REPORTED SPEECH
(Indirect speech)
I - General points:
A - Changes of tenses: (back-shift)
Present ⇒ Past ⇒ Past Perfect
Future ⇒ Future in the past.
Conditional ⇒ Perfect Conditional: (Type 1 ⇒ Type 2 ⇒ Type 3)
If I had my pen, I’d write the answer.
⇒ He said if he had had his pen he could have written the answer.
Note: Main clause in Present (cont.), Present Perfect, Future ⇒ There’s no change in
reported speech. This text is easy.
⇒ He says (is saying, has said, will say) that this text is easy.
B - Changes of Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives:
1st person becomes 3rd person
2nd person becomes 1st, 2nd, 3rd person (based on the context)
Note: Report the speaker’s words ⇒ There’s no change of pronoun
I said: “I take mine.” ⇒ I said that I took mine.
C - Other changes:
This ⇒ That Today ⇒ That day
These ⇒ Those Tomorrow ⇒ The next day
Here ⇒ There Yesterday ⇒ The day before
Now ⇒ Then Last night ⇒ The previous night
Ago ⇒ Before
Note: Report a sentence in a same place and at the same time --> There’s no change of
pronoun, adv., demonstrative adj. An hour ago he said he would come here tonight.
D - Add conjunction in reported sentence:
She said: “I’m tired. I’ve worked all day.”
She said that she was tired as (because, since) she had worked all day.
E - The name in Direct Speech ⇒ The Indirect Object of TELL
“We’re going to be late, John,” said Helen.
Helen told John that they were going to be late.

- Say ⇒ tell, ask, order (according to the circumstances and common sense)
- No Conjunction is used.
- Verb in direct speech ⇒ To-infinitive in indirect speech.
“Go out.” ⇒ He told me to go out.
- Negative Verb ⇒ Not to -infinitive.
“Don’t get there.” ⇒ He told me not to get there.
- Reporting verbs: advise, ask, beg, command, encourage, entreat, forbid, implore, invite,
order, recommend, remind, request, tell, urge, warn, suggest…
- Let’s ⇒ suggest + should / might. “Let’s have a break,” she said.
She suggested that they should (might) have a break.
- Requests: “Will you lend me a pound?” “Would you lend me a pound?”
“Would you mind lending me a pound?”... These may be reported in 2 ways:
As a request: He asked her to lend him a pound.
As a question: He asked her if she would lend / mind lending him a pound.
D - Exclamations:
- Various constructions are possible. According to the context, we must choose the right verbs and
adverb to express the meaning of the sentence.
“Thank you!”
“Welcome!”
“Happy new year!”
“Congratulation!”
“Liar!”
“Damn!”
“How pleasant! You come here.”
“What a pity! I have no money.”
“I’m sorry! I have no money.”
“I’m sure we’ll never meet again!”
“Bad mark again!”
He thanked her truly / sarcastically.
He welcomed them wholeheartedly / coldly.