Reported Speech

Reported Speech: A Guide to Indirect Quoting

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a commonly used technique in written and spoken communication that involves relaying what someone else has said without using their exact words. Instead of quoting directly, reported speech involves rephrasing and rewording the original statement. It is often used in journalism, storytelling, and everyday conversations to convey information or express opinions. Understanding reported speech is important for effective communication and avoiding misunderstandings. By mastering this technique, you can accurately and effectively convey the words and ideas of others.

What is Reported speech?

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way of describing what someone else has said without using their exact words. When we use reported speech, we convey the meaning of what someone said rather than repeating their exact words. Reported speech is often introduced by a reporting verb such as “say,” “tell,” or “ask,” and requires a change in tense and pronouns to reflect the shift from the speaker to the reporter.

For example, if someone says, “I love pizza,” in reported speech, it could be reported as “She said that she loved pizza.” Reported speech is a common technique in storytelling, journalism, and everyday conversation, and is important for effectively communicating the words and ideas of others.

Importance of Reported speech

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is important for effective communication as it allows us to convey the words and ideas of others accurately and without misrepresenting them. By using reported speech, we can summarize what someone else has said, provide additional context or background information, or express our own opinions or thoughts on what was said. It is often used in journalism to report on interviews or speeches, and in storytelling to convey dialogue between characters. Additionally, in some situations, direct quoting may not be possible or appropriate due to language barriers, confidentiality concerns, or other factors. Reported speech allows us to accurately convey information while respecting these limitations. Overall, understanding and using reported speech effectively is a valuable skill for anyone who communicates with others, whether in writing or in conversation.

Types of Reported speech

There are two main types of reported speech: direct speech and indirect speech.

• Indirect Speech

Indirect speech (also known as reported speech) is a way of reporting what someone said without using their exact words. Indirect speech usually requires a change in the tense of the verbs used, as well as other changes such as pronoun and time expressions.

• Mary said that she loved ice cream.
• He told me that he would meet me at the coffee shop at 3 pm.
• Sarah exclaimed that she was so excited for the concert tonight.
• The little boy said that he didn’t want to go to school that day.
• Tom suggested that they should go to the beach that weekend.

• Direct Speech

Direct speech is a way of quoting someone’s exact words using quotation marks. It is used to report what someone said in their own words, without changing the words or meaning of the original statement.

• “I love ice cream,” said Mary.
• “I will meet you at the coffee shop at 3 pm,” he told me.
• “I’m so excited for the concert tonight!” exclaimed Sarah.
• “I don’t want to go to school today,” said the little boy.
• “I think we should go to the beach this weekend,” suggested Tom.

Indirect speech can be further categorized into two subtypes

(A) Reported statements:

Reported statements (also known as indirect statements) are a type of indirect speech that report what someone said without using their exact words. Reported statements usually require changes in tense, pronouns, and other grammatical structures.

Direct speech: “I’m feeling tired,” said Tom.

Reported statement: Tom said that he was feeling tired.

Direct speech: “I have to finish this project by Friday,” said Sarah.

Reported statement: Sarah said that she had to finish the project by Friday.

Direct speech: “I want to go to the movies tonight,” said John.

Reported statement: John said that he wanted to go to the movies that night.

Direct speech: “We’re going to the beach next weekend,” said Lisa and Mark.

Reported statement: Lisa and Mark said that they were going to the beach the following weekend.

(B) Reported questions:

Reported questions (also known as indirect questions) are a type of indirect speech that report a question without using the exact words. Reported questions usually require changes in word order, tense, and pronouns.

Direct question: “What time is the meeting?” asked Mary.

Reported question: Mary asked what time the meeting was.

Direct question: “Have you finished your homework?” asked the teacher.

Reported question: The teacher asked if the student had finished their homework.

Direct question: “Where did you put my keys?” asked John.

Reported question: John asked where his keys had been put.

Direct question: “Will you be coming to the party tonight?” asked Sarah.

Reported question: Sarah asked if the person would be coming to the party that night.

Understanding the different types of reported speech is important for effectively conveying the words and ideas of others while avoiding misrepresentations or misunderstandings.

Some general rules for changing verb tenses in reported speech:

Present simple to past simple:

When a verb is in the present simple tense in the original statement, it usually changes to the past simple tense in reported speech. For example, “I like pizza” would be reported as “She said she liked pizza.”

Direct speech: “I like ice cream.”

Reported speech: She said she liked ice cream.

(Present simple changes to past simple)

Present continuous to past continuous:

When a verb is in the present continuous tense in the original statement, it usually changes to the past continuous tense in reported speech. For example, “I am watching TV” would be reported as “She said she was watching TV.

Direct speech: “I am studying for my exam.”

Reported speech: She said she was studying for her exam.

(Present continuous changes to past continuous)

Present perfect to past perfect:

When a verb is in the present perfect tense in the original statement, it usually changes to the past perfect tense in reported speech. For example, “I have visited Paris” would be reported as “She said she had visited Paris.”

Direct speech: “I have finished my work.”

Reported speech: He said he had finished his work.

