This document provides an overview of reported speech or indirect speech in English grammar. It discusses how reported speech works by changing the verb tenses and pronouns when reporting what someone else has said. It also explains how to report different types of sentences like questions, commands, and requests. Key reporting verbs like say, tell, ask and their uses in reported speech are defined. Examples are provided to illustrate the changes between direct and reported speech.
1. University Of Duhok
College of languages
English Department
Reported speech
Grammar
2021-2022
First Year/Group B
Presenter
Zahida Ibrahim Tahir
Supervised by
Ms. Aveen
2. We use reported speech when we are telling someone
what another person said or thought ,but do not use
their exact words.
3. Direct speech repeats the exact words the
person used,
or how we remember their words
Barbara said, “I didn’t realise it was midnight.”
indirect speech, the original speaker’s
words are
changed.
Barbara said she hadn’t realised it was
midnight
4. Reported speech: reporting and reported clausesSpeech 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.”
◦ Then a man shouted, “Get out of there, fast!”
◦ The postman said he had a package for us.
◦ Clarissa told me she’s thinking of moving to Canada.
5. ◦ reporting verbs. Say and tell
We can use say and tell to report statements in direct speech
We don’t always mention the person being spoken to with say, but if we do mention
them, we use a prepositional phrase with to (to me, to Lorna):
I’ll give you a ring tomorrow,’ she said.‘
Try to stay calm,’ she said to us in a low voice
.Not: ‘Try to stay calm,’ she said us in a low voice
With tell, we always mention the person being spoken to; we use an indirect object
(underlined):
‘Enjoy yourselves,’ he told them
.Not: ‘Enjoy yourselves,’ he told.
6. In indirect speech
We don’t use an indirect object with say, but we always use an
indirect object (underlined) with tell:
He said he was moving to New Zealand.
Not: He said me he was moving to New Zealand.
He told me he was moving to New Zealand
.Not: He told he was moving to New Zealand.
Other reporting verbs : add , admit , advice, ask , claim ,
confirm , repeat , reply , explain, comment
8. ◦ Adverbs and adverbial
◦ phrases of time change as follows:
9. Changes of pronounce in reported speech
Personal
Possessive
Example
Mike and Tom: "We play football.”
Mike and Tom told me (that) they played
football.
John: "Can you see me?“
John asked me if I could see him.
Possessive.
Personal
10. Use of Direct and Indirect Speech
inDifferent Types of Sentences
◦Interrogative Sentences / Question
◦ In reported –wh questions, we us
the wh- word + the subject + the verb.
◦ In reported yes/no questions, we use if/whether + the subject + the
verb.
◦ In a reported question the word order is usually like a statement
I asked Elaine when she had lunch. NOT I asked Elaine when she did have lunch.
11. ◦Reporting Verb said to is changed into asked.
◦If reporting speech is having reporting verb at it's start, then if is
used in place of that.
◦If the reporting speech is having interrogative words like who,
when, how, why, when then neither if is used nor any other word
is added.
Example
◦I said to her, "When do you do your homework? “I asked
her when she did her homework
◦. We said to him, "Are you ill?“. We asked him if he was ill.
◦She says,"Who is he?“. She asked who he was
12. ◦ Commands and requests
◦ We can use tell/ask + object + to-infinitive.
EX : We asked James to help us.
◦ When we report requests, orders, advice or warnings we use verbs
such as advice, ask, beg, tell, order, etc, followed by an infinitive.
◦ NB In negative requests/commands use NOT before TO.
Ken: “Don’t spread it around, Mike.”
Ken asked Mike not to spread it around.
◦ To report a request for permission we use ask if/whether
◦ .'Do you mind if I smoke?’ Alan asked if he could smoke.
