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English grammar

Reported Speech

Direct and indirect speech: tense changes, time and place words, reported questions, orders and reporting verbs.

Lessons

  1. 1Indirect and Direct SpeechYou can answer the question What did he/she say? in two ways: Direct speech repeats, or quotes, the exact words spoken. When we use direct speech in…2 min read
  2. 2Tense Changes When Reporting SpeechNormally, the tense in reported speech is one tense back in time from the tense in direct speech: She said, "I am tired." => She said that she was tired.2 min read
  3. 3Changing Time and Place ReferencesThe most common of these changes are shown below: In general, personal pronouns change to the third person singular or plural, except when the speaker…2 min read
  4. 4Question Forms When Reporting Speech1. Normal word order is used in reported questions, that is, the subject comes before the verb, and it is not necessary to use 'do' or 'did': 2. Yes / no…2 min read
  5. 5Reporting VerbsNote that some reporting verbs may appear in more than one of the following groups. 1. Verbs followed by 'if' or 'whether' + clause:1 min read
  6. 6Reporting Orders, Requests, and Suggestions1. When we want to report an order or request, we can use a verb like 'tell' with a to-clause. The pattern is verb + indirect object + to-clause.2 min read
  7. 7Reporting Intentions, Hopes, and PromisesWhen we report an intention, hope or promise, we use an appropriate reporting verb followed by a that-clause or a to-infinitive: "I'll pay you the money…1 min read