1. Reported speech: Statements
February 25th
March 4th
Direct speech
She said, “I’m going home”.
I’m going home
Reported speech
She said (to me) (that) she was going home.
She told me (that) she was going home.

2. Reported speech /2 Possible changes: Verb tenses.
He said, “I love you”
He said (that) he loved me.
Pronouns.
Other words.
Peter said, “I’m seeing the doctor tomorrow”.
Peter said (that) he was seeing the doctor the following day.

3. Reported speech /3 Changes in verb tenses (one tense back):
Direct speech Reported speech
Present simple Past simple
‘I like peaches’. He said he liked peaches.
Present continuous Past continuous
‘Is it raining?’ He asked if it was raining.
Past simple Past Perfect
‘I didn’t recognize you’. She explained that she hadn’t recognized me.
Past continuous Past continuous or past perfect continuous
‘I was joking about it.’ He said he was joking (Or: had been joking) about it .
Present perfect Past perfect
‘I have read the book’. He said he had read the
book.

4. Reported speech /4 Direct speech Reported speech
Changes in verb tenses (II):
Direct speech Reported speech
Past perfect Past perfect
‘I hadn’t seen her before that day.’ You said you hadn’t seen her before that day.
shall / will should / would
‘We’ll be late.’ I told him we’d be late.
can, may could, might
‘I can swim.’ She thought she could swim.
must must or had to
‘I must go.’ He said he must / had to go.

5. Reported speech /5 Other words here there now then, at the time
today that day
yesterday the day before / the previous day
tomorrow the next / following day
this week that week
last week the week before, the previous week
an hour ago an hour before / earlier
this that / the
these those / the
come go
bring take

6. Reported speech /6 Reporting questions Two kinds of questions
1. Yes / No questions
‘Are you leaving?’ he said.
aux s v
He wanted to know if / whether I was leaving. s
aux v
Ask / want to know / wonder

7. Reported speech /7 2. Wh-questions
‘Where is the President staying?’ the reporter said.
Wh-word
aux s v
The reporter asked where the President was staying.
Wh-word s
aux v

8. Subject + asked / told + Object + (not) to Verb + Complements
Reported speech /8
Reporting commands
Subject + asked / told + Object + (not) to Verb + Complements
‘Open the door’, he said.
He told me to open the door
2. ‘Don’t speak in’class’, the teacher said.
The teacher told the students not to speak in class
3. ‘Lend me your car, please’, the boy said to his mum.
The boy asked his mum to lend him her car.