Now that you know some of the reported speech rules about backshift, let’s learn some exceptions.
There are two situations in which we do NOT need to change the verb tense.
For example, if someone says “I have three children” (direct speech) then we would say “He said he has three children” because the situation continues to be true.
If I tell you “I live in the United States” (direct speech) then you could tell someone else “She said she lives in the United States” (that’s reported speech) because it is still true.
When the situation is still true, then we don’t need to backshift the verb.
But when the situation is NOT still true, then we DO need to backshift the verb.
Imagine your friend says, “I have a headache.”
We also don’t need to backshift to the verb when somebody said something about the future, and the event is still in the future.
Here’s an example:
Let’s look at a different situation:
Quick review:
Those were the rules for reported statements, just regular sentences.
What about reported speech for questions, requests, and orders?
For reported requests, we use “asked (someone) to do something”:
For reported orders, we use “told (someone) to do something:”
The main verb stays in the infinitive with “to”:
For yes/no questions, we use “asked if” and “wanted to know if” in reported speech.
The main verb changes and back shifts according to the rules and exceptions we learned earlier.
Notice that we don’t use do/does/did in the reported question:
For other questions that are not yes/no questions, we use asked/wanted to know (without “if”):
Again, notice that we don’t use do/does/did in reported questions:
Also, in questions with the verb “to be,” the word order changes in the reported question:
Learn more about reported speech:
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I’ve got one last little exercise for you, and that is to write sentences using reported speech. Think about a conversation you’ve had in the past, and write about it – let’s see you put this into practice right away.
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They say gossip is a natural part of human life. That’s why language has evolved to develop grammatical rules about the “he said” and “she said” statements. We call them reported speech.
Every time we use reported speech in English, we are talking about something said by someone else in the past. Thinking about it brings me back to high school, when reported speech was the main form of language!
Learn all about the definition, rules, and examples of reported speech as I go over everything. I also included a worksheet at the end of the article so you can test your knowledge of the topic.
Reported speech is a term we use when telling someone what another person said. You can do this while speaking or writing.
There are two kinds of reported speech you can use: direct speech and indirect speech. I’ll break each down for you.
A direct speech sentence mentions the exact words the other person said. For example:
Indirect speech changes the original speaker’s words. For example:
When we tell someone what another individual said, we use reporting verbs like told, asked, convinced, persuaded, and said. We also change the first-person figure in the quotation into the third-person speaker.
We usually talk about the past every time we use reported speech. That’s because the time of speaking is already done. For example:
Indirect speech: The employer asked me if I had experience with people in the corporate setting.
Indirect speech: I told James that I was working on my thesis.
A speech report has two parts: the reporting clause and the reported clause. Read the example below:
The reporting clause here is William said. Meanwhile, the reported clause is the 2nd clause, which is I need your help.
Aside from direct and indirect, reported speech can also be divided into four. The four types of reported speech are similar to the kinds of sentences: imperative, interrogative, exclamatory, and declarative.
The rules for reported speech can be complex. But with enough practice, you’ll be able to master them all.
The most common conjunction in reported speech is that. You can say, “My aunt says she’s outside,” or “My aunt says that she’s outside.”
Use if when you’re reporting a yes-no question. For example:
Indirect speech: She asked if she was coming with them.
Change the reporting verb into its past form if the statement is irrelevant now. Remember that some of these words are irregular verbs, meaning they don’t follow the typical -d or -ed pattern. For example:
Reported speech: She said she disliked fried chicken.
Note how the main verb in the reported statement is also in the past tense verb form.
Use the simple present tense in your indirect speech if the initial words remain relevant at the time of reporting. This verb tense also works if the report is something someone would repeat. For example:
This rule proves that the choice of verb tense is not a black-and-white question. The reporter needs to analyze the context of the action.
Move the tense backward when the reporting verb is in the past tense. That means:
Here are some examples:
He said that the singers had left the building. (past perfect)
If the original speaker is discussing the future, change the tense of the reporting verb into the past form. There’ll also be a change in the auxiliary verbs.
For example:
Indirect speech: She said that she would be there in a moment.
Do not change the verb tenses in indirect speech when the sentence has a time clause. This rule applies when the introductory verb is in the future, present, and present perfect. Here are other conditions where you must not change the tense:
Changing the place and time adverb when using indirect speech is essential. For example, now becomes then and today becomes that day. Here are more transformations in adverbs of time and places.
