Explore Questions and Answers to deepen your understanding of reported speech.
Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way of reporting or paraphrasing someone's words or statements without using their exact words. It involves changing the tense, pronouns, and other elements to reflect the speaker's original words in a more indirect manner.
The different types of reported speech are direct speech, indirect speech, and free indirect speech.
To change a direct statement into reported speech, you need to use reporting verbs (such as said, told, asked) and make necessary changes in pronouns, tenses, and time expressions. The reported speech should be introduced by a reporting verb followed by the conjunction "that" (optional) and the reported statement.
The reporting verbs commonly used in reported speech include "say," "tell," "ask," "explain," "state," "mention," "suggest," "claim," "promise," "admit," "deny," "recommend," "warn," "inform," "announce," "insist," "complain," "request," "demand," "offer," "agree," "refuse," "reply," "argue," "believe," "doubt," "wonder," "guess," "think," "know," "remember," "forget," "realize," "understand," "hope," "wish," "fear," "like," "love," "hate," "prefer," "desire," "need," "want," "intend," "plan," "expect," "imagine," "suppose," "assume," "suspect," "conclude," "judge," "consider," "regret," "apologize," "thank," "congratulate," "compliment," "encourage," "persuade," "warn," "threaten," "promise," "offer," "refuse," "accept," "reject," "allow," "forbid," "encourage," "advise," "recommend," "insist," "propose," "suggest," "request," "demand," "order," "beg," "plead," "beg," "urge," "invite," "remind," "tell," "inform," "notify," "announce," "declare," "confirm," "assure," "guarantee," "promise," "threaten," "warn," "admit," "confess," "deny," "claim," "state," "assert," "affirm," "argue," "insist," "maintain," "allege," "prove," "disprove," "explain," "describe," "define," "illustrate," "demonstrate," "show," "reveal," "expose," "disclose," "mention," "cite," "refer to," "point out," "note," "observe," "remark," "comment," "ask," "inquire," "question," "query," "wonder," "doubt," "guess," "speculate," "worry," "consider," "ponder," "contemplate," "reflect," "think," "believe," "assume," "presume," "suppose," "imagine," "expect," "hope," "fear," "suspect," "realize," "understand," "know," "remember," "forget," "regret," "apologize," "thank," "congratulate," "compliment," "encourage," "persuade," "warn," "threaten," "promise," "offer," "refuse," "accept," "reject," "allow," "forbid," "encourage," "advise," "recommend," "insist," "propose," "suggest," "request," "demand," "order," "beg," "plead," "beg," "urge," "invite," "remind," "tell," "inform," "notify," "announce," "declare," "confirm," "assure," "guarantee," "promise," "threaten," "warn," "admit," "confess," "deny," "claim," "state," "assert," "affirm," "argue," "insist," "maintain," "allege," "prove," "disprove," "explain," "describe," "define," "illustrate," "demonstrate," "show," "reveal," "expose," "disclose," "mention," "cite," "refer to," "point out," "note," "observe," "remark," "comment," "ask," "inquire," "question," "query," "wonder," "doubt," "guess," "speculate," "worry," "consider," "ponder," "contemplate," "reflect," "think," "believe," "assume," "presume," "suppose," "imagine," "expect," "hope," "fear," "suspect," "realize," "understand," "know," "remember," "forget," "regret," "apologize," "thank," "congratulate," "compliment," "encourage," "persuade," "warn," "threaten," "promise," "offer," "refuse," "accept," "reject," "allow," "forbid," "encourage," "advise," "recommend," "insist," "propose," "suggest," "request," "demand," "order," "beg," "plead," "beg," "urge," "invite," "remind," "tell," "inform," "notify," "announce," "declare," "confirm," "assure," "guarantee," "promise," "threaten," "warn," "admit," "confess," "deny," "claim," "state," "assert," "affirm," "argue," "insist," "maintain," "allege," "prove," "disprove," "explain," "describe," "define," "illustrate," "demonstrate," "show," "reveal," "expose," "disclose," "mention," "cite," "refer to," "point