# data[].attributes.headline
Member 1 - 2 : How to change YES/NO question?

# data[].attributes.subject
Member 1 - 2 : How to change YES/NO question?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Click here for a list of reported speech exercises.
Click here to download this explanation in PDF.
Reported Statements
When do we use reported speech? Sometimes someone says a sentence, for example "I'm going to the cinema tonight". Later, maybe we want to tell someone else what the first person said.

Watch my reported speech video:

Here's how it works:

We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. ( Click here for more about using 'say' and 'tell'.) If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence:

Direct speech: I like ice cream.

Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.

We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I' to 'she', for example. We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your'.

(As I'm sure you know, often, we can choose if we want to use 'that' or not in English. I've put it in brackets () to show that it's optional. It's exactly the same if you use 'that' or if you don't use 'that'.)

But, if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported speech:

Direct speech: I like ice cream.

Reported speech: She said (that) she liked ice cream.

* doesn't change.

Occasionally, we don't need to change the present tense into the past if the information in direct speech is still true (but this is only for things which are general facts, and even then usually we like to change the tense):

Direct speech: The sky is blue.

Reported speech: She said (that) the sky is/was blue.

Click here for a mixed tense exercise about practise reported statements.
Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

Reported Questions

So now you have no problem with making reported speech from positive and negative sentences. But how about questions?

Direct speech: Where do you live?

How can we make the reported speech here?

In fact, it's not so different from reported statements. The tense changes are the same, and we keep the question word. The very important thing though is that, once we tell the question to someone else, it isn't a question any more. So we need to change the grammar to a normal positive sentence. A bit confusing? Maybe this example will help:

Direct speech: Where do you live?

Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.

Do you see how I made it? The direct question is in the present simple tense. We make a present simple question with 'do' or 'does' so I need to take that away. Then I need to change the verb to the past simple.

Another example:

Direct speech: Where is Julie?

Reported speech: She asked me where Julie was.

The direct question is the present simple of 'be'. We make the question form of the present simple of be by inverting (changing the position of)the subject and verb. So, we need to change them back before putting the verb into the past simple.
Here are some more examples:

Where is the Post Office, please?

She asked me where the Post Office was.

What are you doing?

She asked me what I was doing.

Who was that fantastic man?

She asked me who that fantastic man had been.

So much for 'wh' questions. But, what if you need to report a 'yes / no' question? We don't have any question words to help us. Instead, we use 'if':

Direct speech: Do you like chocolate?

Reported speech: She asked me if I liked chocolate.

No problem? Here are a few more examples:

Click here to practise reported 'wh' questions.
Click here to practise reported 'yes / no' questions.

Reported Requests

There's more! What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:

Direct speech: Close the window, please

Or: Could you close the window please?

Or: Would you mind closing the window please?

All of these requests mean the same thing, so we don't need to report every word when we tell another person about it. We simply use 'ask me + to + infinitive':

Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.

Here are a few more examples:

Please help me.

She asked me to help her.

Please don't smoke.

She asked me not to smoke.

Could you bring my book tonight?

She asked me to bring her book that night.

Could you pass the milk, please?

She asked me to pass the milk.

Would you mind coming early tomorrow?

She asked me to come early the next day.

To report a negative request, use 'not':

Direct speech: Please don't be late.

Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.

Reported Orders

And finally, how about if someone doesn't ask so politely? We can call this an 'order' in English, when someone tells you very directly to do something. For example:

Direct speech: Sit down!

In fact, we make this into reported speech in the same way as a request. We just use 'tell' instead of 'ask':

Reported speech: She told me to sit down.

Time Expressions with Reported Speech

Sometimes when we change direct speech into reported speech we have to change time expressions too. We don't always have to do this, however. It depends on when we heard the direct speech and when we say the reported speech.

For example:

It's Monday. Julie says "I'm leaving today".

If I tell someone on Monday, I say "Julie said she was leaving today".
If I tell someone on Tuesday, I say "Julie said she was leaving yesterday".
If I tell someone on Wednesday, I say "Julie said she was leaving on Monday".
If I tell someone a month later, I say "Julie said she was leaving that day".

So, there's no easy conversion. You really have to think about when the direct speech was said.

Here's a table of some possible conversions:

today

yesterday / that day / Tuesday / the 27th of June

yesterday

the day before yesterday / the day before / Wednesday / the 5th of December

last night

the night before, Thursday night

last week

the week before / the previous week

tomorrow

today / the next day / the following day / Friday

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Practise reported speech - clear explanations and lots of exercises.

