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Reported speech (2)

Remember that in reported speech we usually change the tense of the direct statement. The present simple tense changes to the past simple, the past simple changes to the past perfect and so on.

Here are some other points to consider.

'Can' and 'will'

Direct speech: "I can't remember his name." Reported speech: She said she couldn't remember his name.

' Can' and ' can't' in direct speech change to ' could' and ' couldn't ' in reported speech.

Direct speech: "I'll be there for 3 weeks." Reported speech: He told me he'd be there for 3 weeks.

' Will' and ' won't' in direct speech change to ' would' and ' wouldn't' in reported speech.

Other modal verbs

Direct speech: "You could be right." Reported speech: I said that he could be right.

Direct speech: "You must call me." Reported speech: She said that I must call her.

Other modal verbs don't change in reported speech.

Reporting orders, requests and advice

Direct speech: "Sit down and shut up!" Reported speech: The teacher told me to sit down and shut up.

Direct speech: "Can you hold this for me please?" Reported speech: He asked me to hold it.

Direct speech: "You should do more exercise." Reported speech: He advised me to do more exercise.

Orders, request and advice can be reported using an infinitive.

Reporting verbs

There are a number of verbs that we use to report statements. These can make your speech and writing more interesting than simply reporting every word of the direct speech.

Direct speech: "It wasn't me who broke the window." > He denied breaking the window.

Direct speech: "I'll help you if you want" > She offered to help.

There are a number of verbs that can be used to report. They include: promise, claim, suggest, advise, refuse, argue, confirm and others.

Reported questions are explained on another page.

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Reported speech (2) Remember that in reported speech we usually change the tense of the direct statement. The present simple tense changes to the past simple, the past simple changes to the past perfect and so on. Here are some other points to consider. 'Can' and 'will' Direct speech: "I can't remember his name."

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In reported speech the tenses, word-order and pronouns may be different from the original sentence.

Reported speech (1)

When we report someone's words we can do it in two ways. We can use direct speech with quotation marks ( "I work in a bank"), or we can use reported speech ( He said he worked in a bank.)

In reported speech the tenses, word-order and pronouns may be different from those in the original sentence.

Present simple and present continuous tenses

The present simple tense ( I travel) usually changes to the past simple ( he travelled) in reported speech.

The present continuous usually changes to the past continuous.

NB:

It isn't always necessary to change the tense. If something is still true now - he still works in Italy - we can use the present simple in the reported sentence.

Past simple and past continuous tenses

The past simple tense ( we lived) usually changes to the past perfect ( they had lived) in reported speech.

The past continuous usually changes to the past perfect continuous.

Perfect tenses

The present perfect tense ( have always been) usually changes to the past perfect tense ( had always been).

The past perfect tense does not change in reported speech.

You can find more information about reported speech in another section.

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In reported speech the tenses, word-order and pronouns may be different from the original sentence. Reported speech (1) When we report someone's words we can do it in two ways. We can use direct speech with quotation marks ( "I work in a bank"), or we can use reported speech ( He said he worked in a bank.)

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Choose the correct reporting verb

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Advanced Grammar | Reporting Verbs Exercise | esl-lounge Student

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The words deny, reject, refuse and decline are often confused. Of these, the words reject, refuse and decline have very similar meanings. Interestingly, the word accept can be the opposite of all of them. Deny has a different meaning. The opposite of deny is admit.

To deny is to say that something is not true. To deny somebody something is to refuse to give it to them.

He denied taking the money

She denied that she had acted irresponsibly.

The minister denied the allegations.

She denied him the right to visit her daughter.

She denied me the permission to go.

The guards were accused of denying the prisoners food and water.

To refuse to do something is to say that you won't do that.

She refused to clean the floors.

The child refused to take the medicine.

She refused to pay the dues.

When you refuse something you do not accept it.

I offered her a drink but she politely refused it.

They refused the invitation.

Reject is quite similar to refuse. To reject a proposal is to refuse to accept it.

The promoters rejected the plan out of hand.

The manager rejected my request for more time to finish the project.

