Reference table: reported speech - R4-01G
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Reporting different tenses:
|
DIRECT SPEECH |
REPORTED SPEECH |
||
|
verb tense |
example sentence |
verb tense |
example sentence |
|
present simple |
‘ I love apples,’ said John |
past simple |
John said that he loved apples |
|
present continuous |
‘I’m looking for a flat,’ said Susan |
past continuous |
Susan said that she was looking for a flat |
|
past simple |
‘I was born in Poland,’ explained Piotr |
past perfect simple |
Piotr explained that he had been born in Poland |
|
past continuous |
‘At 6.15 I was waiting on the platform for the train,’ she told detectives |
past perfect continuous |
She told detectives that at 6.15 she had been waiting on the platform for the train. |
|
present perfect simple |
‘He’s gone to London,’ Tom’s mother told me. |
past perfect simple |
Tom’s mother told me that he had gone to London |
|
future: am / is / are going to |
‘I am going to take a hot bath,’ announced Sally |
was/were going to |
Sally announced that she was going to take a hot bath |
|
future: will |
‘United’ll win by at least two goals,’ asserted Paul |
would |
Paul asserted that United would win by at least two goals |
Notes
- In reporting, ‘that’ can often be left out: Tom’s mother told me (that) he had gone to London.
- Remember that there are a large number of reporting verbs such as explain, admit, announce, remind propose, request, order, suggest, argue, state etc etc which are used to report speech.
Reporting statements and questions:
|
Type of speech |
example |
rules |
|
Positive statement
|
‘Paul is my brother,’ said Susie Susie said (that) Paul was her brother
|
|
|
Negative statement
|
‘Paul isn’t my brother,’ said Susie Susie said (that) Paul wasn’t her brother
|
|
|
Question (yes/no answer) |
‘Is Paul your brother?’ Tony asked Susie
Tony asked Susie if/whether Paul was her brother |
NOT: Tony asked Susie was Paul her brother
|
|
Question (information answer) |
‘What’s your brother’s name?’ Sharon asked Susie
Sharon asked Susie what her brother’s name was |
NOT Sharon asked Susie what was her brother’s name
|