out," "note," "observe," "remark," "comment," "ask," "inquire," "question," "query," "wonder," "doubt," "guess," "speculate," "worry," "consider," "ponder," "contemplate," "reflect," "think," "believe," "assume," "presume," "suppose," "imagine," "expect," "hope," "fear," "suspect," "realize," "understand," "know," "remember," "forget," "regret," "apologize," "thank," "congratulate," "compliment," "encourage," "persuade," "warn," "threaten," "promise," "offer," "refuse," "accept," "reject," "allow," "forbid," "encourage," "advise," "recommend," "insist," "propose," "suggest," "request," "demand," "order," "beg," "plead," "beg," "urge," "invite," "remind," "tell," "inform," "notify," "announce," "declare," "confirm," "assure," "guarantee," "promise," "threaten," "warn," "admit," "confess," "deny," "claim," "state," "assert," "affirm," "argue," "insist," "maintain," "allege," "prove," "disprove," "explain," "describe," "define," "illustrate," "demonstrate," "show," "reveal," "expose," "disclose," "mention," "cite," "refer to," "point out," "note," "observe," "remark," "comment," "ask," "inquire," "question," "query," "wonder," "doubt," "guess," "speculate," "worry," "consider," "ponder," "contemplate," "reflect," "think," "believe," "assume," "presume," "suppose," "imagine," "expect," "hope," "fear," "suspect," "realize," "understand," "know," "remember," "forget," "regret," "apologize," "thank," "congratulate," "compliment," "encourage," "persuade," "warn," "threaten," "promise," "offer," "refuse," "accept," "reject," "allow," "forbid," "encourage," "advise," "recommend," "insist," "propose," "suggest," "request," "demand," "order," "beg," "plead," "beg," "urge," "invite," "remind," "tell," "inform," "notify," "announce," "declare," "confirm," "assure," "guarantee," "promise," "threaten," "warn," "admit," "confess," "deny," "claim," "state," "assert," "affirm," "argue," "insist," "maintain," "allege," "prove," "disprove," "explain," "describe," "define," "illustrate," "demonstrate," "show," "reveal," "expose," "disclose," "mention," "cite," "refer to," "point out," "note," "observe," "remark," "comment," "ask," "inquire," "question," "query," "wonder," "doubt," "guess," "speculate," "worry," "consider," "ponder," "contemplate," "reflect," "think," "believe," "assume," "presume," "suppose," "imagine," "expect," "hope," "fear," "suspect," "realize," "understand," "know," "remember," "forget," "regret," "apologize," "thank," "congratulate," "compliment," "encourage," "persuade," "warn," "threaten," "promise," "offer," "refuse," "accept," "reject," "allow," "forbid," "encourage," "advise," "recommend," "insist," "propose," "suggest," "request," "demand," "order," "beg," "plead," "beg," "urge," "invite," "remind," "tell," "inform," "notify," "announce," "declare," "confirm," "assure," "guarantee," "promise," "threaten," "warn," "admit," "confess," "deny," "claim," "state," "assert," "affirm," "argue," "insist," "maintain," "allege," "prove," "disprove," "explain," "describe," "define," "illustrate," "demonstrate," "show," "reveal," "expose," "disclose," "mention," "cite," "refer to," "point out," "note," "observe," "remark," "comment," "ask," "inquire," "question," "query," "wonder," "doubt," "guess," "speculate," "worry," "consider," "ponder," "contemplate," "reflect," "think," "believe," "assume," "presume," "suppose," "imagine," "expect," "hope," "fear," "suspect," "realize," "understand," "know," "remember," "forget," "regret," "apologize," "thank," "congratulate," "compliment," "encourage," "persuade," "warn," "threaten," "promise," "offer," "refuse," "accept," "reject," "allow," "forbid," "encourage," "advise," "recommend," "insist," "propose," "suggest," "request," "demand," "order," "beg," "plead," "beg," "urge," "invite," "remind," "tell," "inform," "notify," "announce," "declare," "confirm," "assure," "guarantee," "promise," "threaten," "warn," "admit," "confess," "deny," "claim," "state," "assert," "affirm," "argue," "insist," "maintain," "allege," "prove," "disprove," "explain," "describe," "define," "illustrate," "demonstrate," "show," "reveal," "expose," "disclose," "mention," "cite," "refer to," "point