Reported Speech
We use reported speech when we want to talk about other things people have said. Let’s learn about the different types of reported speech.
Reported Speech
We use reported speech to talk about what other people have said. This can be done in 2 ways
Direct speech: ‘I live in England,’ said Jack.
Indirect speech: Jack said that he lives in England.
Depending on whether or not the action that is being spoken about is finished, the verb will change.
Present simple, present continuous and present perfect
When the action has finished, present simple changes to past simple, present continuous changes to past continuous and present perfect changes to past perfect.
Try these other courses
Other info
‘I work so much.’
- Paul said that he worked so much.
‘She is not here’
- He told me she was not here.
‘They’ve left.’
- She said they had left.
If the action has not finished, and is still true, we don’t change the tense
‘I go running by your house.’
- He said he goes running by my house.
‘I am 30 years old.’
- He told me he’s 30 years old
Past simple and past continuous
If the action has not finished, past simple changes to past perfect simple, and past continuous changes to past perfect continuous.
‘We worked together in 2012.’
- She told me they’d worked together in 2012.
‘I was listening to the radio’
- He told me had had been listening to the radio.
Pronouns
If it is indirect speech, the pronouns will usually be different.
‘I am going to India next month,’ said Amy.
- Amy said that she going to India next month.
If you are talking about something you said, then it doesn’t change.
‘I’m going out tonight,’ I said.
- I told her that I was going out tonight.
‘We will try’ we said.
- We said that we will try.
Your grade is: __