Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)

The Concept:

  • Direct Speech: This is when you quote someone's exact words, usually placed inside quotation marks (" ").
    • Example: "I am tired," said Sam.
  • Reported Speech: This is when you tell someone else what another person said, without using their exact words or quotation marks. You are reporting the meaning.
    • Example: Sam said (that) he was tired.

Statement (Declarative Sentences)

When turning a direct statement into reported speech, we follow a specific formula. Let's break down the "Recipe" for Reported Speech:

The Formula:
Speaker + said/told + (that) + Subject + Verb + The Rest of the sentence

  • Speaker: The person who originally spoke.
  • said / told: The reporting verb.
    • Important Note: You must use an object pronoun (like me, him, us) immediately after told (e.g., told me). You cannot put an object directly after said (e.g., you say said to me, not said me).
  • (that): You can include "that" or drop it. It's optional.
  • Subject & Verb: These change based on the rules below.
  • The Rest: The remaining details of the sentence.

Steps to Change Direct to Reported Speech:

1. Changing the Reporting Verb:

  • said stays said
  • said to changes to told
  • say / says stays say / says
  • say to / says to changes to tell / tells

Tricky Difference between 'said' and 'told':

  • said: Does NOT take an object directly. (e.g., He said that he liked pizza.)
  • told: MUST have an object directly after it. (e.g., He told me that he liked pizza.)

2. Removing 'that' and Changing Pronouns:

You can drop the word "that" (it's optional). You must change the pronouns to match the perspective of the person you are reporting to.

  • Subject Pronouns: I he/she; you I/we; we they
  • Object Pronouns: me him/her; you me/us; us them
  • Possessive Adjectives: my his/her; your my/our; our their
  • Extra Example: "I am washing my car," said Tom.
    • Reported: Tom said he was washing his car.

3. Changing the Verb Tense (Backshifting):

When the reporting verb (said/told) is in the past tense, the verb in the quote must "step back" into the past.

  • Present Simple Past Simple
    • Extra Example: "I eat apples," she said. She said she ate apples.
  • Present Continuous Past Continuous
    • Extra Example: "I am reading," he said. He said he was reading.
  • Verb 'to be' (am/is/are) (was/were)
    • Extra Example: "The dogs are loud," he said. He said the dogs were loud.
  • Modal Verbs:
    • can could
    • will would
    • Extra Example: "I can swim," she said. She said she could swim.
    • Extra Example: "I will call you," he said. He said he would call me.

4. Changing Time and Place Expressions:

If the reporting verb is in the past (said), you must change words that refer to specific times and places, because "here and now" has shifted.

  • Place: this that; these those; here there
  • Time: today that day; tomorrow the following day; yesterday the day before; last week the week before; tonight that night; now then; ago before
  • Extra Example: "I will meet you here tomorrow," she said.
    • Reported: She said she would meet me there the following day.