- English Grammar
- Clause structure and verb patterns
Reported speech
Level: intermediate
Reporting and summarising
When we want to report what people say, we don't usually try to report their exact words. We usually give a summary , for example:
Direct speech (exact words) :
Mary : Oh dear. We've been walking for hours! I'm exhausted. I don't think I can go any further. I really need to stop for a rest. Peter : Don't worry. I'm not surprised you're tired. I'm tired too. I'll tell you what, let's see if we can find a place to sit down, and then we can stop and have our picnic.
Reported speech (summary) :
When Mary complained that she was tired out after walking so far, Peter said they could stop for a picnic.
Reporting verbs
When we want to report what people say, we use reporting verbs . Different reporting verbs have different patterns, for example:
Mary complained (that) she was tired . (verb + that clause) She asked if they could stop for a rest . (verb + if clause) Peter told her not to worry . (verb + to -infinitive) He suggested stopping and having a picnic . (verb + - ing form)
See reporting verbs with that , wh- and if clauses , verbs followed by the infinitive , verbs followed by the -ing form .
GapFillDragAndDrop_MTY1NTE=
GapFillTyping_MTY1NTI=
Tenses in reported speech
When reporting what people say or think in English, we need to remember that the rules for tense forms in reported speech are exactly the same as in the rest of the language.
This is a letter that Andrew wrote ten years ago:
If we wanted to report what Andrew said in his letter, we might say something like this:
Andrew said that when he was 22, he was an engineering student in his last month at university. He wanted to travel abroad after he had finished his course at the university, but he would need to earn some money while he was abroad so he wanted to learn to teach English as a foreign language. A friend had recommended a course but Andrew needed more information, so he wrote to the school and asked them when their courses started and how much they were . He also wanted to know if there was an examination at the end of the course.
We would naturally use past tense forms to talk about things which happened ten years ago. So, tenses in reports and summaries in English are the same as in the rest of the language.
Sometimes we can choose between a past tense form and a present tense form. If we're talking about the past but we mention something that's still true , we can use the present tense:
John said he'd stayed at the Shangri-la because it' s the best hotel in town. Mary said she enjoyed the film because Robert de Niro is her favourite actor. Helen said she loves visiting New York.
or the past tense:
John said he'd stayed at the Shangri-la because it was the best hotel in town. Mary said she enjoyed the film because Robert de Niro was her favourite actor. Helen said she loved visiting New York.
If we're talking about something that everybody knows is true , we normally use the present tense :
Michael said he'd always wanted to climb Everest because it' s the highest mountain in the world. Mary said she loved visiting New York because it' s such an exciting city.
Hi! I found the following paragraph from a grammar site while I was studying the reported speech. Can you help me? It says; --> We can use a perfect form with have + -ed form after modal verbs, especially where the report looks back to a hypothetical event in the past: He said the noise might have been the postman delivering letters. (original statement: ‘The noise might be the postman delivering letters.’)
And my question is: How do we understand if it is a hypothetical event in the past or not? We normally don't change 'might' in reported speech. (e.g. ‘It might snow tonight,’ he warned. --> He warned that it might snow that night.) But why do we say 'He said the noise might have been the postman delivering letters.' instead of 'He said that the noise might be the postman delivering letters.’ What's the difference between these two indirect reported speeches? Could you please explain the difference? And I also found this example which is about the same rule above: --> He said he would have helped us if we’d needed a volunteer. (original statement: a) ‘I’ll help you if you need a volunteer’ or b) ‘I’d help you if you needed a volunteer.’) Can you also explain why we report this sentence like that. How can we both change a) and b) into the same indirect reported speech? Thank you very much!
- Log in or register to post comments
Hello Melis_06,
1. He said the noise might have been the postman delivering letters. 2. He said that the noise might be the postman delivering letters.
In sentence 1 it is clear that the noise has ended; it is a noise that 'he' could hear but it is not a noise that you can hear now. In sentence 2 the noise could have ended or it could be a noise that you can still hear now. For example, if the noise is one which is constant, such as a noise that comes from your car engine that you are still trying to identify, then you would use sentence 2. In other words, sentence 2 allows for a wider range of time possibilities - both past (ended) and present (still current).
Your second question is similar:
He said he would have helped us if we needed a volunteer - you no longer need a volunteer
He said he would help us if we needed a volunteer - this could still be relevant; you may still need a volunteer.
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello my friend : what are you doing now? me : I'm eating an apple now and My friend repeated his question now
my question
Can I repeat the sentence in the past ( I was eating an apple) and mean( I'm eating an apple now) ?
You can but it is unusual. If you say I was eating an apple (past continuous), it means that it was in the past. You already finished eating the apple and you are not eating it now. But if your friend asked you just a moment ago, I guess you are still eating the apple when she/he asks the second question, so I would say I'm eating an apple (because you are still doing it).
Alternatively, you can use a past tense reporting verb e.g. I said I was eating an apple (referring to the time of the first question), or I said I 'm eating an apple (to show that you are still eating it now, at the moment of speaking).