Here are some examples.
Indirect speech: He said he was baking cookies then.
Indirect speech: She said Myra went there the day before.
Indirect speech: She said she would go to the market the next day.
If the direct speech contains a modal verb, make sure to change them accordingly.
Indirect speech: He asked if he would come to the ball with me.
Indirect speech: He said Gina could inspect the room the next day because she’s free.
However, sometimes, the modal verb should does not change grammatically. For example:
Indirect speech: She said that he should go to the park.
To change an imperative sentence into a reported indirect sentence, use to for imperative and not to for negative sentences. Never use the word that in your indirect speech. Another rule is to remove the word please . Instead, say request or say. For example:
The host requested them not to interrupt the event.
When reporting a direct question, I would use verbs like inquire, wonder, ask, etc. Remember that we don’t use a question mark or exclamation mark for reports of questions. Below is an example I made of how to change question forms.
Correct: He asked me where I live.
Here’s another example. The first sentence uses direct speech in a present simple question form, while the second is the reported speech.
She asked me where I live.
My guide has shown you an explanation of reported statements in English. Do you have a better grasp on how to use it now?
Reported speech refers to something that someone else said. It contains a subject, reporting verb, and a reported cause.
Don’t forget my rules for using reported speech. Practice the correct verb tense, modal verbs, time expressions, and place references.
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Reported speech - 1
Reported speech - 2
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Worksheets - handouts
Worksheets - pdf exercises.
Grammar - lessons
Direct and indirect speech is used in many situations while conversation. In this article, we will learn the rules of direct and indirect speech.
Table of Contents
Direct and Indirect Speech : Direct speech is a method of reporting what someone has said in their own words. It is frequently surrounded by quotation marks. Indirect speaking is a method of relaying what someone has said without using their precise words. It is frequently preceded by a verb like “said,” “told,” or “asked.”
Direct and Indirect Speech: For some children, the difference between direct and indirect speech can be difficult. In order to explain an event or action, we frequently need to quote someone. This article will clear all your doubts regarding Direct and Indirect Speech. Direct and Indirect Speech are the two types of speech that are used to explain what other people say (or reported Speech).
The exact same words are quoted using direct speech. When writing in direct speech, we enclose the said words in quotation marks (“”) and leave them alone. We might be writing in inverted commas what is being said (for instance, during a phone call) or subsequently enquiring about a past conversation.
For examples:
We use indirect speech when we don’t use the exact copy of the speaker’s words. In simple words, we can say that in indirect speech we convey what someone has said but in our own words. No inverted commas will be used in indirect speech. Instead of commas ‘that’ conjunction will be used.
Rules that must be followed while using direct and indirect speech are given below. Follow and practice these rules to change direct speech into indirect speech. Before learning the rules you need to know these two parts of Direct and Indirect Speech.
Reporting Verb: Direct speech has two parts, the first part of the sentence is known as reporting verb as it tells about the person who is speaking (Rohan said, He says, etc.).
For Examples:
In the above two sentences, the first part is reporting verbs. In the first sentence, ‘He says’ is reporting verb and in the second sentence, ‘The teacher says’ is reporting verb.
Reported Speech : The second part of the sentence or the words which is actually said by the speaker is known as reported speech.
In the above two sentences, the second part is reported speech which is enclosed in inverted commas. In the first sentence, ‘I have done my work’ is reported speech and in the second sentence, ‘The Earth is round’ is reported speech.
Direct and Indirect Speech Rule 1. Remove inverted commas and use ‘that’: While changing direct speech into indirect speech, remove inverted commas and use that instead of commas.
Direct to Indirect speech Example:
As in the above sentence inverted commas are removed in indirect speech and the conjunction ‘that’ is also used.
Note:- In indirect speech, tense does not change:
In the above sentence, reporting verb is in the present tense so it will not change into the past and reported speech is also a universal truth that can not be changed.
Direct and Indirect Speech Rule 2. Change in tense: When the reporting verb is in the past tense then reported speech will be changed into past tense in indirect speech.
As, in the above sentence reporting verb is in the past tense so we have converted reported speech into past tense in indirect speech i.e, will-would.