# data[].attributes.body
Group 1: Gia Khánh, Đức Anh, Việt Anh, Quang Anh, Thanh Bình, Chí Cường, Anh Thư, Gia Linh
https://meet.google.com/zhj-vxyy-fcy

Group 2: Đức Đam, Mai Khiêm, Nguyễn Minh Khôi, Minh Kiệt, Giang Lâm, Gia Linh, Nhất Quang, Thái Sơn
https://meet.google.com/bjo-jmek-neg

Group 3: Thảo Ngọc, Chính Nguyên, Hoàng Nhật, Hà Phương, Cẩm Tú, Hiền Anh, Nhật Minh, Lan Minh
https://meet.google.com/pmv-vvtt-oxk

Group 4: Nhật Anh, Duy Anh, Linh Giang, Minh Hoàng, Lê Minh Khôi, Khánh Linh, Mai Linh
https://meet.google.com/vad-oyag-kzf

# data[].attributes.headline
Member 3 - 4: 2 Examples for yes/no question in reported speech

# data[].attributes.subject
Member 3 - 4: 2 Examples for yes/no question in reported speech

# data[].attributes.headline
Mem 3-4: Which tenses don't change? 1 example

# data[].attributes.subject
Mem 3-4: Which tenses don't change? 1 example

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We use reported speech when we want to tell someone what someone said. We usually use a reporting verb (e.g. say, tell, ask, etc.) and then change the tense of what was actually said in direct speech.
So, direct speech is what someone actually says? Like 'I want to know about reported speech'?

Yes, and you report it with a reporting verb.
He said he wanted to know about reported speech.
I said, I want and you changed it to he wanted.

Exactly. Verbs in the present simple change to the past simple; the present continuous changes to the past continuous; the present perfect changes to the past perfect; can changes to could; will changes to would; etc.
She said she was having the interview at four o'clock.
(Direct speech: 'I'm having the interview at four o'clock.')
They said they'd phone later and let me know.
(Direct speech: 'We'll phone later and let you know.')
OK, in that last example, you changed you to me too.

Yes, apart from changing the tense of the verb, you also have to think about changing other things, like pronouns and adverbs of time and place.
'We went yesterday.' > She said they had been the day before.
'I'll come tomorrow.' >He said he'd come the next day.
I see, but what if you're reporting something on the same day, like 'We went yesterday'?

Well, then you would leave the time reference as 'yesterday'. You have to use your common sense. For example, if someone is saying something which is true now or always, you wouldn't change the tense.
'Dogs can't eat chocolate.' > She said that dogs can't eat chocolate.
'My hair grows really slowly.' >He told me that his hair grows really slowly.
What about reporting questions?

We often use ask + if/whether, then change the tenses as with statements. In reported questions we don't use question forms after the reporting verb.
'Do you have any experience working with people?'
They asked if I had any experience working with people.
'What acting have you done?'
They asked me what acting I had done.
Is there anything else I need to know about reported speech?

One thing that sometimes causes problems is imperative sentences.

You mean like 'Sit down, please' or 'Don't go!'?

Exactly. Sentences that start with a verb in direct speech need a to + infinitive in reported speech.
She told him to be good. (Direct speech: 'Be good!')
He told them not to forget. (Direct speech: 'Please don't forget.')
OK. Can I also say 'He asked me to sit down'?

Yes. You could say 'He told me to ...' or 'He asked me to ...' depending on how it was said.

OK, I see. Are there any more reporting verbs?

Yes, there are lots of other reporting verbs like promise, remind, warn, advise, recommend, encourage which you can choose, depending on the situation. But say, tell and ask are the most common.

Great. I understand! My teacher said reported speech was difficult.

And I told you not to worry!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Daisy has just had an interview for a summer job.

# data[].attributes.headline
Member 5 - 6: How to change WH-questions in reported speech

# data[].attributes.subject
Member 5 - 6: How to change WH-questions in reported speech

# data[].attributes.headline
Member 5 - 6: When say and tell are in the present, future, or present perfect (e.g. He says; they have told me)

# data[].attributes.subject
Member 5 - 6: When say and tell are in the present, future, or present perfect (e.g. He says; they have told me)

# data[].attributes.headline
Member 7 - 8: 2 Examples for WH - question in reported speech

# data[].attributes.subject
Member 7 - 8: 2 Examples for WH - question in reported speech