LearnEnglish team
Am I correct then? When someone wants us to repeat the sentence we have just said a moment ago we say 'I said I am doing...' if we are still doing that action. But if we are done with that action, then we say 'I said I was doing...' Did I get it right? Thanks!
Hello Meldo,
Yes, that's correct. Well done!
Hi. I wish to enquire if the verb tense used after a conjunction also changes in complex sentences as per tense transition rules, especially if it is already in simple past tense. In order to explain, could you please solve the following for me: 1. It has been quite a while since I last saw you. 2. Nevertheless, she has been quite desensitized to such perverse actions to the extent that it seldom ever seems obnoxious to her. 3. Let me keep this in my cupboard lest I misplace this. 4. I had arrived at the station before you even left your house. 5. I met my grandfather before he died.
Hi Aamna bluemoon,
The verb may or may not be backshifted, depending on whether the original speaker's point of view and the reporter's point of view are the same or not. For example:
- She said it had been quite a while since she last saw me . (it seems relatively recent, for both the original speaker and the reporter)
- She said it had been quite a while since she had last seen us . (a lot of time has passed between speaking and reporting this, or the situation has changed a lot since then e.g. they have met frequently since then)
- She said she had met her grandfather before he died . (seems quite recent)
- She said she had met her grandfather before he'd died . (a lot of time has passed between speaking and reporting this)
I hope that helps.
Hi, can you help me, please? How could I report this famous quotation: 'There's no such things as good news in America'.
Hi bri.q630,
First of all, the sentence is not grammatically correct. The phrase is 'no such thing' (singular), not 'things'.
How you report it depends. Using 'said' as the reporting verb we have two possibilities:
1. They said (that) there's no such thing as good news in America. 2. They said (that) there was no such thing as good news in America.
Sentence 2 tells that only about the time when 'they' said it. It does not tell us if it is still true or not.
Sentence 1 tells us that what 'they' said is still relevant today. In other words there was no good news (in their opinion) when they spoke, and there is still no good news now.
Thank you Peter,
All things are getting clear to me.
So, you mean, I can use both sentences depending on what I want to indicate, can't I?
then the possible indications are bellow, are those correct?
1-a I remembered the World War 2 ended in 1945. (This would be indicated the statement is still ture.)
1-b I remembered the World War 2 had ended in 1945. (This would be indicated I might missunderstand.)
2-a I felt time is money. (This would be indicated the statement is still ture.)
2-b I felf time was money. (This would be indicated I might not feel any more.)
3-a I knew the sun rises in the east. (This would be indicated the statement is still true.)
3-b I knew the sun rase in the east. (This would be indicated I might misunderstand or forget.)
4-a I guessed* that Darth Vader is Luke's father. (This would be indicated I still believe he is.*sorry for the typo)
4-2 I guessed that Darth Vader was Luke's father. (This would be indicated I might know he is not.)
Thank you in advance.
Hello again Nobori,
1-a I remembered the World War 2 ended in 1945. (This would be indicated the statement is still ture.) 1-b I remembered the World War 2 had ended in 1945. (This would be indicated I might missunderstand.)
Both forms are possible here. The 'ending' is a moment in the past; after this there is no war. By the way, we treat 'World War 2' as a name so there is no article before it.
2-a I felt time is money. (This would be indicated the statement is still ture.) 2-b I felf time was money. (This would be indicated I might not feel any more.)
That's correct. Remember that backshifting the verb does not mean something is no longer true; it simply does not tell us anything about the present. Here, it tells the reader how you felt at a given moment in time; you may
3-a I knew the sun rises in the east. (This would be indicated the statement is still true.) 3-b I knew the sun rase in the east. (This would be indicated I might misunderstand or forget.)
That's also correct. Again, remember that backshifting the verb does not mean something is no longer true; it simply does not tell us anything about the present.
4-a I guessed* that Darth Vader is Luke's father. (This would be indicated I still believe he is.*sorry for the typo) 4-2 I guessed that Darth Vader was Luke's father. (This would be indicated I might know he is not.)
Again, correct. In the second example it might still be true that he is Luke's father, or it might have turned out to be not true. The sentence does not tell us.
Hi Peter, Thank you for your thoughtful answer. Allthing is now very clear to me. Best
Hi, I am translating a fiction novel into English and need your help regarding the reporting speech as for few things I am not getting any clear understanding over the internet. As you know in fiction, we need to write in non-ordinary way to create unique impressions of the word and academic writing is different than speaking. Will be grateful if you could give your insight below, especially considering in the context of fiction/academic writing.
1) Let’s say If someone is giving a speech or presentation, I want to mix their speech, indirect-direct and past tense- present tense. Below are three examples:
-He said, their company makes excellent profit every year OR their company made excellent profit every year ( can both be correct? As the sentence)
- Roger had given his speech yesterday. He said, their company makes excellent profit every year and your company will sustain for next hundred years.(Can YOUR be used in the sentence)
- Roger said people wants to feel important OR Roger said people wanted to feel important (which will be correct as this is a trait which is true in past and present)
2) He thought why he is talking to her OR He thought why he was talking to her (are both write? As usually I see in novels the second example with WAS)
3) Gia was sitting with Jake and she told him she had met with her last year. Her mother had taken her to the dinner. Her mother had told her about her future plans. Her mother also had paid the bill for the dinner. (Do I need to use every time past perfect in this example though it doesn’t feel natural? As a rule of thumb I think past perfect needs to be used when we talk about another past event in the past )
Hello Alamgir3,
We're happy to help with a few specific grammar questions, but I'm afraid we can't help you with your translation -- I'd suggest you find an editor for that.
