REPORTED SPEECHREPORTED SPEECH

Prepared by Belma Prepared by Belma BOYACIOGLUBOYACIOGLU

Direct Speech Reported Speech

“I work hard,” he said. He said (that) he worked hard.

“I am working hard,” he said. He said (that) he was working hard.

“I worked hard,” he said. He said (that) he (had) worked hard

“I have worked hard,” he said. He said (that) he had worked hard.

“I will work hard,” he said. He said (that) he would work hard.

“I have been working hard,” he said.He said (that) he had been working hard.

“I am going to work harder,” he said.He said (that) he was going to work harder.

“I can work harder,” he said. He said (that) he could work harder.

“I may work harder,” he said. He said (that) he might work harder.

“I must work harder,” he said. He said (that) he had to/must work harder.

“Work harder,” he said to him. He told him to work harder.

“Do you work hard?” she said to him.He asked him if he worked hard.

Changing from Direct into Reported Speech.Time words and tenses can change or remain the same depending on the time reference. If the reported sentence is out of date, the tenses change. “They are leaving next week,” he said. He said they were leaving the following week. (speech reported after they have left – out of date)

If the reported sentence is up to date, the tenses can remain the same. “They are leaving next week,” he said. He said they are leaving next week. (speech reported before they have left – up to date.

“Ilike ice-cream,” she said. She said she likes/liked ice-cream. (still true)“I am rich,” he said. He said he was rich. (but we know he isn’t; not true.

Direct Speech Reported Speech

now Then, at the time

This/these, here, come That / those, there, go

Tonight, today, this week/month/year That night, taht day, that week/ etc.

Yesterday, last night/week/month/year The day before/ the previous night/etc.

Tomorrow, next week/month/year The following day, the following/next …….

Two days/months/hours/etc ago Two days/months/hours/etc. before

Certain words change as follows depending on the context.

The weather is hot.

I have got a lovely sun tanI go swimming every day.

The hotel is nice.

She said she went/goes swimming every day. (still true)

Did you have a nice time?

She said she had/has a lovely sun tan. (still true)She said (that) the weather was hot.

I’m not looking forward to going back to school.

She said she wasn’t looking forward to going back to school.

She said the hotel was/is hot. (still true)She asked if/whether I had had a nice time.

I have made a lot of friends.

She said that she had made a lot of friends.

I bought a present for my mother yesterday.

The food is delicious.

I will ring her.

I am coming back again next year.

She said she had bought a present for her mother the previous day.

She said (that) the food was delicious. She said she would call her.

She said she was coming back the following year.