If someone rejects you, they show indifference towards you.

She was rejected by her own people.

Reject can also be used as a noun. The noun reject is used to refer to something or somebody that has not been accepted.

The gown was very cheap because it was a reject.

Decline is relatively formal. It has more or less the same meaning as refuse. To decline something is to politely refuse to accept it.

I offered her a job but she declined it.

She offered to bear all the expenses but he politely declined.

Decline can also mean become less or become worse.

The quality of life in many of our cities is declining.

The number of people who buy homes have declined in recent years.

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The words refuse, reject, decline and deny

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The words deny, reject, refuse and decline are often confused. Of these, the words reject, refuse and decline have very similar meanings. Interestingly, the word accept can be the opposite of all of them. Deny has a different meaning. The opposite of deny is admit. To deny is to say that something is not true.

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A LIST OF VERBS + THAT / IF / WH- CLAUSE

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A LIST OF VERBS + THAT / IF / WH- CLAUSE

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Reporting verbs with that clauses:

Some verbs introduce a report, an idea or a summary. These verbs have the pattern:

N + V + (that) + clause

When we want to say what someone says or thinks we can use a clause with that;

He said that I had to see a doctor.
I thought that he was being silly.

We can leave out the word that:

He said I had to see a doctor.
I thought he was being silly.

With some verbs we can mention the hearer as the object of the verb:

She reminded him that it was time to go.
He told me he was a friend of yours.

These verbs have the pattern;

N + V + N + (that) + clause.

Reporting verbs with wh- and if clauses

Some verbs introduce summaries, reports, questions or problems:

She explained what we had to do.
He asked if I was ready
I didn't know what to do.

These verbs have the pattern:

N + V + wh- + clause:
She wondered where she was.

or

N + V + if + clause:
Ken asked if we wanted to go.

With some verbs we can mention the hearer as the object of the verb:

She asked me if I was ready.
He told me what I had to do.

These verbs have the pattern:

N + V + N + wh- + clause:
I told them what he was doing.

or

N + V + N + if + clause:
Ken asked us if we wanted to go.

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reporting verbs with that, wh- and if clauses

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Reporting verbs with that clauses: Some verbs introduce a report, an idea or a summary. These verbs have the pattern: N + V + (that) + clause When we want to say what someone says or thinks we can use a clause with that; He said that I had to see a doctor.

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Reported questions

When we report what people say, we usually change the tense of the verbs to reflect that we are reporting - not giving direct speech. This pattern is followed when we report questions and there are also other important changes between direct questions and reported questions.

Yes/no questions

Direct question: "Do you like working in teams?" Reported question: He asked if I liked working in teams.

When we report yes/no questions we use ' if' or ' whether '.

Direct question: "Did you enjoy the party?" Reported question: She asked me whether I'd enjoyed the party.

The tense of the verb changes as it does in reported speech but we don't use auxiliary verbs. The word order is the same as in an affirmative sentence.

Questions with a question word

Direct question: "What time does the train leave?" Reported question: He asked what time the train left.

When there is a question word ( what, where, why, who, when, how) we use that question word in the reported question but there is no auxiliary verb and the word order is like an affirmative sentence (' what time the train left' not He asked me what time did the train leave.)

Look at some more examples:

Direct question: "Who did you see?"

Reported question: She asked me who I'd seen.

Direct question: "Where did you go to school?"

Reported question: He asked me where I'd gone to school.

Direct question: "Why are you crying?"

Reported question: She asked him why he was crying.

Notice that the reported questions do not have a question mark at the end.

Indirect questions

Similar to reported questions are indirect questions.

Can you tell me what time the train leaves? NOT Can you tell me what time does the train leave?

I'd love to know what he said to her. NOT I'd love to know what did he say to her.

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Reported questions When we report what people say, we usually change the tense of the verbs to reflect that we are reporting - not giving direct speech. This pattern is followed when we report questions and there are also other important changes between direct questions and reported questions.

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Please note: Will changes into Would (not Would into Will)

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Advanced Grammar | Say / Tell Error Correction | esl-lounge Student