1) What is reported speech?
We use reported speech when we tell someone what another person has said.
Example:
'I work in a bank,' said Daniel. (Direct speech)
Daniel said that he worked in a bank. (Reported speech or Indirect speech)
2) How to form reported speech
- To form reported speech. First, we start by adding a reporting clause like 'He said that', 'She said that', 'They said that', etc.
Example:
'I woke up late this morning.' (Direct speech)
She said that she had woken up late that morning. (Reported speech)
- Then we change the pronouns and the adjectives: I become he / she, we become they, me become him / her, us become them, my become his / her, our become their, mine become his / hers, etc.
Examples:
' We are not going on holiday this year.' (Direct speech)
She said that they weren’t going on holiday that year. (Reported speech)
' My holiday starts next week.' (Direct speech)
He said that his holiday started the following week. (Reported speech)
- After that, we change the tense of the verbs and modal verbs: present simple become past simple, past perfect stays the same, will become would, would stays the same, etc.
Examples:
'I’m doing the washing.' (Direct speech)
She said that she was doing the washing. (Reported speech)
'I will meet you at the cinema.' (Direct speech)
He said that he would meet me at the cinema. (Reported speech)
- Finally, we change time and place words: today become that day, tonight become that night, tomorrow become the next day, ago become before, now become then, here become there, etc.
Example:
'My holiday starts today.' (Direct speech)
He said that his holiday started that day. (Reported speech)
3) Reasons for not changing the tense
❖ There are times when we can choose not to change the tense of verbs in reported speech.
- If what the speaker has said is still true.
Example:
'I love my family.' (Direct speech)
He said that he loves his family. (Reported speech)
- If what the speaker has said is a fact.
Example:
'The sky is blue.' (Direct speech)
She said that the sky is blue. (Reported speech)