1) In the second clause, you can use present or past. We often use the present when it's still true now, but the past is not wrong. FYI we don't normally use a comma after 'said' in reported speech.
2) 'Why was he talking to her?' he thought.
3) This is really more of a question of style than grammar. Here I would suggest doing something like combining the four sentences into two and then leaving out 'had' in the second verb in each sentence. Even if it isn't written, it's understood to be past perfect.
All the best, Kirk LearnEnglish team
Hello teachers, I'm sorry, I could not find where to new post. Could you tell me about the back-sifting of thoughts bellow? Which forms are correct?
1-a I remembered the World War 2 ended in 1945. 1-b I remembered the World War 2 had ended in 1945.
2-a I felt time is money. 2-b I felf time was money.
3-a I knew the sun rises in the east. 3-b I knew the sun rase in the east.
4-a I guess that Darth Vader is Luke's father. 4-2 I guessed that Darth Vader was Luke's father.
Do those questions have the same conclusion as indirect speech, such as say and tell?
Hello Nobori,
The verb form remains the same when we want to make it clear that the situation described by the verb is still true, and this works in the same way as indirect speech. For example:
She said she loves me. [she loved me then and she loves me still] She said she loved me. [she loved me then; no information on how she feels now]
Other than this rule, the choice is really contextual and stylistic (up to the speaker). Sometimes a choice implies something. For example, the saying 'time is money' is a general statement, so if you choose to backshift here the listener will know it is an intentional choice and suspect that something has changed (you no longer believe it).
Hi teachers, I've read almost the section of comments below and my summarize is the present tense only can be used if the statement is still true now and past simple only tells the statement was true in the past and doesn't tell the statement is true or not now. Just to make sure, I wanna ask, If I'm not sure whether the statement is still true or not now, can I choose backshift instead (this is still apply to past tense become past perfect)? Thank you
Hello rahmanagustiansyah,
It sounds to me as if you've got the right general idea. Could you please give a couple of example sentences that illustrate your question?
Thanks in advance, Kirk The LearnEnglish Team
For example, Steve said "Anna hates you." Then I wanna tell about that to my friend, but I'm not sure whether Anna still hates me or not now. What should I choose between these two options. Answer 1:Steve said Anna hates me or Answer 2 : Steve said Anna hated me. Thank you
Hi rahmanagustiansyah,
In that case, I would choose answer 2. I might even add "... but I don't know if she still does" to the sentence to clarify, if that is the key point you want to communicate.
Jonathan The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Natasa Tanasa,
Both sentences are grammatically possible.
The first sentence is only possible if when the person asks the original question the woman is no longer there (she has already gone). The second sentence can be used in this situation too, or in a situation in which the woman was still there when the original question was asked. As the past tense is used in the original question ( Who was... ), both sentences are possible.
Hello Ahmed Imam,
When the situation is still true at the time of reporting, we can leave the verb form unchanged. For example:
1. She told me she loved me.
2. She told me she loves me.
In sentence 1 we know she loved me when she told me but we don't know whether or not she loves me now. In sentence 2, we know she loved me when she told me and we know that she loves me now.
In your example, if the supermarket is still in the same place then we can use either form. If the supermarket has been closed down or moved to another location then we need to use was .
As for which is 'safer', you'll need to make your own mind up! Keeping the verb in the same form carries more specific information and that may be appropriate or even important.
Hello eugelatina87,
I'll give you a hint: a verb is missing from the question.
Does that help you complete it?
All the best,
The first two sentences are possible and they can both mean that he is still Mary's boyfriend now. The first one makes this more clear, but the second one doesn't only refer to the past.
Hello magnuslin
Regarding your first question, the most common way of saying it is the second one. In some very specific situation, perhaps the first option would be possible.
This also answers your second question. It is not necessary to always backshift using the tenses you mention.
As for your third question, no, it is not necessary. In fact, it is probably more common to use the past simple in the reported speech as well.
All the best
Hello manu,
Both forms are possible. If you use had been then we understand that he was there earlier but not when he said it - in other words, when he said it he had already left. If you use was then he may have left at the time of speaking, or he may have still been there.
Hello _princess_
I would recommend using answer a) because this is the general pattern used in reported speech. Sometimes the verb in the reported clause can be in the present tense when we are speaking about a situation that is still true, but the reported verb in the past tense can also have the same meaning. Since here the time referred to could be either past or present, I'd recommend using the past form.
Hello mwright,
This is an example of an indirect question. An indirect question reports a question, but is not a question itself, which is why we do not use a question mark at the end. Since it is not a question, we use the normal word order without inversion or auxiliary verbs. For example:
Indicative: He lives in Rome. Interrogative: Does he live in Rome? (Where does he live?) Reported: She asked if he lives in Rome. (She asked where he lives.)
