Reported speech



Reported speech



Reported speech 1
uPast simple Past perfect
u‘I wasn’t there.’ He said (that) he hadn’t been there.
uPast continuous Past perfect continuous
u‘I was working.’ He said (that) he had been working.
uPresent perfect Past perfect
u‘I’ve been ill.’ She said (that) she’d been ill.
uPast perfect Past perfect
u‘I had drunk the pill before.’ He said (that) he had taken the pill before.

Reported speech 2
uPAST SIMPLE can usually stay the same:
u
uJoe said: “I woke up feeling ill, so I didn’t go to work.”
u
uJoe said that he woke up feeling ill, so he didn’t go to work.
u OR
uJoe said that he had woken up feeling ill, so he hadn’t gone to work.

Reported speech 3
uYou don’t need to change the verb tense if the situation is still the same:
u Paul said: “My new job is boring.”
u Paul said that his new job is boring. (i.e. it is still boring)
uYou can change the verb to the past:
u Paul said that his new job was boring.
uIf the situation has changed or finished, you MUST change the verb.
u Paul has left his job. He said that it was boring.

 Reported speech 4
uWe also use the infinitive in reported speech, especially with TELL and ASK (for orders and
requests).
u
u “Drink plenty of water,” the doctor said to me.
u The doctor told me to drink plenty of water.
u
u “Don’t smoke,” he said to me.
u He told me not to smoke.
u
u “Can you help me, please,” she said to me.
u She asked me to help her.
u
u

Reported speech 5
uReporting WH-Questions
u “What do you mean?” he asked me.
u He asked me what I meant.
u “Where did you go?” she asked.
u She asked me where I had been.
u
uReporting Yes/No Questions
u “Do you know that doctor?” he asked me.
u He asked me if I knew that doctor.