1. By Mtra. Lina Cruz OrtegaX
Reported speech
What it is?
Statements
Questions
Commands
Requests
Invitations, Advice …
By Mtra. Lina Cruz Ortega

2. What is Reported Speech?
We use Reported Speech (discurso reportado) when we report what someone said.
We use it when we don’t want to use the exact words.

3. How to Report Statements
We use the verb “said” to report statements (positive and negative). The use of “that” is optional.
Example:
«I am going to the cinema tomorrow.» 2
He said that he was going to the cinema the following day.
Speaker + Reporting
verb
Reported Speech

4. How to Report Statements
Reported speech has a main clause and a noun clause.
   
She said (that) she was happy.
I am happy.
Main Clause
Noun Clause

5. How to Report Statements
There are changes in personal pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they.), possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her, its, our, their) and possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs.). We use the logic of each situation to decide on the changes.
Tom said (that) he was doing his homework at that moment.
I am doing my homework now.

6. How to Report Statements
There are changes in tenses.
There are changes in modals.

7. How to Report Statements
There are changes in Time Expressions.

8. Reporting Statements (Examples)
Tony said, «I went to the gym yesterday.»
Tony said that he had gone to the gym the previous day.
My father said, «I will go to the gym tomorrow.»
My father said that he would go to the gym the next day.
Paul said, «I have been to the gym with my brother this week.»
Paul said that he had been to the gym with his brother that week.

9. How to Report Questions
We use the following verbs to report questions:
Asked (this verb is followed by an object pronoun: me, him, her, etc)
Inquired
Wondered
Wanted to know
«Where do you live?» He asked her.
He asked her where she lived.
He inquired where she lived.
He wanted to know where she lived.
He wondered where she lived.

10. How to Report Wh-Questions
Follow this pattern:
Be sure to change tenses.
He asked me, «What do you want? (Question in Present )
He asked me what I wanted. (Question reported in Past Tense)
Wh- Question + Subject + Verb

11. How to Report Yes/No Questions
Follow this pattern:
He asked her, «Are you happy?»
He asked her if she was happy.
If / Wheter + Subject + Verb

12. Examples of Reported Questions
Wh- Questions
He asked her, «What is your name?»
He asked her what her name was
She asked him, «What did you eat yesterday?»
She asked him what he had eaten the previous day.
Yes/ No Question
He asked me «Do you need help?»
He asked me if I needed help.

13. These verbs are followed by object pronouns: me, him, her,
How to Report Commands
We use the following verbs to report commands.
Told
Ordered
We report commands with an infinitive. (to + a verb)
Positive Command (+)
The man said to me, «Open the door.»
The man told me to open the door.
INFINITIVE
These verbs are followed by object pronouns: me, him, her,

14. How to Report Commands Negative Command (-)
The teacher said to him, «Don’t talk during the class.»
The teacher told him not to talk during the class.
INFINITIVE

15. How to Report Requests We use the verb asked to report requests.
We report requests with an infinitive. (to + a verb)
The key words to recognize a requests are: the word «please» and modals to request a favor: Would you…?, Could you…?, Can you…? Or Will you…?

16. How to Report Requests With the word «PLEASE».
The teacher said to us, «Take out your books, please.»
The teacher asked us to take out our books.

17. How to Report Requests With a Modal to Request a Favor.
Liz said to Tom, «Could you lend me your pen?»
Liz asked Tom to lend her his pen.

18. How to Report Invitations, Advice, Offers
There are other structures that use the infinitive pattern.
Function
Verb to Report
Examples
Invitations
Invited
«Would you like to have a cup of coffee with me?»
He invited me to have a cup of coffee with him.
Advice
Advised
«You should be very careful» said Dick.
He advised me to be very careful.
Offers
Offered
He offered me, «Can I get you something to drink»
He offered me to get me something to drink.

19. How to Report Permissions and Suggestions
Function
Verb to Report
Examples
Permission
allowed
The teacher said to us «You can go early,».
The teacher allowed us to go early.
Suggestions
Suggested
(Suggested + verb-ing)
He said, «Let’s start early.»
He suggested starting early.
(Suggested + a Noun Clause)
He suggested (that) we start early
Subject + a Base Verb