Reported Speech_ Nguyễn Trọng Long

9/5/2009
Nguyễn Trọng Long: [email protected]
Reported Speech
What is it? How do you use it?
Yesterday, I saw my friend Pamela!
She told me that she got a promotion!
...yesterday
...today
9/5/2009
Nguyễn Trọng Long: [email protected]
Reported Speech
is the grammar we use when we want to tell another person about a conversation that took place in the past.
We often use reported speech to . . .
1. Give someone a telephone message:
Example: Ellen said she couldn’t come today because…
2. Tell someone news that we heard from someone else:

Example: Tom told me that he and Karen got engaged!
3. To report something that happened:

Example: Sam said that the other driver wasn’t
paying attention and hit his car.
9/5/2009
Nguyễn Trọng Long: [email protected]
How to use reported speech:
When we use reported speech, we are usually talking about the past.

Therefore, verbs usually change to the past tense in reported speech.
for example:
9/5/2009
Nguyễn Trọng Long: [email protected]
am / is
become
was
are
becomes
were
have / has
become
had
can / can’t
become
could couldn’t
will / won’t
become
would wouldn’t
9/5/2009
Nguyễn Trọng Long: [email protected]
Reported speech typically uses the following structure:
Someone said (that) … Sentence, past
OR
Someone told me (that) … Sentence,past

However, in English, you can NEVER say
Someone said me . . .
9/5/2009
Nguyễn Trọng Long: [email protected]
Examples of reporting what someone said . . .
I talked to Sandra yesterday. She was telling me about her job. Her job is quite stressful. Sandra said:
“I’m not happy at my job anymore. I think I’ll quit.”
9/5/2009
Nguyễn Trọng Long: [email protected]
Sandra said, “I’m not happy at my job anymore. I think I’ll quit.
Now you want to tell someone else what Sandra said. In this situation, it’s natural to use reported speech: You can say:
Sandra told me that she
happy at her job anymore and she she quit.
wasn`t
thought
would
9/5/2009
Nguyễn Trọng Long: [email protected]
When a person told you something in the past tense, you can use either the past tense or the past perfect after the “said” phrase.
Example:
Tim said:

“I worked really hard today.”
Tim said that he worked
really hard today.
Tim said that he had worked really hard today.
past tense
past perfect tense
9/5/2009
Nguyễn Trọng Long: [email protected]
You will hear native speakers use both the past and past perfect
in this situation;
However, it’s much easier to just put everything in the simple past tense when using reported speech, so . . .
keep it simple!
9/5/2009
Nguyễn Trọng Long: [email protected]
Examples for practice:
1. Shawn said:
“I don’t feel like going to the movies tonight.”

Reported speech:
Shawn said that he didn’t feel like going to the movies tonight.

2. Tina said:
“My sister is coming to visit me soon.”

Reported speech:
Tina told me that her sister was coming to visit her soon.


be careful with pronouns!
9/5/2009
Nguyễn Trọng Long: [email protected]
. . . And more examples:
3. The counselor said:
“I’ll always be available for your students.”

Reported speech:
The counselor said that she would always be available for my students.

4. The students said:
“We want to do oral presentations in class so we can practice speaking more.

Reported speech:
The students told me that they wanted
to do oral presentations so they could practice speaking more.

9/5/2009
Nguyễn Trọng Long: [email protected]
Do you understand reported speech better NOW than you did BEFORE?
Keep practicing!!!
And please . . . ask if you need assistance!
your teacher
a classmate
Congratulations!