Reported speech

REPORTED SPEECH

• Reported speech refers to using a noun clauses to report what someone has said.No quotation marks are used.

• Notice the changes in the verb forms from qouted speech to reported speech in the following examples:

Quoted speech:

She said ,”I watched TV every day.”

Reported speech :

She said (that) she watched TV every day.

Quoted speech:

She said ,”I am watcing TV.”

Reported speech:

She said (that) she was watcing TV.

To report what someone said ,we use a reporting verb followed by an optional THAT.

FOR EXAMPLE:

He said that he wants us to read Chapter six.

Jeff said that he was coming here .

I am training.

She said that she was training.

When you report samebody’s word using (said ,asked,etc.) you usually change the tence to one further back in the past.

CHANGES:

1 .Direct speech:

‘ I ’ ll put the letters in the post.’

Change:

will to whould

Reported speech:

He said we would put the letters in the post.

2. Direct speech:

‘ I work for insurance company.

Change:

work to worked

Reported speech:

She said she worked for an insurance company.

3. Direct speech:

‘ We can’t borrow any more.’

Change:

can’t to couldn’t work Reported speech:

They said they couldn’t borrow any more money from the bank.

4. Direct speech:

‘ We’ ve moved to a bigger house.’

Change:

have moved to had moved Reported speech:

They said they had moved to a bigger house.

5. Direct speech:

‘ I must pay the gas bill.’

Change:

must to had to Reported speech:

She said she had to pay the gas bill.

NO CHANGES :

Some verb tences used in direct speech do not change in reported speech.The ‘reporting’ verb is often in the present tence.

The verbs do not normally changed when :

1 .reporting a present state of affairs e.g.

Direct speech:

‘ The cost of living here is high.’

Reported speech:

The reporter said that the cost of living here is high.

2 .reporting things which are always true e.g.

Direct speech:

‘ It’s always cold at this time of year.’

Reported speech:

Mary says it’ s always cold at this time of year.

3 .reported thing we believe(or someone believes) will happened e.g.

Direct speech:

‘ They’re going to sack 300 workers next week.’

Reported speech:

The union representative said thay are going to sack 300 workers next week.

4. They are modal stractures ; would, could, might, ought, and should, e.g.

Direct speech:

‘ You might be mistaken.’

Reported speech:

She said (that) he might be mistaken.

REPORTING STATEMENTS

1. VERB(+THAT)

(e.g. Say, claim, explain, admit,insist, agree, complain,)

‘ I’m hot.’ She explained that he was hot.

‘ I’m an art student.’ She said she was an art student.

NOTİCE :admit and deny can also be followed by the –ing form.

1. VERB+pronoun/noun(THAT)

(e.g. tell)

‘ I’m an art student.’ She told him (that)she was an art student.

2. VERB+infinitive

(e.g.offer,refuse,agree,promise)

‘ I’ll take you to the dance.’ He offered to take her to the dance.

4. VERB+for+ -ing form

(e.g apologize,thank)

‘ I’m sorry I trod on your foot.’ She apologized for treading on his foot.

REPORTED REQUESTS AND ORDERS:

‘ Close the door, please?’ He asked me to close the door.

‘ Please, don’t shout.’ She asked them not to shout.

‘ Sit, Rover.’ The boy told his dog to sit .

‘ Don’t move.’ The policeman ordered to burglar not to move.

REPORTİNG QUESTİONS:

Remember to change the word order in a reported question to subject by verb.

‘ What time is it?’ He asked what time it was.

Remember to use if and whethe r if there is no question word.

‘ Are you tired?’ He asked if I was tired.

‘ Do you the car or not?’ She wondered whether I wanted the car.

REPORTİNG SUGGESTİONS:

Suggest can be followed by an –ing form, or that + should + infinitive

‘ Let’s go home.’ He suggested going home. He suggested that they should go home.