that when we change the verb tense, we take a step 'back in time', as it were. Have a look →

Tense changes

Mary: "He is telling a lie"                              She said that he was telling a lie 

Present continuous       →                          Past continuous

Mary: "He has told a lie                                She said that he had told a lie 

Present perfect               →                           Past perfect   

Mary: "He told a lie"                                       She said that he had told a lie 

Past simple                       →                           Past perfect 

Mary: "He was telling a lie"                        She said that he had been telling a lie 

Past continuous             →                           Past perfect continuous  

Mary: "He had told a lie"                              She said that he had told a lie 

Past perfect                     →                            Past perfect  

Modals:

Mary: "He will tell a lie"                           She said that he would tell a lie 

Will                                              →                would 

Mary: "He can tell a lie"                          She said that he could tell a lie 

Can                                             →                could 

Mary: "He may tell a lie"                         She said that he might tell a lie.  

May                                             →               might

Mary: "He must tell a lie"                       She said that he had to tell a lie.

must                                           →               had to

When something is reported that is a general truth, there is often no tense change. 

Teacher: “Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius."

The teacher said that water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.  

Other changes: pronouns

pronouns:  

you →  he/she/they   - 'I warned you earlier'  = He said that he had warned her earlier.  

your →  his/her/their -   'I noticed your mistake earlier.' =  He said that he had noticed her mistake earlier.

You need the context to find the right pronouns. 

this/that (as pronouns) -  'You should erase this .' =  She told him he should erase it.

this/that/these/those + noun: 'This report is very detailed' = she told him the report was very detailed.

Other changes: time

There are different reporting verbs, which can take the following structures:

Accuse + of + -ing 

Mike: “You stole the bag”                →          He accused her of stealing the bag 

Admit + (to) + -ing / Admit + (that) 

Mike:“I lost the key”                          →           He admitted that he had lost the key  He admitted (to) losing the key 

Apologise + for + -ing 

Mike: “I am sorry that I am late”   →           He apologized for being late  

Argue + for + -ing / argue (that) 

Mike: “It is unnecessary to change anything”      →         He argued that it was unnecessary to change anything  

Claim + (that)

Jane: “He is a coward”        →             Jane claimed that he was a coward. 

Deny + (that) / deny + -ing

 John: “I don’t break any rules”       →       John denied that he broke any rules / John denied breaking any rules.  

Explain + (that) 

The mechanic: “There aren’t any problems.”    →     The mechanic explained (that) there weren’t any problems anymore. 

Invite + pronoun + to

Isaac: "Come to my party tonight!'   →     Isaac invited me to come to his party tonight.

Promise + (that) / promise+ to + infinitive

Dad: “I will pick you up”       →            Dad promised (that) he would pick me up. / Dad promised to pick me up. 

Refuse + to + infinitive

The boy: “I don’t want to throw the rubbish in the bin”         →         The boy refused to throw the rubbish in the bin. 

Reveal + (that) 

The fireman: “The fire started in the bakery".”        →      He revealed that the fire had started in the bakery. 

Suggest + (that) / suggest + -ing

“Let’s drive more slowly."    →       The man suggested (that) we drove more slowly. / The man suggested driving more slowly.

Threaten + to + infinitive

Hugh: “I will hit you if you don't stop teasing me.”          →         Hugh threated to hit them if they didn't stop teasing him.

Warn + (that) / warn = to + infinitive

Mum: “Santa will not come if you are naughty.”       →        Mum warned us that Santa wouldn’t come if we were naughty. / Mum warned us not to be naughty or Santa wouldn’t come.

Practise: Turn to reported speech

1. Mark said, “My friend found a new job in the music business.”
2. Her boyfriend told her,” You have bought a wonderful dress.” 
3. Mary said, “I will play a card game tomorrow.” 
4. Judy revealed, “I have already written this essay four times.” 
5. My father told Ben, “I am sure I saw you here last week.

Answers

1. Mark said that his friend had found a new job in the music business.
2. Her boyfriend told her that she had bought a wonderful dress.
   
3. Mary said that she would play a card game the following day.
4. Judy revealed that she had already written that essay four times.
5. My father told Ben that he was sure he had seen him there the week before.

Change into reporting speech using the given reporting verb

1. Tom: “Gerry cheats at tests.” (accuse) 
2. Jerry: “you must replace A by B” (explain) 
3. Joe: “ I do not know anything” (deny) 
4. Mary: “I will help you” (promise) 
5. Christa: “You could work harder” ( suggest) 
6. We: “ stop cheating at tests” (warn)

Answers

1. Tom accused Gerry of cheating at tests. 
2. Jerry explained that I had to replace A by B. 
3. Joe denied knowing anything / Joe denied that he knew anything 
4. Mary promised to help me / Mary promised that she would help me. 
5. Christa suggested working harder / Christa suggested that we could work harder 
6. We warned you that you must stop cheating at tests.  / We warned you to stop cheating at tests.  

Online practice

https://test-english.com/grammar-points/a2/reported-speech-indirect-speech/

https://test-english.com/grammar-points/b1-b2/reporting-verbs/

Reported speech

Still having some problems with understanding how this works? Have a look at the videos!