2. Reported Speech
refers to using a noun clause to
report what someone has said.
No quotation marks are used.
If the reporting verb (the main
verb of the sentence, e.g. said) is
Simple Past, the verb in the noun
clause will usually also be in a
past form.
As in the examples.
3. QUOTED
SPEECH
REPORTED
SPEECH
"I watch TV every day."
She said she watched TV
every day.
"I am watching TV." She said she was watching TV.
"I have watched TV." She said she had watched TV.
"I watched TV." She said she had watched TV.
"I had watched TV." She said she had watched TV.
"I will watch TV." She said she would watch TV.
"I am going to watch TV."
She said she was going to
watch TV.
"I can watch TV." She said she could watch TV.
"I may watch TV." She said she might watch TV.
"I must watch TV." She said she had to watch TV.
"I have to watch TV." She said she had to watch TV.
4. In these examples; should, ought to,
and might do not change to a past
form.
QUOTED
SPEECH
REPORTED
SPEECH
"I should watch TV." She said she should watch TV.
"I ought to watch TV."
She said she ought to watch
TV.
"I might watch TV." She said she might watch TV.
5. Changing verbs to past forms in reported speech
is common in both speaking and writing. However,
sometimes in spoken English, no change is
made in the noun clause verb, especially if the
speaker is reporting something immediately or
soon after it was said.
for example:
• Immediate reporting
- What did the teacher just say? I didn't
hear him.
- He said he wants us to read Chapter Six.
• Later reporting
- I didn't go to class yesterday. Did Mr.
Jones make any assignments?
- Yes. He said he wanted us to read
6. Also, sometimes the present tense
is retained even in formal English
when the reported sentence deals
with
a general truth, as in -
• Quoted Speech
"The world is round."
• Reported Speech
She said the world is round.
7. When the reporting verb is simple
present, present perfect, or future, the
noun clause verb is not changed.
QUOTED
SPEECH
REPORTED
SPEECH
"I watch TV every day."
She says she watches TV every
day.
"I watch TV every day."
She has said that she watches
TV every day.
"I watch TV every day."
She will say that she watches
TV every day.
8. In reported speech, an
imperative sentence is changed
to an infinitive.
Tell is used instead of Say as the
reporting verb.
• Quoted Speech
- "Watch TV."
• Reported Speech
- She told me to watch TV.
9. There are 2 ways to change Interrogative
Sentence
(YES / NO Questions) from Quoted to Reported.
My mom asked, "do you mind to pick your sister up?"
• By using "if"
My mom asked if I minded to pick my sister up.
• By using "whether ... or not"
My mom asked whether I minded to pick my sister
up or not.
He asked, "are you tired?"
• By using "if"
He asked if I was tired.
• By using "whether ... or not"
He asked whether I was tired or not.
10. Exercise : Reported Speech
• Pedro said, “I will help you.”
Pedro said (that) he would help me.
• “The sun rises in the east,” said Mr. Clark.
Mr. Clark explained that the sun rises in the east.
• “Do you need a pen?” Annie asked.
Annie asked me if I needed a pen.
Annie asked me whether I needed a pen or not.
• Felix said, “You should work harder.”
Felix told me to work harder.
Felix told me that I should work harder.
• “I want a sandwich,” Elena said.
Elena said she wanted a sandwich.
11. Exercise : Reported Speech
• “I think I’ll go to the library to study,” said Joe.
Joe said that he though he would go to the library to study.
He though he would go to the library to study.
• “Does Omar know what he is doing?”
I wondered whether Omar knew what he was doing or not.
I wondered if Omar knew what he was doing.
• “Is what I’ve heard true?”
I wondered whether what I had heard was true or not.
I wondered if what I had heard was true.
• Sam asked, “Where is Nadia?”
Sam asked where Nadia was.
Sam wanted to know where Nadia was.
12. Quiz for Reported Speech
1.“I’m going to move to Ohio,” said Bruce.
2.“Did you enjoy your trip?” asked Kim.
3.Oscar asked, “What are you talking about?”
4.Lyn asked, “Have you seen my grammar
book?”
5.Yuko said, “I don’t want to go.”
6.Talal asked, “Are you hungry?”
7.“I may be late,” said Mike.
8.Rosa said, “I have to go downtown.”
9..“Why is the sky blue?” my daughter often
asks.