Hello ahlinthit
There are different styles of punctuating direct speech -- in other words, you might find other sources that will disagree with me -- but what I would use here is something different: "The boss is dead!" said the doctor.
Hope this helps.
Best wishes
Hello Timmosky,
The form that comes after the auxiliary verb 'do' (or 'does' or 'did') is not the plural present simple verb, but rather the bare infinitive (also known as 'base form' or 'first form') of the verb. Does that make sense?
All the best, Kirk The LearnEnglish Team
Hello sky-high,
This is very formal language. The phrase 'to the effect that' means 'with the meaning that'. In this context it can be understood to mean 'with the result that'.
Best wishes,
The difference is quite logical. If we use 'said' then we are talking about a claim by Peter in the past which he may or may not still maintain. If we use 'says' then we are talking about an opinion expressed by Peter which he still holds.
The reported information (whether or not Rooney is in good shape) can refer to only the past or to the present as well and the statement (what Peter thinks) can separately refer to only the past or the present as well. Of course, all of this is from the point of view of the person reporting Peter's opinion, and whether or not they think that Peter still thinks now what he thought then.
Both are possible. If you use the present tense then it is clear that the statement is still true (i.e. the business was not growing when Mary spoke and is still not growing now). If you use the past tense then no information is given regarding the present (i.e. the business was growing when Mary spoke and may or may not be growing now).
Hello aseel aftab,
It should be 'if they had'. This is not from this page, is it? I don't see it anywhere here, but if I've missed it please let me know.
Online courses
Group and one-to-one classes with expert teachers.
Learn English in your own time, at your own pace.
One-to-one sessions focused on a personal plan.
Get the score you need with private and group classes.
Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions
👉 Quiz 1 / Quiz 2
Advanced Grammar Course
What is reported speech?
“Reported speech” is when we talk about what somebody else said – for example:
- Direct Speech: “I’ve been to London three times.”
- Reported Speech: She said she’d been to London three times.
There are a lot of tricky little details to remember, but don’t worry, I’ll explain them and we’ll see lots of examples. The lesson will have three parts – we’ll start by looking at statements in reported speech, and then we’ll learn about some exceptions to the rules, and finally we’ll cover reported questions, requests, and commands.
So much of English grammar – like this topic, reported speech – can be confusing, hard to understand, and even harder to use correctly. I can help you learn grammar easily and use it confidently inside my Advanced English Grammar Course.
In this course, I will make even the most difficult parts of English grammar clear to you – and there are lots of opportunities for you to practice!
Backshift of Verb Tenses in Reported Speech
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:
Reported Speech (Part 1) Quiz
Exceptions to backshift in reported speech.
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.
No backshift needed when the situation is still true
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.
He said he HAS three children
But when the situation is NOT still true, then we DO need to backshift the verb.
Imagine your friend says, “I have a headache.”
- If you immediately go and talk to another friend, you could say, “She said she has a headache,” because the situation is still true
- If you’re talking about that conversation a month after it happened, then you would say, “She said she had a headache,” because it’s no longer true.
No backshift needed when the situation is still in the future
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:
- On Monday, my friend said, “I ‘ll call you on Friday .”
- “She said she ‘ll call me on Friday”, because Friday is still in the future from now.
- It is also possible to say, “She said she ‘d (she would) call me on Friday.”
- Both of them are correct, so the backshift in this case is optional.
Let’s look at a different situation:
- On Monday, my friend said, “I ‘ll call you on Tuesday .”
- “She said she ‘d call me on Tuesday.” I must backshift because the event is NOT still in the future.
Review: Reported Speech, Backshift, & Exceptions
Quick review:
- Normally in reported speech we backshift the verb, we put it in a verb tense that’s a little bit further in the past.
- when the situation is still true
- when the situation is still in the future
Reported Requests, Orders, and Questions
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”:
- “Please make a copy of this report.” (direct speech)
- She asked me to make a copy of the report. (reported speech)
For reported orders, we use “told (someone) to do something:”
- “Go to the bank.” (direct speech)
- “He told me to go to the bank.” (reported speech)
The main verb stays in the infinitive with “to”:
- She asked me to make a copy of the report. She asked me make a copy of the report.
- He told me to go to the bank. He told me go to the bank.
For yes/no questions, we use “asked if” and “wanted to know if” in reported speech.
- “Are you coming to the party?” (direct)
- He asked if I was coming to the party. (reported)
- “Did you turn off the TV?” (direct)
- She wanted to know if I had turned off the TV.” (reported)
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:
- She wanted to know did I turn off the TV.
- She wanted to know if I had turned off the TV.
For other questions that are not yes/no questions, we use asked/wanted to know (without “if”):
- “When was the company founded?” (direct)
- She asked when the company was founded.” (reported)
- “What kind of car do you drive?” (direct)
- He wanted to know what kind of car I drive. (reported)
Again, notice that we don’t use do/does/did in reported questions:
- “Where does he work?”
- She wanted to know where does he work.
- She wanted to know where he works.
Also, in questions with the verb “to be,” the word order changes in the reported question:
- “Where were you born?” ([to be] + subject)
- He asked where I was born. (subject + [to be])
- He asked where was I born.