out," "note," "observe," "remark," "comment," "ask," "inquire," "question," "query," "wonder," "doubt," "guess," "speculate," "worry," "consider," "ponder," "contemplate," "reflect," "think," "believe," "assume," "presume," "suppose," "imagine," "expect," "hope," "fear," "suspect," "realize," "understand," "know," "remember," "forget," "regret," "apologize," "thank," "congratulate," "compliment," "encourage," "persuade," "warn," "threaten," "promise," "offer," "refuse," "accept," "reject," "allow," "forbid," "encourage," "advise," "recommend," "insist," "propose," "suggest," "request," "demand," "order," "beg," "plead," "beg," "urge," "invite," "remind," "tell," "inform," "notify," "announce," "declare," "confirm," "assure," "guarantee," "promise," "threaten," "warn," "admit," "confess," "deny," "claim," "state," "assert," "affirm," "argue," "insist," "maintain," "allege," "prove," "disprove," "explain," "describe," "define," "illustrate," "demonstrate," "show," "reveal," "expose," "disclose," "mention," "cite," "refer to," "point out," "note," "observe," "remark," "comment," "ask," "inquire," "question," "query," "wonder," "doubt," "guess," "speculate," "worry," "consider," "ponder," "contemplate," "reflect," "think," "believe," "assume," "presume," "suppose," "imagine," "expect," "hope," "fear," "suspect," "realize," "understand," "know," "remember," "forget," "regret," "apologize," "thank," "congratulate," "compliment," "encourage," "persuade," "warn," "threaten," "promise," "offer," "refuse," "accept," "reject," "allow," "forbid," "encourage," "advise," "recommend," "insist," "propose," "suggest," "request," "demand," "order," "beg," "plead," "beg," "urge," "invite," "remind," "tell," "inform," "notify," "announce," "declare," "confirm," "assure," "guarantee," "promise," "threaten," "warn," "admit," "confess," "deny," "claim," "state," "assert," "affirm," "argue," "insist," "maintain," "allege," "prove," "disprove," "explain," "describe," "define," "illustrate," "demonstrate," "show," "reveal," "expose," "disclose," "mention," "cite," "refer to," "point out," "note," "observe," "remark," "comment," "ask," "inquire," "question," "query," "wonder," "doubt," "
The difference between direct and indirect speech lies in how the words of a speaker are reported. In direct speech, the exact words spoken by the speaker are quoted and enclosed in quotation marks. In indirect speech, the words of the speaker are reported indirectly, without using quotation marks, and may be altered to fit the reporting context.
To change a direct question into reported speech, we need to use reporting verbs such as "asked," "inquired," or "wondered." We also need to change the tense of the verb, pronouns, and time expressions if necessary. Additionally, we need to introduce the reported question with a reporting clause, such as "He asked me" or "She wondered."
The rules for changing tenses in reported speech are as follows:
1. Present simple tense in direct speech changes to past simple tense in reported speech.
Example: He said, "I like ice cream." → He said that he liked ice cream.
2. Present continuous tense in direct speech changes to past continuous tense in reported speech.
Example: She said, "I am studying for my exams." → She said that she was studying for her exams.
3. Present perfect tense in direct speech changes to past perfect tense in reported speech.
Example: They said, "We have already finished our work." → They said that they had already finished their work.
4. Past simple tense in direct speech changes to past perfect tense in reported speech.
Example: He said, "I went to the park yesterday." → He said that he had gone to the park the day before.
5. Past continuous tense in direct speech changes to past perfect continuous tense in reported speech.
Example: She said, "I was watching TV all evening." → She said that she had been watching TV all evening.
6. Future tenses in direct speech change to corresponding past tenses in reported speech.
Example: They said, "We will go on a vacation next week." → They said that they would go on a vacation the following week.
7. Modals in direct speech change to corresponding past modals in reported speech.
Example: He said, "I can swim." → He said that he could swim.
It is important to note that the reporting verb (e.g., said, told, asked) and the pronouns may also need to be changed according to the context of the reported speech.