Read the following table to learn the conversion of tenses
Simple Present | Simple Past |
Present Continuous | Past Continuous |
Present Perfect | Past Perfect |
Present Perfect Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous |
Simple Past | Past Perfect |
Past Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous |
Will | Would |
May | Might |
Can | Could |
Shall | Should |
Direct and Indirect Speech Rule 3. Change in Pronoun: The pronoun or subject of the reported speech is changed according to the subject or the pronoun of the reporting verb (first part) of the sentence. The possessive pronouns (his, hers, mine) are also changed sometimes according to the personal or object pronoun.
Direct to Indirect speech Example
In the above example ‘I’ is changed into ‘he’ according to the reporting verb (first part) and the tense is also changed because reporting verb (first part) is in the past tense.
Direct and Indirect Speech Rule 4. Change in Time: If the word related to time is given in the sentence then it will be changed in indirect speech. Some rules must be followed while doing this and those are given in the following table.
Today | That day |
Tomorrow | Next day or the following day |
Yesterday | Previous day |
Now | Then |
Tonight | That night |
Yesterday night | Previous night |
Tomorrow night | Following night |
Here | There |
Direct and Indirect Speech Rule 5. Interrogative sentences: No conjunction is used, if a sentence in direct speech starts with a question word (what/where/when) as the “question-word” itself acts as conjunction.
Note: While changing the interrogative sentence into indirect speech remove the question mark ‘?’.
Direct and Indirect Speech Rule 6. Yes/No Interrogative sentences: If a direct speech sentence starts with an auxiliary verb/helping verb, the joining clause will be changed into if or whether.
Note: While changing the interrogative sentence reporting verbs (verbs used in the first part) such as ‘said/ said to’ changes to enquired, asked, or demanded.
Direct and Indirect Speech Rule 7. Request, Command, Wished, Enquired: Some verbs, such as requested, ordered, urged, and advised, are used in indirect speech. For the negative statements, the word forbidden is used. As a result, in indirect communication, the imperative mood that is present in direct speech is replaced by the infinitive word.
Direct and Indirect Speech Rule 8. Exclamatory Sentence: Interjections words are removed from exclamatory sentences that express (grief, sorrow, delight, or applaud) and the sentence is transformed into an assertive sentence.
Click here to download Direct Indirect Speech Rules PDF
Que. what are direct and indirect speech with examples.
Ans. Direct Speech and Indirect Speech are the two types of speech that are used to explain what other people say (or reported Speech).
Ans. The common three rules of direct and indirect speech are: a) Remove inverted commas and use ‘that’. b) Change in tense. c) Change in Pronoun.
Ans. Read and learn all the rules while changing direct speech into indirect speech and practice it on daily basis.
Ans. The four types of reported speech can be Assertive/Declarative, Imperative, Interrogative, and Exclamatory .
Ans. The two parts of direct speech are reporting verb and reported speech.
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Ans. The common three rules of direct and indirect speech are: a) Remove inverted commas and use 'that'. b) Change in tense. c) Change in Pronoun.
Ans. The four types of reported speech can be Assertive/Declarative, Imperative, Interrogative, and Exclamatory.
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Reported Speech. Greg: "I am cooking dinner Maya.". Maya: "Greg said he was cooking dinner.". So most often, the reported speech is going to be in the past tense, because the original statement, will now be in the past! *We will learn about reporting verbs in part 2 of this lesson, but for now we will just use said/told.
A. say and tell with direct speech. 1. say can introduce a statement or follow it. Tom said, "I've just heard the news". or "I've just heard the news",Tom said. Inversion of say and noun subject is possible when say follows the statement. "I've just heard the news", said Tom.
English grammar rules Reported speech Reported statements If we want to report what other people said, thought or felt, we can use the direct or indirect (reported) speech. The direct speech: "I like it," he said. "Irene is late," he thought. "I will pass the exam," she hoped. The indirect (reported) speech: He said he liked it. He thought that ...
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Note: That is often implied in indirect discourse. It is not mandatory to use it, so it is indicated in brackets in this lesson. Introductory verbs To relate someone's words to both direct and indirect speech, you need an introductory verb. The two most frequent are tell and say, but there are many other possible ones like: ask reply warn
Reported Speech. We use reported speech when we wish to report what someone else has said without using a direct quote. This can be useful when reporting on research or telling a story. When we report what someone else has said we are shifting our perspective of that speech. Therefore, our language must reflect that shift in perspective.
