Reported Speech Overview

Study Notes

Reported Speech

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way of reporting what someone else said without using their exact words. It changes the tense of the verb and often alters the pronouns and adverbs.
Key Change: The tense of the verb used in the reported speech will change depending on the original tense and context of the speech.
Original Statement Timing:
- If the original statement was about a past event and is now being reported, the tense changes to a past tense of the original verb.
- If the original statement was about something happening now, the present tense changes to the past tense.
- If the original statement was about something true or always happening, or making a statement of fact, the tense does not change.

Reporting Verbs

Reporting verbs are the verbs that introduce the reported speech. Examples include: said, told, asked, suggested, etc.
Selecting the Appropriate Verb: The choice of reporting verb affects the tone and meaning of the reported speech, thus careful selection is important.

Reported Statements (Declarative Sentences)

To report a declarative statement, the reporting verb follows the noun phrase and is followed by the reported statement. The tense of the verb in the reported statement is typically shifted.
- Example: Original: "I like ice cream." Reported: "He said he liked ice cream".

Reported Questions (Interrogative Sentences)

Reporting a question changes the word order and often changes the tense of the verb.
- Yes/No Questions: A reporting verb like "asked" is used followed by "if" or "whether", and then the reported question (verb in past tense).
  - Example: Original: "Are you happy?" Reported: "She asked if I was happy."
- Wh-Questions: "Wh-" questions (e.g. who, what, where, when, why, how) keep the "wh-" word at the beginning of the reported question and the tense of the verb in the reported question is also typically shifted to the past tense.
  - Example: Original: "Where did you go?" Reported: "He asked where I had gone."

Reported Commands (Imperative Sentences)

Reporting a command uses reporting verbs like "told", "asked" or "ordered", followed by an object and then an infinitive, past tense of the verb from the imperative sentence.
- Example: Original: "Close the door." Reported: "She told me to close the door."

Pronoun Changes

Pronouns often need to be adjusted when reporting speech to match the situation in the report context.
Switching Perspective: "I" changes to whatever the appropriate pronoun in the reported sentence is. The pronoun needs to reflect the noun phrase of the new context.

Adverbial Changes

Adverbs of time and place often need adjustment to match the timing of the reported speech.
- Example: Original: "I went to the store yesterday." Reported: "He said that he had gone to the store the day before".

Complex Sentence Structure

More complex statements will require careful attention to changes in tense, word order, and pronouns to accurately reflect the original meaning in a coherent and grammatically correct reported statement.
Nested Structures: When reporting complex sentences and reported speech within reported speech, maintaining accuracy of context is important and requires careful attention to order of clauses, verb tenses, pronouns, and adverbs.

Description

This quiz covers the rules and changes associated with reported speech, also known as indirect speech. It discusses the transformation of verb tenses based on the context of the original statement and includes examples of reporting verbs. Test your understanding of how to effectively use reported speech in various contexts.