Reported Speech

Reported Speech
Direct or quoted speech refers to a speaker’s exact words
He said, “I need a new pair of shoes”.
Indirect or reported speech refers to the ideas of speakers words.
He told me that he was late.
Say & Tell:-
Say:
 He said to me “Don’t go out”.
1- Comes preposition to.
2- It never comes object after said.
3- Words always come in “Direct speech”.
Tell  He told me not to go.
1- After told comes the object (me).
2- Words always come in" indirect speech
Statemants:-
He said, “I’m going to Canada”.  Direct Speech.
He said that he was going to Canada.  Indirect speech.
To change from Direct to indirect speech follow the following steps-
1. Said is stayed as it is (said, said to)  changes to (told).
2. Omit the brackets and use that, sometimes we can omit that.
3. Change the pronouns and the adverbs of place and time.
4. If the verb (said) we change all the tenses in the brackets.
5. If the –verbs (say/ says) in the present no change is made.

Direct speech Indirect speech
Present simple Past simple
Visit – visits Visited

Present continuous Past continuous
Am / is visiting Was visiting
Are visiting Were visiting

Present perfect Past perfect
Have / has visited Had visited

Past Simple Past Perfect
Visited had visited

Future simple Future in the past
Will visit Would visit

Shall/ Should/

can/ could/

may / might/

must had to


 He always says, “I do my homework in the afternoon”.
He always says that he does his home work in the afternoon.

 She said, “I’m playing tennis”.
She said that she was playing tennis.

 She said, “I bought a new blouse yesterday”.
She said that she had bought a new blouse the day before.

 Mary said, “I may go to the library”.
Mary said that she might go to library.

 Fady said to his father, “I have to take on English course”.
Fady told his father that he had to take on English course.

 Sally said to me, “I may be absent from class tomorrow”.
Sally told me that she might be absent from the class the next day.

 Ali said, “I don’t like Math”.
Ali said that he didn’t like
Changes of adverbs:-
Direct speech Indirect speech
On that day Today

That This

The next day/ the following day Tomorrow

The day before/ the previous day Yesterday

There Here

Those These

Then Now

Before Ago

That night Tonight

So Thus

The previous night Last night

The following Next

Changes of Pronouns:-
Direct speech Indirect speech
I , me My / mine
We / us Our / ours
You Your / yours
[he / she] him / her His, her / hers
They / them Their / theirs
They, them, I Their / theirs