Reported Speech (Part 2) Quiz
Learn more about reported speech:
- Reported speech: Perfect English Grammar
- Reported speech: BJYU’s
If you want to take your English grammar to the next level, then my Advanced English Grammar Course is for you! It will help you master the details of the English language, with clear explanations of essential grammar topics, and lots of practice. I hope to see you inside!
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.
Master the details of English grammar:
More Espresso English Lessons:
About the author.
Shayna Oliveira
Shayna Oliveira is the founder of Espresso English, where you can improve your English fast - even if you don’t have much time to study. Millions of students are learning English from her clear, friendly, and practical lessons! Shayna is a CELTA-certified teacher with 10+ years of experience helping English learners become more fluent in her English courses.
Reported speech - 1
Reported speech - 2
Reported speech - 3
Worksheets - handouts
Reported speech
Worksheets - pdf exercises.
- Reported statements - worksheet
- Worksheet - reported questions
- Reported yes/no questions
- Worksheet - reported speech
- Reported speech - exercises pdf
- Indirect speech - exercises
- Reported speech - exercises
- Mixed reported speech 1
- Mixed reported speech 2
- Reported speech 1
- Reported speech 2
- Reported speech 3
- Reported speech 4
- Reported speech 5
- Reported wh- questions
- Reported speech - worksheet
- Reported commands
- Reported questions
- Reported speech 1
- 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
- How to use reported speech - lesson
- Tense changes - grammar
Hello! I'm Seonaid! I'm here to help you understand grammar and speak correct, fluent English.
Click here to read more about our learning method
Talk to our experts
1800-120-456-456
- Reported Speech
Reported Speech How does it Work?
Indirect speech or Reported speech is just a way of expressing your intent in questions, statements or other phrases, without essentially quoting them outrightly as the way it is done in indirect speech.
Reported Speech Rules
To understand Reported Speech Grammar and Reported Verbs, you need to first understand reported speech rules and how it works. Here are some types of reported speech:
Reported Statements
Reported speech is used when someone says a sentence, like, "I'm going to the movie tonight". Later, we want to tell a 3rd person what the first person is doing.
It works like this:
We use a reporting verb i.e 'say' or 'tell'. In the present tense, just put in 'he says.
Direct Speech: I like burgers.
Reported Speech: He says (that) he likes burgers.
You don't need to change the tense, but you do need to switch the 'person' from 'I' to 'he’. You also need to change words like 'my' and 'your'.
But, in case the reporting verb is in the past tense, then change the tenses in the reported speech itself.
Reported Questions
Reported questions to go like
Direct Speech: Where do you reside?
We make the change to reported speech by-
It is similar to reported statements. The tense changes are exact, and we keep the question’s word. But we need to change the grammar of that normal sentence into positive. For eg:
Reported Speech: He asked me where I resided.
The direct speech question is in the present simple tense. We make a present simple question with 'do' or 'does'. For that, I need to take that away. Then change the verb to the past simple.
Direct Speech: Where is Jolly?
Reported Speech: He asked me where Jolly was.
The direct question is the present simple of 'be'. We change the question form of the present simple of being by changing the position of the subject and the verb. So, change them back before putting the verb into the past simple.
Here Are Some More Examples
Reported Requests
The reported speech goes a long way. What if a person asks you to do something politely or make a request? It’s called a reported request. For example
Direct Speech: Close the door, please / Could you close the door please? / Would you mind closing the door, please?
All these requests mean the same, so we don't need to report every word there when we tell a 3rd person about it.
We can simply use 'ask me + to + infinitive':
Reported Speech: They asked me to close the door.
Direct Speech: Please be punctual.
Reported Speech: They asked us to be punctual.
Reported Orders
And lastly, how about when someone doesn't ask that politely? This is known as an 'order' in English, which is when someone tells you to do something pretty much directly. This is called a reported order. For example
Direct Speech: Stand up right now!
We make this into a reported speech in the same way as that for a request. Just use 'tell' rather than 'ask':
Reported Speech: She told me to stand up right now.
Time Expressions within the Ambit of Reported Speech
Sometimes when we want to change the direct speech into reported speech, we will have to change the time expressions too. We don't necessarily always have to do that. However, It depends on when we heard the speech in indirect form and when we said the speech in reported form.
For Example,
It's Sunday. Kiran Ma’am says "I'm leaving today".
If You tell someone on Sunday, You will say "Kiran Ma’am said she was leaving today".
If you tell someone on Tuesday, You will say "Kiran Ma’am said she was leaving yesterday".
If you tell someone on Friday, you will say "Kiran Ma’am said she was leaving on Sunday ".
If you tell someone a month later, you will say "Kiran Ma’am said she was leaving that day".
So, technically there's no easy way to convert. You need to put in real effort and have to think about it when the direct speech is said.
