Reported Speech: Indirect Speech
There are two main types of reported speech: direct speech and indirect speech. In this lesson, we will learn about how to use indirect speech in English.
what Is Indirect Speech?
In indirect speech, we report what someone said but do not use the actual words that the speaker uttered. The structure of indirect speech depends on whether it is:
- a statement
- a question
- a command or a request
- a suggestion, an advice, or a promise
Reporting and Reported Clauses
Tip!
The reporting clause usually comes before the reported clause.
Indirect Speech: Statements
When we want to report statements in indirect speech, the main clause is linked to the reported clause by the word that.
reporting clause (main clause) + reported clause (that-clause)
Tip!
We often omit that, especially in informal situations.
"I
"My favorite food
Indirect Speech: Questions
Yes/No Questions and Alternative Questions
Yes/No questions and alternative questions in indirect speech consist of:
a reporting clause + a reported clause that begins with if or whether.
Tip!
'If' is more common than 'whether.'
"Are you Russian, Eva?" Leilani asked. (Direct speech) → Leilani asked if Eva was Russian. (Indirect speech)
"Do you prefer coffee or tea?" Justin asked. (Direct speech) → Justin asked whether I preferred coffee or tea. (Indirect speech)
Wh-questions
When we want to report a wh-question in indirect speech we use a reporting clause, and a reported clause introduced with a wh-word (who, what, when, where, why, how). Do not use a question mark.
'What do you want?' → He asked me what I wanted. (Do not write: He asked me what I wanted?)
The reported clause is not in question form.
Vivian wanted to know who I had called. (Do not say: who had I called)
Wh-questions: Who, Whom, What
'Who,' 'whom' and 'what' can either be the subject or the object of the reported clause.
'Who locked the door?' Lydia asked. → Lydia asked who locked the door.
In this example, 'Who' is the subject of 'locked.'
'What will the computers cost?' he wondered. → He wondered what the computers would cost.
In this example, 'What' is the object of 'cost.'
Wh-questions: When, Where, Why, How
With 'when,' 'where,' 'why,' and 'how,' we also use declarative word order in indirect speech.
'When did you leave?' Hailey asked. → Hailey asked her when she had left. (Do not say: Hailey asked her when had she left?)
'Where is the bank?' I asked. → I asked her where the bank was. (Do not say: I asked her where was the bank?)
'How do you spell your name?' Julia asked Matteo. → Julia asked Matteo how he spelled his name. (Do Not Say: Julia asked Matteo how did he spell his name?)
using indirect speech to quote someone
Changes in Words in the Reported Speech
As you might have seen in the examples above, sometimes the words in the reported clause in indirect speech do not exactly match the words in direct speech.
'Come here!' she said. → She told him to go there.
Changes to Pronouns and Determiners
Because the speaker changes in indirect speech, pronouns and possessive determiners have to change, too.
'I love you,' Edward said. → Edward said that he loved her.
Changes to Adverbs and Demonstratives
Adverbs and adverbial phrases of place and time may also have to change in indirect speech.
'What are you doing here?' → He said what I was doing there.
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
|---|---|
| this | that |
| these | those |
| now | then |
| yesterday | the day before |
| tomorrow | the next/following day |
| two weeks ago | two weeks before |
| here | there |
Backshift: Change in Tense in Reported Clauses
The most common change from direct speech to indirect speech is the change of tense.
'I could make you happy,' Mason said. → Mason said that he could have made her happy.
We can use a verb in the present tense as a reporting verb, for example when reporting a conversation. But it is more common to use a past tense when reporting speech.
Marcus says he'd be there in an hour.
In the table below, you can see the changes in tense in indirect speech:
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
|---|---|
| present simple | past simple |
| present continuous | past continuous |
| present perfect simple | past perfect simple |
| present perfect continuous | past perfect continuous |
| past simple | past perfect simple |
| past continuous | past perfect continuous |
| future with will | future-in-the-past (would) |
| past perfect | past perfect (It does not change.) |
Backshift: Modals
Some modal verbs shift back in time and change in indirect speech.
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
|---|---|
| will | would |
| shall | would or should |
| can | could |
| may | might or could |
| must | had to or no change |
| could | no change |
| should | no change |
| would | no change |
| might | no change |
| need | no change |
| used to | no change |
| ought to | no change |
'I will marry you,' Lily promised. → Lily promised she would marry him.
'I can make you some tea,' Joseph added. → Joseph added that he could make me some tea.
'We could buy a house by next year,' Nathan said. → Nathan said they could buy a house by next year.
Naomi said, 'You must try harder.' → Naomi said we had to try harder.
Indirect Speech: Commands and Requests
Commands and requests are reported with tell, ask, etc., and to-infinitive.
'Stop shouting!' Jasmine said. → Jasmine told him
'Please don't make a mess while I'm gone,' Ashley said. → Ashley asked him not
'Can you pass the salt, please?' → He asked for the salt.
Indirect Speech: Suggestions and Advice
We can use some verbs to report suggestions, advice, and similar types of discourse. For example:
'Let's go to the park.' Aaron said. → Aaron suggested going to the park.
'If I were you, I wouldn't call him,' Anna said. → Anna advised me not to call him.
Review
Reported indirect speech is usually used to talk about the past, so we normally change the tense of the words spoken. We use reporting verbs like 'say', 'tell', 'ask', and we may use the word 'that' to introduce the reported words. Remember inverted commas are not used. Also, if you are reporting a wh-question the indirect reported speech cannot be used in question forms and we put full stop at the end not question mark.
Since you change the words and tenses in indirect reported speech, we have gathered common changes and put them in the following tables. Look at the tables
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
|---|---|
| this | that |
|
|
She said |
| these | those |
|
|
They told that |
| now | then |
|
I am studying |
Anna said that she was studying |
| yesterday | the day before |
|
We would be gone |
The said they would be gone |
| tomorrow | the next/following day |
|
|
I told that |
| two weeks ago | two weeks before |
|
I played basketball about |
She said that she had played basketball about |
| here | there |
|
Put this |
She asked to put that |
| Direct Speech | Indirect speech |
|---|---|
| present simple | past simple |
|
He |
They said that he |
| present continuous | past continuous |
|
They |
He said that they |
| present perfect simple | past perfect simple |
|
Sara |
Janice told that Sara |
| present perfect continuous | past perfect continuous |
|
The book |
The book |
| past simple | past perfect simple |
|
My son |
The woman said that her son |
| past continuous | past perfect continuous |
|
They |
She said that they |
| future with will | future-in-the-past (would) |
|
I myself |
She said that she herself |
| past perfect | past perfect (It does not change.) |
|
Marco |
Elliot said that Marco |
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
|---|---|
| will | would |
| shall | would or should |
| can | could |
| may | might or could |
| must | had to or no change |
| could | no change |
| should | no change |
| would | no change |
| might | no change |
| need | no change |
| used to | no change |
| ought to | no change |
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