Take note: All of the above listed reporting verbs can also fit into structure 1: rep. verb (+that) + clause Billy denied (that) he had stolen the bag. She admitted (that) she had left the freezer door open. 4B. Reporting verbs followed by a gerund: rep. verb + preposition + verb+ing.
Watch my reported speech video: Here's how it works: We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. ( Click here for more about using 'say' and 'tell' .) If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence: Direct speech: I like ice cream. Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.
Reported speech: She says she likes dogs. When the reporting verb is in the past tense, you need to change the tense of both the reporting verb and the main verb. Example: Direct speech: I like dogs. Reported speech: She said she liked dogs. The tenses generally move backward as follows: Direct Speech. Reported Speech.
You use reported speech. "My parents are very well.". "I am going to learn to drive.". Paul said his parents were very well. Paul said he was going to learn to drive. "I want to buy a car.". Paul said he wanted to buy a car. "Alexandra has a new job.". "I can't come to the party on Friday.".
Reported Speech (Reporting verb in past tense) "I eat breakfast at 8 AM.". She said (that) she ate breakfast at 8 AM. "We are going to the beach.". They told me (that) they were going to the beach. "He speaks Spanish fluently.". She said (that) he spoke Spanish fluently. "She cooks delicious meals.".
When we use reported speech, we often change the verb tense backwards in time. This can be called "backshift.". Here are some examples in different verb tenses: "I want to go home.". She said she wanted to go home. "I 'm reading a good book.". She said she was reading a good book. "I ate pasta for dinner last night.".
The second person of direct speech changes as per the object of reporting speech. Direct speech to indirect speech examples Direct: She says to them, "You have done your work.". Indirect: She tells them that they have done their work. The third person of direct speech doesn't change.
Reported questions + commands exercises PDF. Practise the difference between the direct and indirect speech in questions, commands and requests. Online exercises with answers: Direct - indirect speech exercise 1 Rewrite sentences in the reported speech. Direct - indirect speech exercise 2 Report a short dialogue in the reported speech.
For example: Direct speech: I dislike fried chicken. Reported speech: She said she disliked fried chicken. Note how the main verb in the reported statement is also in the past tense verb form. Use the simple present tense in your indirect speech if the initial words remain relevant at the time of reporting.
Reported speech is the form in which one can convey a message said by oneself or someone else, mostly in the past. It can also be said to be the third person view of what someone has said. In this form of speech, you need not use quotation marks as you are not quoting the exact words spoken by the speaker, but just conveying the message. Q2.
BASIC RULES FOR INDIRECT SPEECH. Rule No. 1. Words of the speaker (reported speech) are not enclosed in Inverted Commas or Quotation Marks in Indirect Speech. Rule No. 2. Usage of word "that": The conjunction "that" is always used between reporting verb and reported speech in indirect speech. Example: • Direct Speech: He said, "I ...
Practice Exercise 1 -- Pair Work. In this version of an oral drill practice, the students practice changing quotes to reported speech. See the handouts on the following two pages. Have the students work in pairs, and distribute handouts A and B to each pair. Student A reads the quoted speech from sentence 1.
7. He asked me, "Do you understand all the rules?" He asked me if I understood all the rules. 8. She asked me, "When will I see you again?" She asked me when she would see me again. 9. My parents said, "We' going on holiday tomorrow." My parents said that they/we were going on holiday the following day. 10. She said, "Wait until I get back!"
E. Read the sentences in reported speech. Then complete the original sentences. Students change reported speech into direct speech. In this activity, they put into practice all that they have learned so far in this unit about changes to auxiliary verbs in reported speech. Page 66 F. Complete the sentences in reported speech.
Reported speech 2. Reported requests and orders. Reported speech exercise. Reported questions - worksheet. Indirect speech - worksheet. Worksheets pdf - print. Grammar worksheets - handouts. Grammar - lessons. Reported speech - grammar notes.
Direct and Indirect Speech : Direct speech is a method of reporting what someone has said in their own words. It is frequently surrounded by quotation marks. Indirect speaking is a method of relaying what someone has said without using their precise words. It is frequently preceded by a verb like "said," "told," or "asked.".