REPORTED SPEECH

Reported questions

Examples

Direct Question Reported Question

Do you love me? He asked me if I loved him.

Have you ever been to Mexico? She asked me if I had ever been to Mexico.

Are you living here? She asked me if I was living here.

Definition

A reported question is when we tell someone what another person asked. To do this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech.

Tense changes

Normally, the tense in reported speech is one tense back in time from the tense in direct speech:

Phrase in direct speech Equivalent in reported speech

Simple present Simple past

"I always drink coffee", she said She said that she always drank coffee.

Present continuous Past continuous

"I am reading a book", he explained. He explained that he was reading a book

Simple past Past perfect

"Bill arrived on Saturday", he said. He said that Bill had arrived on Saturday.

Present perfect Past perfect

"I have been to Spain", he told me. He told me that he had been to Spain.

Past perfect Past perfect

"I had just turned out the light," he explained. He explained that he had just turned out the light.

Present perfect continuous Past perfect continuous

They complained, "We have been waiting for hours". They complained that they had been waiting for hours.

Past continuous Past perfect continuous

"We were living in Paris", they told me. They told me that they had been living in Paris.

Future Present conditional

"I will be in Geneva on Monday", he said. He said that he would be in Geneva on Monday.

Future continuous Conditional continuous

She said, "I'll be using the car next Friday". She said that she would be using the car next Friday.

Indirect questions

Indirect questions are a more polite way to ask for information or make requests. We often use them when asking something of strangers or people we do not know well, including coworkers. We also use them when asking for favors from friends or when we want to avoid sounding demanding.

When we make requests in English, we usually use the modal verbs can, could and would. We also use these modals to begin many indirect questions.

Here are a few common question phrases for indirect questions:

Can/Could you tell me…?
Do you know…?
Would you mind…?
Do you have any idea…?
Would it be possible…?

Definition

Reported speech is speech which tells you what someone said, but does not use the person's actual words: for example, 'They said you didn't like it', 'I asked her what her plans were', and ' Citizens complained about the smoke'.

Structure

Speech reports consist of two parts: the reporting clause and the reported clause. The reporting clause includes a verb such as say, tell, ask, reply, shout, usually in the past simple, and the reported clause includes what the original speaker said.

.Reporting clause .Reported clause

William said, “I need your help.”

Reported Commands/requests/suggestions/orders

Reported Orders, Commands and Requests are formed using the to-infinitive and not to-infinitive.
The reporting verbs for the orders/ commands/ requests are: order, shout, demand, warn, beg, command, tell, insist, beseech, threaten, implore, ask, propose, forbid…
When we change from direct to indirect speech, the pronoun and tense changes that are also needed.

Examples:.Direct speech: “Open the door!”

.Reported speech: He ordered me to open the door.



.Direct speech: “Don’t answer the phone.”

.Reported speech: She told me not to answer the phone.



.Direct speech: “Don’t be back late.”

.Reported speech: He ordered me not to be back late.



.Direct speech: He said to me “Come with me.”

.Reported speech:He told me to go with him.