To change imperative sentences into reported speech, we use the reporting verb "to tell" or "to ask" followed by the indirect object pronoun "to" and the base form of the verb. The word "to" is optional in some cases. Additionally, we may need to change the pronouns and time expressions to match the reported speech context.
The backshift of tenses in reported speech refers to the change in verb tenses when reporting someone's words or thoughts. In reported speech, the tense of the verb is shifted back to reflect the past tense of the original statement or question.
The sequence of tenses in reported speech is as follows:
1. Present simple tense in direct speech changes to past simple tense in reported speech.
Example: "I like ice cream." (direct speech) changes to "She said she liked ice cream." (reported speech)
2. Present continuous tense in direct speech changes to past continuous tense in reported speech.
Example: "I am studying for my exam." (direct speech) changes to "He said he was studying for his exam." (reported speech)
3. Present perfect tense in direct speech changes to past perfect tense in reported speech.
Example: "I have finished my work." (direct speech) changes to "She said she had finished her work." (reported speech)
4. Past simple tense in direct speech changes to past perfect tense in reported speech.
Example: "I went to the park." (direct speech) changes to "He said he had gone to the park." (reported speech)
5. Will or shall in direct speech changes to would or should in reported speech.
Example: "I will help you." (direct speech) changes to "She said she would help me." (reported speech)
6. Can or could in direct speech changes to could or might in reported speech.
Example: "I can swim." (direct speech) changes to "He said he could swim." (reported speech)
7. May or might in direct speech changes to might or might have in reported speech.
Example: "I may go to the party." (direct speech) changes to "She said she might go to the party." (reported speech)
The rule for changing pronouns in reported speech is to generally change the pronouns to reflect the perspective of the speaker in the reported speech. For example, if the original statement includes the pronoun "I," it is changed to "he/she" in reported speech. Similarly, if the original statement includes the pronoun "you," it is changed to "I/they" in reported speech.
In reported speech, time and place expressions are generally changed according to the context and the tense of the reporting verb. Here are some general rules for changing time and place expressions:
1. Time expressions:
- If the reported speech is still true at the time of reporting, the time expression remains unchanged.
- If the reported speech is no longer true at the time of reporting, the time expression is usually changed to reflect the new time.
- For example, "He said, 'I will go to the party tomorrow.'" can be reported as "He said that he would go to the party the next day."
2. Place expressions:
- If the reported speech is still true at the time of reporting, the place expression remains unchanged.
- If the reported speech is no longer true at the time of reporting, the place expression is usually changed to reflect the new place.
- For example, "She said, 'I am in London.'" can be reported as "She said that she was in London."
It is important to note that these rules may vary depending on the specific context and tense of the reporting verb.
The general rule for changing adverbs of time and frequency in reported speech is to shift them back in time. This means that adverbs of time and frequency are usually changed to a past form when reporting someone's words or thoughts.
To change modals in reported speech, we generally use the reporting verb "said" or "told" followed by the modal verb "would" or "could" instead of the original modal verb. For example, if the original sentence is "I can swim," in reported speech it would be "He said he could swim."
The rule for changing possessive adjectives and pronouns in reported speech is to change them according to the subject of the reporting verb. For example, "my" becomes "his/her" and "mine" becomes "his/hers".
To change reported speech into direct speech, you need to remove any reporting verbs or phrases and use quotation marks to directly quote the speaker's words. Additionally, you may need to make changes to pronouns, verb tenses, and time expressions to match the original speaker's words.
The rule for changing 'said to' into reported speech is to use the reporting verb 'told' instead of 'said to'.
To change 'will' into reported speech, we typically use 'would'.
The rule for changing 'can' into reported speech is to change it to 'could' or 'was/were able to'.
To change 'may' into reported speech, we typically use 'might' or 'could' as the reporting verb. For example, "He said, 'I may go to the party'" can be reported as "He said that he might/could go to the party."
The rule for changing 'must' into reported speech is to use 'had to' or 'was/were supposed to' instead of 'must'.
To change 'should' into reported speech, we typically use 'should' itself or its equivalent 'ought to'.
