Reported Speech Statements Notes
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chamara hemalReported Speech Statements Notes
Uploaded by
chamara hemalReported Speech - Statements
What is Reported Speech?
Reported Speech (also called Indirect Speech) is used to report what someone else said without quoting their
exact words.
Direct Speech: He said, "I am tired."
Reported Speech: He said that he was tired.
Basic Rules of Changing Direct Speech to Reported Speech
1. Remove Quotation Marks:
Direct: She said, "I like coffee."
Reported: She said that she liked coffee.
2. Change the Pronouns:
"I am happy," he said. -> He said he was happy.
3. Change the Tense (Backshifting):
If the reporting verb is in the past tense, the verb in the reported speech usually moves one step back in
tense.
Examples:
Present Simple -> Past Simple
"I play" -> He said he played
Present Continuous -> Past Continuous
"I am playing" -> He said he was playing
Present Perfect -> Past Perfect
"I have seen" -> He said he had seen
Past Simple -> Past Perfect
"I bought a car" -> He said he had bought a car
Will -> Would
"I will go" -> He said he would go
Reported Speech - Statements
Warning No tense change if the reporting verb is in the present or the fact is still true.
Example: He says, "I am hungry." -> He says he is hungry.
Time and Place Changes
Examples of word changes:
today -> that day
tomorrow -> the next day
yesterday -> the day before
now -> then
here -> there
this -> that
these -> those
Example:
She said, "I will meet you here tomorrow."
-> She said she would meet me there the next day.
Reporting Verbs
Common reporting verbs:
said (to someone), told (someone), explained, mentioned, added, informed
Note:
- 'said' is not followed by an object.
Yes He said that...
No He said me that...
- 'told' needs an object.
Yes He told me that...
Examples
Reported Speech - Statements
1. He said, "I love football." -> He said that he loved football.
2. Maria said, "I am cooking dinner." -> Maria said that she was cooking dinner.
3. They said, "We have finished the work." -> They said that they had finished the work.
4. She said, "I will travel next week." -> She said that she would travel the following week.
Practice Questions
Convert the following into reported speech:
1. She said, "I am tired."
2. John said, "I bought a new phone."
3. They said, "We are watching a movie."
4. He said, "I will call you tomorrow."
5. The teacher said, "You have passed the test."
Summary Checklist
- [ ] Remove quotation marks
- [ ] Change pronouns