REPORTED SPEECH

USAGE: WHEN WE WANT TO TELL SOMEONE WHAT SOMEONE ELSE SAID.

Present simple Past simple

“ I am hungry”, said Tim. Tim said he was hungry.

Present continuous Past continuous

“I am writing a letter”, said Carol. Carol said she was writing a letter.

Past simple Past perfect simple

“We had an ice cream on the Colin said they had had an ice cream on the

beach”, said Colin. beach.

Past continuous Past perfect continuous

“We were talking about football,” She said they had been talking about

she said. football.

Present perfect simple Past perfect simple

“I have written a pretty poem,” Andrea said she had written a pretty

said Andrea. poem.

Present perfect continuous Past perfect continuous

“Georgia has been waiting My mum said Georgia had been

all day,” my mum said. waiting all day.

The PAST PERFECT SIMPLE and CONTINUOUS tenses stay the SAME!

MODAL VERBS“I CAN speak threes languages,” said Jarry.

Jarry said he COULD speak three languages.

“Ben WILL be at the party,” she said.

She said Ben WOULD be at the party.

“All students MUST/ HAVE TO be on time,” said the principal.

The principal said all the students HAD TO be on time.

may might

should should

REPORTING QUESTIONSYES/NO questions

“Have you eaten well?”, Sarah asked me.

Sarah asked me IF I HAD EATEN well.

Information questions

“What will you eat for lunch?,” Patrick asked Juliet.

Patrick asked Juliet WHAT SHE WOULD EAT for lunch.

WE ALSO HAVE TO CHANGE WORDS THAT REFER TO TIME AND PLACE

Here There

Today That day

Now Then / At that moment

Tomorrow The next day / The following day

Yesterday The day before/ The previous day

Ago before

This That

These Those

IMPERATIVE“FORM a line,” the officer The officer ordered them TO FORM a line.

odered them.

“DON’T SAY a word,” said Carol. Carol told me NOT TO SAY a word.

ATTENTION!We often DON’T make any changes to the verb when we are reporting whatsomeone said VERY SOON AFTER THEY SAID it, when we are reporting aSCIENTIFIC FACT or when something is STILL TRUE.

“It’s quite cold,” said Harry. Harry said it’s quite cold.

“Light from the sun takes 8 minutes The professor said light from the sun takes

to reach us,” said the professor. 8 minutes to reach us.

“I have a niece in America,” Mr. Wood said he has a niece in America.

Mr. Wood said.

We also DON’T make changes to the verb when we USE a reporting verb inthe PRESENT TENSE.

“I am staying in tonight,” says Mark.

Mark says he is staying in tonight.

Source: Laser B1+ Grammar Bank. Macmillan. Pages 26 – 28.