REPORTED SPEECH

We use the reported speech to report what someone else has said.

We have to transform direct speech into reported speech. When transforming statements we often change the PRONOUNS and the VERB TENSE

Direct Speech : John told Ann, ‘I love you’

Reported Speech: John told Ann that he LOVED her.

CHANGING FROM DIRECT TO REPORTED SPEECH

DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH

PRESENT SIMPLE: PLAY PAST SIMPLE: PLAYED

PRESENT CONTINUOUS: AM/ARE/IS PLAYING

PAST CONTINUOUS: WAS/WERE PLAYING

PAST SIMPLE: PLAYED PAST PERFECT: HAD PLAYED

PRESENT PERFECT: HAVE / HAS PLAYED

PAST PERFECT: HAD PLAYED

PAST PERFECT : HAD PLAYED

PAST PERFECT: HAD PLAYED

FUTURE: WILL PLAY WOULD PLAY

AM/IS /ARE GOING TO PLAY WAS /WERE GOING TO PLAY

EXAMPLES:Direct speech: Peter said ‘ The bus IS late’Reported speech: Peter said that the bus WAS late.

Direct speech: Kate said ‘ I’M DOING something different’Reported speech: Kate said that she WAS DOING something

different

Direct speech: They said ‘ Sarah DIDN’T DO her homework’Reported speech: They said that Sarah HADN’T DONE her

homework.

Direct speech: The students said ‘ We WILL arrive late’Reported speech: The students said that they WOULD arrive

late.