Ch 7
Reported Speech
Tense backshift · say vs tell · word shifts
Reported (indirect) speech tells us what someone said, without using their exact words. The tenses and some words shift back in time.
Direct speech
"I am tired," she said.
Reported speech
She said she was tired.
Reporting verbs
said · told (+ person) · asked · explained · promised · admitted
say vs tell: say needs no object ("she said she was tired"). tell always needs a person ("she told me she was tired").
present simple → past simple
"I work here." → She said she worked there.
present continuous → past continuous
"I am waiting." → He said he was waiting.
past simple → past perfect
"I left early." → She said she had left early.
will → would
"I will call." → He said he would call.
can → could
"I can swim." → She said she could swim.
I → he/she
"I love this." → She said she loved it.
my → his/her
"My car." → He said it was his car.
here → there
"I live here." → She said she lived there.
now → then
"Now I understand." → He said he understood then.
tomorrow → the next day
"I'll come tomorrow." → She said she would come the next day.
today → that day
"I'm busy today." → He said he was busy that day.
Direct: "Where does she live?" → Reported: He asked where she lived. ✓
Wh- questions
She asked where I worked. (NOT where did I work)
Yes/No questions → if/whether
"Are you ready?" → He asked if I was ready.
In reported questions: normal word order (subject before verb). No auxiliary do/does/did. Tense still shifts back.
She said me she was tired.
→
She told me she was tired.
told (not said) when a person follows
He asked where did I live.
→
He asked where I lived.
reported questions: normal word order
She said that she will call me.
→
She said that she would call me.
will → would in reported speech
He told she was late.
→
He told me/her/us she was late.
tell always needs a person object
Recap
Tense shifts
present→past · past→past perfect · will→would
she said she worked / would call
say vs tell
say (no object) · tell + person
said she was / told me she was
Word shifts
I→he/she · here→there · tomorrow→next day
perspective change
Reported ?
normal word order + tense shift + if/whether
asked where I lived