Reported Speech

Grammar rules of English indirect speech.

1. REPORTED SPEECH
Present
She said: “I´m hungry”
Past simple
She said: “I missed my family”
Present continuous
She said: “I am walking”
Present perfect
She said: “I have bought a new car”
WILL
She said:” I will wait”
Past simple
She said she was hungry
Past perfect
She said she had missed her family
Past continuous
She said she was walking.
Past perfect
She said she had bought a new car
WOULD
She said she would wait
DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT/REPORTED SPEECH

2. Pastperfect
Shesaid: “ I hadwaited”
CAN
Shesaid.”I can walk”
MUST
Shesaid: “I mustwalk”
MAY
Shesaid: “Itmaybea goodidea”
Pastperfect
Shesaidshehadwaited
COULD
Shesaidshecouldwalk
HAD TO
Shesaidshehadtowalk
MIGHT
Shesaiditmightbea goodidea.
DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT/REPORTED SPEECH

3. CHANGES
He toldher: “I likeyour
car”
Sheaskedhim: “Isthis
yourcar?
Shetoldus:”theseare
my books”
He toldme : “He doesn’t
livehereanymore”
He toldher(that) he
likedhernew car
Sheaskedhimifthat
washiscar.
Shetoldusthosewere
herbooks.
He toldme he didn’t
livethereanymore
ADJECTIVES/ADVERBS IINDIRECT CHANGES

4. TIME EXPRESSIONS
1 NOW
2 TODAY
3 YESTERDAY
4 THE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY
5 TOMORROW
6 THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW
7 NEXT WEEK/MONTH/YEAR
8 LAST WEEK/MONTH/YEAR
9 TWO DAYS/THREE HOURS AGO
1 THEN
2 THAT DAY
3 THE DAY BEFORE
4 TWO DAYS BEFORE
5 THE NEXT/FOLLOWING DAY
6 TWO DAYS LATER
7 THE FOLLLOWING
WEEK/MONTH/YEAR
8 THE PREVIOUS
WEEK/MONTH/YEAR
9 TWO DAYS/THREE HOURS BEFORE
DIRECT INDIRECT

5. REPORTED QUESTIONS
Sandra
asked:”Are you
going out?”
Sandra asked
if/whether I was
going out.
Henry wondered:
“Why is Andrew
so late?”
Henry wondered
why Andrew was
so late.
YES/NO QUESTIONS WH-QUESTION

6. REPORTED COMMANDS
“Sit down”
“Don’t forget your
umbrella”
“Don’t shout at me”.
“Work hard at
school”
He orderedthemtosit
down
Sheremindedhimnot
toforgethisumbrella.
He toldhernottoshout
at him
He advisedme towork
hardat school
DIRECT INDIRECT

7. REPORTED SUGGESTIONS
“Let’s go for a
walk”
“Why don’t we
relax?”
He suggested that
we went for a
walk
She suggested
that they relaxed.
DIRECT INDIRECT

8. REPORTING VERBS
Add
Advise
Apologize
Ask
Complain
Confirm
Explain
Mention
Order
Promise
Afegir
Aconsellar
Demanar perdó
Preguntar
Queixarse
Confirmar
Explicar
Anomenar
Ordenar
Prometre
ENGLISH CATALAN

9. Remind
Say
Tell
Admit
Agree
Beg
Confess
Declare
Invite
Offer
Persuade
Recommend
Reply
Suggest
whisper
Recordar
Dir
Dir, explicar
Admetre
Estar d’acord
Suplicar
Confessar
Declarar
Convidar
Oferir
Convèncer
Recomanar
Respondre
Suggerir
xiuxiuejar

11. Do you want to know a secret?
A:He whispered in my ear that he was in love with me.
B:He expressed doubt that I would ever know how much
he really cared for me.
C:He insisted that we were the only ones who knew.
D:He told me that I would never know how much he
really loved me.
E:He admitted that the realisation had dawned on him
a week or two earlier.
F:He offered to confide in me if I promised not to tell.

12. Do you want to know a secret?
D:He told me that I would never know how much he really
loved me.
B:He expressed doubt that I would ever know how much he
really cared for me.
F:He offered to confide in me if I promised not to tell.
A:He whispered in my ear that he was in love with me.
E:He admitted that the realisation had dawned on him a
week or two earlier.
C:He insisted that we were the only ones who knew.

13. 1. “ I won’t lend you any money”
She refused to lend him any money.
2. “Would you like to have a drink with me?”
She invited him to have a drink with her.
3. “Let’s go to the beach!”
He suggested going /that they should go to the beach.
4. “ If you’re good, I’ll buy you an ice-cream”
He promised to buy her an ice cream (if she was good)
5. “I’m sorry I broke your heart”
She apologised for breaking /having broken his heart.

14. 6. “ If I were you, I’d tell your parents”
She advised him to tell his parents
7. “It wasn’t me. I didn’t break the window”
He denied breaking / having broken the window
8. “You’re the one who murdered the President. -I saw you”
He accused her of murdering / having murdered the President.
9. “ Stop shouting!”
She ordered them to stop shouting.
10. “ Shall I carry your suitcase for you?”
He offered to carry her suitcase (for her)

15. VERB + THAT CLAUSE
DECLARE
He declaredthathe lovedher
EXPLAIN
SAY
SUGGEST

16. VERB + TO + INFINITIVE
( NOT TO DO SOMETHING)
AGREE
OFFER
José offeredtodrive me totheairport.
REFUSE
PROMISE
I promisednottotellanybody
THREATEN

17. VERB + OBJECT+ TO+ INFINITIVE
( SOMEBOBY NOTTO DO SOMETHING)
ADVISE
Thedoctor advisedme tohavea rest
ASK
CONVINCE
ENCOURAGE
INVITE
Julia’sfriendinvitedhertostayfordinner
ORDER
PERSUADE
I persuadedmy sisternottogooutwithJuan
REMIND
My bossremindedme tosignthedocuments.
TELL
WARN
Themanwarnedusnottoparkin thisstreet.

18. VERB+ GERUND
( NOT DOING SOMETHING)
APOLOGIZE ( FOR)
I apologizedforbeingso late.
ACCUSE
ThepoliceaccusedMariaof stealingthecar.
ADMIT
BLAME SOMEBODY FOR
DENY
INSIST ON
Jane insistedongoingtothedcotor’swithme
RECOMMEND
REGRET
SUGGEST
Katiesuggestedgoingfora walk.

19. be get help lose pay sack steal walk
1.He was accused of money from the company.
2.I offeredto him, but he said he could manage.
3.He apologized for his temper with me.
4.His boss threatened him if was late one more
time.
5.Will you remind me some more petrol before
we leave?
6.Of course, she deniesanywhere near the scene of
the crime.
7.He warned the children not on the frozen
lake.
8.Her family insisted on for the entire holiday.
help
stealing
losing
to sack
to get
being
to walk
paying