Here's a Table of How Some Conversions can be Made
now can be converted to then / at that time
today can be converted to yesterday / that day / Tuesday / the 27 th of June
yesterday can be converted to the day before yesterday / the day before / Wednesday / the 5th of December
last night can be converted to the night before, Thursday night
last week can be converted to the week before / the previous week
tomorrow can be converted to today / the next day / the following day / Friday
Now Let us Check our Understanding Through this Table
This is all about reported speech. English grammar is a tricky thing given both the rules and practice. Reading these rules solely will not help you to get a strong grasp of them. You also have to practice reported speech sentences in practical life to know how and when they can be used.
FAQs on Reported Speech
1. How to convert present tenses to reported speech and give some examples.
There are certain rules to follow while converting sentences to reported speech. We need to manage tenses also.
Usually, the present sentences change to simple past tense.
Ex: I do yoga every morning
She said that she did yoga every morning.
I play cricket a lot
He said that he played cricket a lot
Usually The present continuous tense changes to the past continuous tense.
Ex: My friend is watching a movie.
She said that her friend was watching a movie.
We are eating dinner
They said that they were eating dinner.
Usually, the Present Perfect Tense changes into Past Perfect Tense
Ex: I have been to the USA
She told me that she had been to the USA.
She has finished her task.
She said that she had finished her task.
Usually the Present Perfect Progressive Tense changes into Past Perfect Tense
2. How to convert present tenses to reported speech and give some examples.
Usually the Past Simple Tense changes into the Past Perfect Tense.
Ex: He arrived on Friday
He said that he had arrived on Friday.
My mom enjoyed the stay here
He said that his mom had enjoyed the stay there.
Usually, the Past Progressive Tense changes into the Perfect Continuous Tense
Ex: I was playing the cricket
He said that he had been playing cricket.
My husband was cooking
She said that her husband had been cooking.
Usually, the Past Perfect Tense doesn’t change.
Ex: She had worked hard.
She said that she had worked hard.
And also the Past Perfect Progressive Tense doesn’t change.
3. State the rules for conversion of future tenses into reported speech
There are rules to follow while converting the future tenses to reported speech.
In general, the Future Simple Tense changes into would. And also the future Progressive Tense changes into “would be”. The Future Perfect Tense changes into “would have”. The Future Perfect Progressive Tense changes into “would have been”.
Ex: I will be attending the wedding.
She said that she would be attending the wedding.
4. Give examples for conversion of ‘can ‘, ‘can’t’ and ‘will’,’’won’t’
5. Give some examples for reported requests and reported orders.
English Practice Downloadable PDF Grammar and Vocabulary Worksheets
Reported speech (b1).
- RS013 - Reported Speech
- RS012 - Reported Questions and Commands
- RS011 - Reported Speech
- RS010 - Reported Speech
- RS009 - Reported Commands
- RS008 - Reported Questions
- RS007 - Reported Speech
- RS006 - Reported Speech
- RS005 - Reported Speech
- RS004 - Reported Speech
- RS003 - Reported Speech
- RS002 - Reported Speech - Mixed Exercises
- RS001 - Reported Speech - Mixed Exercises
- Adjective - Adverb
- Gerund and Infinitive
- Modal Verbs
- Reported Speech
- Passive Voice
- Definite and Indefinite Articles
- Quantifiers
- Relative Clauses
- Prepositions
- Questions and Negations
- Question Tags
- Language in Use
- Word Formation
- General Vocabulary
- Topical Vocabulary
- Key Word Transformation
News Articles
- Letters and Emails
- Blog Posts and Comments
- Connectives and Linking Phrases
- Phrasal Verbs
- Collocations and Phrases
Listening Comprehension
Privacy policy.
Direct and Indirect Speech, Rules Chart PDF
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- Definition
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).
Direct 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:
- Rohan said, “There is a dog inside the house.”
- They said, “We will go to the party.”
- She said, “I don’t know.”
Indirect Speech
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.
- Rohan said, “There is a dog inside the house.” (Direct Speech)
- Rohan said that there was a dog inside the house. (Indirect Speech)
- They said, “We will go to the party.” (Direct Speech)
- They said that they would go to the party. (Indirect Speech)
- She said, “I don’t know.” (Direct Speech)
- She said that she didn’t know. (Indirect Speech)
Direct and Indirect Speech Rules
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:
- He says, “I have done my work”.
- The teacher says, “The Earth is round.”
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.
All Direct Indirect Speech Rules
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:
- Rahul says, “There are eight planets.” (Direct Speech)
- Rahul says that there are eight planets. (Indirect Speech)
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:
- If the reported speech (the part of the sentence which is inside inverted commas) is habitual action or universal truth.
- If the reporting verb is in the present tense then the tense will not be changed.
- My teacher says, “The earth is round.”
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.
- She said, “I will go.” (Direct Speech)
- She said that she would go. (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
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
- He said, “I eat an apple.” (Direct Speech)
- He said that he ate an apple. (Indirect Speech)
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.
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.
- “Where are you going?” asked the boy. (Direct Speech)
- The boy asked where I was going. (Indirect Speech)
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.
- He asked me “Do you come with me?” (Direct Speech)
- He enquired whether/if I am coming with him. (Indirect Speech)
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.
- She said to her, “Please do this work.” (Direct Speech)
- She requested her to complete that work. (Indirect Speech)
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.
