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:
Direct Speech: Where do you reside?
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 27th 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.
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’
Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
My grandma can’t remember me | She said that her grandma couldn’t remember her. |
I can play football | He said that he could play football |
We can dance well | They said that they could dance well |
Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
I will go to the market | He said that he would go to the market |
Things will get better, she said. | She told me that things would get better |
I won’t be in the team this year | He told me that he wouldn’t be in the team that year |
5. Give some examples for reported requests and reported orders.
Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
Please don’t be late. | He asked us not to be late. |
Sit down! | He told me to sit down. |
Please don’t drink. | He asked me not to drink. |
Could you bring my dress tomorrow? | She asked me to bring her dress the next day |
Don’t be late | He asked me not to be late |
Can you pass me the book, please? | She asked me to pass the book |
Please come early | He asked me to come early |
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