(Present perfect changes to past perfect)

Past simple to past perfect:

When a verb is in the past simple tense in the original statement, it usually changes to the past perfect tense in reported speech. For example, “I went to the store” would be reported as “He said he had gone to the store.”

Direct speech: “I went to the concert.”

Reported speech: She said she had gone to the concert.

(Past simple changes to past perfect)

It’s important to note that these are general guidelines, and there may be exceptions to these rules depending on the context of the statement being reported. Additionally, modal verbs such as “may,” “might,” “should,” and “would” may also require changes when converting from direct to reported speech.

Some general rules for changing modal verbs in reported speech

Modal verbs such as “will,” “would,” “can,” “could,” “shall,” “should,” “may,” “might,” and “must” also require changes when converting from direct speech to reported speech.

Will to would:

When the modal verb “will” is used in the original statement, it usually changes to “would” in reported speech.

Direct speech: “I will come to the party.”

Reported speech: She said she would come to the party.

(Will changes to would)

Can to could:

When the modal verb “can” is used in the original statement, it usually changes to “could” in reported speech.

Direct speech: “Can you help me with my homework?”

Reported speech: He asked if he could help me with my homework.

(Can changes to could)

Shall to should:

When the modal verb “shall” is used in the original statement, it usually changes to “should” in reported speech for

Direct speech: “Shall we go to the movies tonight?”

Reported speech: She asked if we should go to the movies that night.

(Shall changes to should)

May to might:

When the modal verb “may” is used in the original statement, it usually changes to “might” in reported speech.

Direct speech: “I may go to the beach this weekend.”

Reported speech: He said he might go to the beach that weekend.

(May changes to might)

Must to had to:

When the modal verb “must” is used in the original statement, it usually changes to “had to” in reported speech.

Direct speech: “I must finish this report by tomorrow.”

Reported speech: She said she had to finish the report by the next day.

(Must changes to had to)

It’s important to remember that there may be other changes required when converting from direct to reported speech, such as changing pronouns, time and place expressions, and using appropriate reporting verbs and conjunctions.

Direct and Indirect Speech

Some examples of changes in time and place expressions in reported speech, along with a list of common reporting verbs and conjunctions:

Changes in time expressions:

• Today: that day
• Example:
• Direct speech: “I will meet you here today.”
• Reported speech: She said she would meet me there that day.

• Yesterday: the day before
• Example:
• Direct speech: “I went to the cinema yesterday.”
• Reported speech: He said he had gone to the cinema the day before.

• Tomorrow: the next/following day
• Example:
• Direct speech: “I’m going on a trip tomorrow.”
• Reported speech: She said she was going on a trip the following day.

• Next week: the following week
• Example:
• Direct speech: “I’m taking a vacation next week.”
• Reported speech: He said he was taking a vacation the following week.

• Last week: the week before
• Example:
• Direct speech: “I met her last week.”
• Reported speech: She said she had met her the week before.

Changes in place expressions:

• Here: there
• Example:
• Direct speech: “I’m staying here for a week.”
• Reported speech: She said she was staying there for a week.

• This: that
• Example:
• Direct speech: “I like this book.”
• Reported speech: He said he liked that book.

• These: those
• Example:
• Direct speech: “I want to buy these shoes.”
• Reported speech: She said she wanted to buy those shoes.

Reporting verbs:

Say

Tell

Mention

State

Explain

Ask

Inquire

Suggest

Argue

Insist

Claim

Agree

Deny

Confirm

Example:

Direct speech: “I will be there on time,” he said.

Reported speech: He said he would be there on time.

Reporting conjunctions:

That

If

Whether

How

What

When

Where

Why

Example:

Direct speech: “Where are you going?” she asked.

Reported speech: She asked where I was going.

It’s important to note that not all time and place expressions require changes when converting to reported speech. The changes depend on the context and the verb tense used in the original statement.

No Change in Verb Tenses in Reported Speech

In some cases, there may be no change in verb tenses when converting direct speech to reported speech. This typically occurs when the reported statement is still true and relevant at the time of reporting. Here are some examples:

Present tense in direct speech remains in present tense in reported speech:

Direct speech: “I love chocolate.”

Reported speech: She says she loves chocolate.

Present continuous tense in direct speech remains in present continuous tense in reported speech:

Direct speech: “I am watching a movie.”

Reported speech: He says he is watching a movie.

Present perfect tense in direct speech remains in present perfect tense in reported speech:

Direct speech: “I have finished my work.”

Reported speech: She says she has finished her work.

Future tense in direct speech remains in future tense in reported speech:

Direct speech: “I will meet you at the airport tomorrow.”

Reported speech: He says he will meet me at the airport tomorrow.

Modal verbs such as “should”, “can”, “may”, and “might” may remain unchanged in reported speech:

Direct speech: “You should take a break.”

Reported speech: She says I should take a break.

It’s important to note that even when there is no change in verb tense, other changes may still be necessary in reported speech, such as changes in pronouns, time and place expressions, and the use of appropriate reporting verbs and conjunctions.