- Students said, “Hurrah! India has won the match.”(Direct Speech)
- Students exclaimed with joy that India had won the match.(Indirect Speech)
Direct and Indirect Speech Rules Chart
Direct and Indirect Speech Rules PDF
Click here to download Direct Indirect Speech Rules PDF
Direct and Indirect Speech- QNA
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).
Que. What are the three rules of direct and indirect 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.
Que. How can I learn direct and indirect speech?
Ans. Read and learn all the rules while changing direct speech into indirect speech and practice it on daily basis.
Que. What are the 4 types of reported speech?
Ans. The four types of reported speech can be Assertive/Declarative, Imperative, Interrogative, and Exclamatory .
Que. What are the two parts of direct speech?
Ans. The two parts of direct speech are reporting verb and reported speech.
Sharing is caring!
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.
Join the Conversation
Some more Examples Please…
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Leave a comment
Trending Articles
- PSEB 5th Class Result 2024
- Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 link
- CBSE Date Sheet 2024 for Class 10 and 12
- NEET Syllabus 2024 [Reduced]
CBSE Board Exam 2024
- CBSE Class 10 Syllabus 2024
- CBSE Class 12 Syllabus 2024
- CBSE Previous Year Papers
- CUET Syllabus
- CUET Previous Year paper
- CUET Participating College & Universities
- JEE Main 2024
- JEE Main Syllabus 2024
- JEE Main Exam Analysis 2023
- NEET 2024
- NEET Syllabus 2024
- NEET State wise Cut off
- NEET Rank Predictor
- NEET OMR Sheet
- NEET College Predictor
Recent Posts
Important exams, ncert solutions.
- NCERT Class 12
- NCERT Class 11
- NCERT Class 10
- NCERT Class 9
NCERT Books
School syllabus.
- CBSE Class 12
- CBSE Class 11
- CBSE Class 10
- CBSE Class 9
- CBSE Result
- JEE Mains 2024
Our Other Websites
- Teachers Adda
- Bankers Adda
- Adda Malayalam
- Adda Punjab
- Current Affairs
- Defence Adda
- Adda Bengali
- Engineers Adda
- Adda Marathi
- Adda School
Get all your queries solved in one single place. We at Adda247 school strive each day to provide you the best material across the online education industry. We consider your struggle as our motivation to work each day.
Download Adda247 App
Follow us on
- Responsible Disclosure Program
- Cancellation & Refunds
- Terms & Conditions
- Privacy Policy
Watch CBS News
Judge rejects effort to dismiss Trump Georgia case on First Amendment grounds
By Melissa Quinn , Jared Eggleston
Updated on: April 4, 2024 / 4:29 PM EDT / CBS News
A Georgia judge on Thursday denied an effort by former President Donald Trump and 14 others to dismiss the 2020 election-related case in Fulton County, ruling that the First Amendment does not protect the defendants from prosecution.
In a 14-page order, Judge Scott McAfee rejected the argument put forth by the defendants that the charges violate the First Amendment's protections of political speech and the right to petition Congress.
"[F]ree speech — including political speech — is not without restriction," McAfee wrote. "These excluded categories include speech integral to criminal conduct, fraud, or speech presenting an imminent threat that the Government can prevent."
Trump and 18 other co-defendants were indicted last year on state charges by a grand jury in Fulton County, the culmination of an investigation by District Attorney Fani Willis and her office. Prosecutors alleged the defendants worked to overturn the election results in Georgia after Trump lost the state in 2020. Trump and most of the other defendants have pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing, while several others have taken plea deals.
The former president faces 10 felony charges. McAfee dismissed three against him in an earlier decision.
Defense attorneys challenged the state laws underpinning the charges, saying the alleged violations were protected political speech. McAfee ruled that the First Amendment's protections do not apply, since the speech in question is "alleged to have been made in furtherance of criminal activity."
"Even core political speech addressing matters of public concern is not impenetrable from prosecution if allegedly used to further criminal activity," the judge wrote.
Steve Sadow, an attorney for Trump, said the defendants "respectfully disagree with Judge McAfee's order and will continue to evaluate their options regarding the First Amendment challenges." Sadow noted that McAfee left the door open for the defendants to raise the First Amendment issue further down the line.
In his order, McAfee said only a jury can resolve whether Trump and his allies' speech or conduct "was carried out with criminal intent," as prosecutors have claimed.
Still, he added that "accepting the allegations as true for the purposes of this pretrial challenge, as the court must, the speech alleged in this indictment is integral to criminal conduct and categorically excluded from First Amendment protections."
McAfee said defense attorneys have not presented "any authority that the speech and conduct alleged" is constitutionally protected political speech.
The sprawling racketeering case brought by Willis and her office has picked back up after an effort spearheaded by one of Trump's co-defendants to disqualify the district attorney from the prosecution derailed it for several weeks.
Michael Roman, a longtime GOP operative, accused Willis of engaging in an improper romantic relationship with one of her deputies, Nathan Wade, and alleged she financially benefited from it. Trump and seven others joined Roman's bid to remove Willis and the district attorney's office from the case, but McAfee ultimately declined to do so .
The judge instead said Willis could remain on the case so long as Wade resigned, which he did on the heels of McAfee's decision.