The rule for changing 'might' into reported speech is to change it to 'might' or 'might not' depending on the context, and to backshift the verb tense if necessary.
To change 'would' into reported speech, we generally use 'said that' or 'told' followed by the subject and the verb in the past tense. For example, "He said that he would come" or "She told me that she would help."
The rule for changing 'could' into reported speech is to change it to 'was/were able to' or 'had been able to' depending on the tense of the original sentence.
To change 'ought to' into reported speech, we use the reporting verb 'should'.
The rule for changing 'need' into reported speech is to use 'needed' or 'didn't need' in the reported speech, depending on the tense of the original statement.
To change 'used to' into reported speech, we typically use the reporting verb 'said' or 'told' followed by the reporting clause. The reporting clause should include the subject and the verb in the past tense, followed by 'used to' and the base form of the verb. For example, if the original sentence is "I used to play tennis," the reported speech version could be "He said that he used to play tennis."
The rule for changing 'had better' into reported speech is to use 'should' instead of 'had better'.
To change 'have to' into reported speech, we use 'had to'.
The rule for changing 'would rather' into reported speech is to use 'would rather' + infinitive without 'to'.
To change 'suppose' into reported speech, we typically use 'supposed to'.
The rule for changing 'let' into reported speech is to use 'allow' or 'permit' instead of 'let' in the reported speech sentence.
To change 'make' into reported speech, we typically use 'cause' or 'force' as a reporting verb.
The rule for changing 'help' into reported speech is to use the reporting verb 'offer' or 'suggest' followed by the infinitive form of the verb.
To change 'tell' into reported speech, we need to use the reporting verb 'said' or 'told' in the past tense, followed by the reported statement. Additionally, we may need to make changes to pronouns, verb tenses, and time expressions to match the context of the reported speech.
The rule for changing 'ask' into reported speech is to use the reporting verb 'asked' followed by the indirect object pronoun (if any), the subject, and the verb in the reported speech.
To change an 'order' into reported speech, we need to use a reporting verb such as 'ask', 'tell', or 'order' and make the necessary changes in the verb tense, pronouns, and adverbs of time and place. For example, if someone says "Order me a pizza," in reported speech it could be reported as "He/she ordered me to get a pizza."
The rule for changing 'invite' into reported speech is to use the verb 'ask' or 'invite' in the reporting clause, followed by the indirect object pronoun and the infinitive form of the verb. For example, "He invited me to the party" would be reported as "He asked me to go to the party."
To change 'advise' into reported speech, we use the reporting verb 'advised' followed by the reporting clause. For example, "He advised me to study harder" would be changed to "He advised me to study harder."
The rule for changing 'warn' into reported speech is to use the reporting verb 'warned' followed by the reporting clause, which includes the reporting verb in the past tense and the reported speech in the past tense as well.
To change 'promise' into reported speech, we need to use the reporting verb 'promise' in the past tense and make the necessary changes in pronouns and verb tenses. For example, if the original statement is "I promise to help you," the reported speech version would be "He/she promised to help me."
The rule for changing 'offer' into reported speech is to use the reporting verb 'offer' followed by the indirect object pronoun and the infinitive form of the verb.
To change 'refuse' into reported speech, we need to use the reporting verb 'said' or 'told' and make the necessary changes in the verb tense and pronouns. For example, if the direct speech is "I refuse to do it," the reported speech would be "He/she said that he/she refused to do it."
The rule for changing 'suggest' into reported speech is to use the verb 'suggest' followed by the infinitive form of the verb without 'to'.
To change 'agree' into reported speech, we need to use the reporting verb 'said' or 'told' followed by the reporting clause. For example, if someone said, "I agree," in reported speech it would be reported as "They said that they agreed."
The rule for changing 'deny' into reported speech is to use the verb 'deny' followed by the reported speech structure, which includes a reporting verb, a reporting clause, and a reported clause. For example, "He denied that he had stolen the money."
To change 'explain' into reported speech, you would typically use the reporting verb 'said' or 'told' followed by the reporting clause and the reported speech. For example, "He explained, 'I understand the concept'" would be changed to "He said that he understood the concept."