Willis and Wade acknowledged they were romantically involved, but said their relationship began after Wade was hired in November 2021 to work on the case involving Trump. They both forcefully denied wrongdoing , but the allegations cast a shadow over the prosecution.
The former president and the seven co-defendants asked the Georgia Court of Appeals last week to review McAfee's decision not to disqualify Willis and her office. The court has 45 days to decide whether to hear the appeal.
The Georgia case is one of four criminal prosecutions brought against the former president. A trial in Manhattan, where Trump faces 34 felony counts for falsifying business records, is set to begin this month .
His conduct surrounding the 2020 election also led to federal charges in Washington, D.C., brought by special counsel Jack Smith. The fourth prosecution, also brought by Smith in federal court in South Florida, stems from Trump's alleged mishandling of sensitive government documents after he left the White House in January 2021.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has claimed that the prosecutions are politically motivated.
Melissa Quinn is a politics reporter for CBSNews.com. She has written for outlets including the Washington Examiner, Daily Signal and Alexandria Times. Melissa covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
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.
ENGLISH GRAMMAR Reported Speech 3 All those changes represent the distancing effect of the reported speech. Common sense, together with the time aspect from the speaker's point of view, are more important than the rules when making the usual changes. QUESTIONS IN INDIRECT SPEECH Direct question: He said, "Where is she going?"
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 ...
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: "Please don't interrupt the event," said the host.
disagreement with the new rules and stated that he would not accept the changes. Reported Speech (Intermediate Advanced) Exercises and Practice A. Change each direct speech example into the reported speech . The first one has been done for you. 1.
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." Richard said that he has had difficulty with reported speech. Richard said, "I lived in France for five years." Sandy said, "I am running to class, but I have forgotten my homework. " Richard said that he had lived in France for five years. Sandy said that she was running to class, but she had forgotten her homework. 2.
Tenses in reported speech. When reporting what people say or think in English, we need to remember that the rules for tense forms in reported speech are exactly the same as in the rest of the language. This is a letter that Andrew wrote ten years ago:
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.".
4. Once all of the groups of students have been formed, have them read their card aloud to the rest of class. Have them begin with the verb tense, then the direct speech, and then the reported speech. 5. Once finished, have the students turn in their cards, mix them up and then play again.
Reported speech: He asked if he would see me later. In the direct speech example you can see the modal verb 'will' being used to ask a question. Notice how in reported speech the modal verb 'will' and the reporting verb 'ask' are both written in the past tense. So, 'will' becomes 'would' and 'ask' becomes 'asked'.
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. Reported Speech.
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.".
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.
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.
Perfect English Grammar. Here's a list of all the reported speech exercises on this site: ( Click here to read the explanations about reported speech ) Reported Statements: Present Simple Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here) Present Continuous Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy)
3. The tenses of direct speech do not change if the reporting verb is in future tense or present tense. Direct to indirect speech example: Direct: She says/will say, „she is going‟ Indirect: She says/will say she is going. Rule 2 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech conversion - Present Tense. Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect.
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 is used when someone says a sentence, like, "I'm going to the movie tonight". Later, we want to tell a 3rd person what the first person is doing. It works like this: We use a reporting verb i.e 'say' or 'tell'. In the present tense, just put in 'he says. Direct Speech: I like burgers.
RS008 - Reported Questions. RS007 - Reported Speech. RS006 - Reported Speech. RS005 - Reported Speech. RS004 - Reported Speech. RS003 - Reported Speech. RS002 - Reported Speech - Mixed Exercises. RS001 - Reported Speech - Mixed Exercises. Adjective and Adverbs - Downloadable PDF Worksheets for English Language Learners - Intermediate Level (B1)
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: Rahul says, "There are eight planets." (Direct Speech) Rahul says that there are eight planets.
Create a working system with available speech tools Add spoken language elements to your existing research or product development Three Homeworks: Introduction to audio analysis and speech synthesis tools Working with speech recognition toolkits and APIs Leveraging audio foundation models and working with non-English speech tasks
Understanding rules of Direct and Indirect Speech is important to ace the English Language section of any competitive exam. Get the questions, examples, Direct and Indirect rules PDF for all tenses.
Judge Juan Merchan late Monday expanded a gag order on the former president ahead of his hush money trial, which begins in less than two weeks, following searing social media attacks by Trump ...
- 2 - As I have noted in the past, the regulatory reform agenda, and the less visible but no less important changes to the supervisory process, touch on a wide range of topics that
An AT&T store in New York. The telecommunications company said Saturday that a data breach has compromised the information tied to 7.6 million current customers. AT&T announced on Saturday it is ...
Breaking down Trump's free speech claims in Georgia election case 03:28. A Georgia judge on Thursday denied an effort by former President Donald Trump and 14 others to dismiss the 2020 election ...
According to Grady, Van Zanten's speech was slurred, and his eyes were glassy. At the jail, Van Zanten provided two breath samples, which each rendered a 0.000% breath alcohol ... He moved to suppress all evidence obtained from the stop, arguing Grady had no ... (failure to comply with safety rules) and 49-2206 (authorizing detention and ...