The rule for changing 'complain' into reported speech is to use the reporting verb 'complain' followed by the conjunction 'that' and then the reported statement. For example, "He complained that the service was terrible."
To change 'apologize' into reported speech, you would use the reporting verb 'apologize' in the past tense and introduce the reported speech with a reporting clause. For example, you could say: He apologized for his mistake.
The rule for changing 'thank' into reported speech is to use the verb 'thanked' instead.
To change 'congratulate' into reported speech, we use the verb 'congratulate' in the past tense and introduce it with a reporting verb such as 'said' or 'told'. For example, "He congratulated me on my success" would be reported as "He said/told me that he congratulated me on my success."
The rule for changing 'welcome' into reported speech is to use the verb 'to say' or 'to tell' followed by the reporting verb in the past tense, and to change 'welcome' to 'thanked' or 'expressed gratitude'.
To change 'wish' into reported speech, we typically use the verb 'wish' followed by a past simple tense verb. For example, if someone says "I wish I could go on vacation," in reported speech it would be "He/she said they wished they could go on vacation."
The rule for changing 'hope' into reported speech is to use the verb 'hoped' in the past tense and to change the pronouns and verb tenses accordingly.
To change 'like' into reported speech, we use the reporting verb 'said' or 'told' followed by the indirect object pronoun 'me' or the person's name. For example, "He said, 'I like ice cream'" can be changed to "He said that he liked ice cream" or "He told me that he liked ice cream."
The rule for changing 'love' into reported speech is to use the verb 'loved' in the past tense.
To change 'hate' into reported speech, we need to use the reporting verb 'said' or 'told' and make the necessary changes in the verb tense and pronouns. For example, if the direct speech is "I hate spiders," the reported speech would be "He/she said that he/she hated spiders."
The rule for changing 'prefer' into reported speech is to use the verb 'prefer' in the past tense and to change the pronouns and verb tenses accordingly.
To change 'enjoy' into reported speech, we typically use the reporting verb 'said' or 'told' followed by the reporting clause. For example, if someone said, "I enjoy playing soccer," the reported speech would be "He/she said that he/she enjoys playing soccer."
The rule for changing 'dislike' into reported speech is to use the verb 'disliked' in the reported speech sentence.
To change 'want' into reported speech, we typically use the verb 'to say' or 'to tell' followed by the reporting verb in the past tense. For example, "I want a new car" would be reported as "He said that he wanted a new car."
To change 'expect' into reported speech, we need to use the reporting verb 'said' or 'told' and make the necessary changes in the verb tense and pronouns. For example, if the original statement is "I expect to win the game," it can be reported as "He/she said that he/she expected to win the game."
The rule for changing 'believe' into reported speech is to use the reporting verb 'believe' in the past tense, such as 'believed', and to change the pronouns and verb tenses accordingly.
To change 'think' into reported speech, we typically use the reporting verb 'said' or 'told' followed by the reporting clause. For example, "I think I will go" would be changed to "He said that he would go."
The rule for changing 'know' into reported speech is to use the reporting verb 'knew' or 'had known' in the past tense.
To change 'understand' into reported speech, you would typically use the verb 'comprehend' or 'grasp' instead.
The rule for changing 'remember' into reported speech is to use the verb 'remember' in the past tense, followed by the infinitive form of the verb that was remembered.
To change 'forget' into reported speech, we typically use the verb 'forgot' or 'had forgotten' depending on the tense of the original statement.
The rule for changing 'realize' into reported speech is to use the verb 'realized' in the past tense and to change the pronouns and verb tenses accordingly.
To change 'imagine' into reported speech, we typically use the reporting verb 'said' or 'asked' followed by the reporting clause. For example:
Direct speech: "Imagine if we could travel to the moon."
Reported speech: He/she said to imagine if we could travel to the moon.
The rule for changing 'suppose' into reported speech is to use 'supposed to' instead.
To change 'mean' into reported speech, we typically use the reporting verb 'say' or 'tell' followed by the appropriate reporting clause. For example, "He said/told me what he meant."
The rule for changing 'say' into reported speech is to use the reporting verb in the past tense (such as 'said') and to change the pronouns, tenses, and time expressions according to the context.