Reported Statements

WELCOME TO

OUR

PRESENTATION
Nguyen Thi My Linh + Vu Thi Ngoc Duyen
Ngon Ngu Anh A – K3
Instructor : Mai Thi Lan Anh


REPORTED
STATEMENTS


1 - Direct Speech and Indirect Speech
2 - Indirect Statements
- Tell or say?
- Change of tenses
- Cases the tenses remain unchanged
- Pronouns and Adjectives in indirect speech
- Expressions of time and place in indirect speech
3 - Modal verbs (might, ought to, should, would,…) and
“used to” in indirect statements


I – Direct speech and Indirect speech :

•

Speech may be reported in two ways: directly or indirectly. When we

report what we or other people have said or thought, we can use direct speech,
but we usually use indirect speech.

•

Direct speech (also called quoted speech) state or writes a speaker’s

exact words. When writing direct speech, put quotation mark before and after the
speech you are quoting.

-Example:
Dave said: “I’ve lost my watch” .


• Indirect speech (also called reported speech) reports some,
most, or all of what are speaker said without using the exact words
the speaker used. Do not use quotation mark when writing indirect
speech.

-Examples:
1.Lan told me that she had had a
new dress.
2. She said that she was watching TV.


II - Indirect Statements

1. Tell or say

-There is no comma after say in indirect speech, that can usually be

omitted after say. But it should be kept after other verbs: admit, observe,
promise, deny, remind, reply, complain, explain, object, protest,
remark, etc…
- Example:

She said (that) she had read that book.
Not use : She said (that), she had read that book.


TELL

SAY

- We use tell if we say who we are talking

-Otherwise, use say :

to.

- Say (that) / Say to somebody (that) (IN

- Tell somebody (that) (IN THE PRESENT).

THE PRESENT).

- Told somebody (that) (IN PAST).
+ Example :
1. Bella told me that you were ill. (Not:
Bella said me…)

2. Sarah’s boss told her that she could

- Said (that)/ Said to somebody
(that). (IN PAST).
+ Example :
1. Bella said that you were ill. (Not: Bella
told that…)

leave early. (Not: Sarah’s boss said

2. Sarah’s boss said that she could leave

her…)

early. (Not: Sarah’s boss told that she…)

*Notes: There are a few expressions where

*Notes: You can say “say something to

we can use tell without a personal object:

somebody”.

tell a lie, tell a joke, tell a story, tell the

- Example: David said goodbye to me and

time, tell the truth,…

left. (Not: David said me goodbye…)


 PRACTICES :
Choose the suitable verb to complete each sentence. Put the chosen verb in
the correct tense form.
told

1.She ...… me she was a film star. (say/tell)
said

2.Lisa ...... her mother was a famous singer. (say/tell)

says

tells

3.She ….... she doesn’t gossip but she ...... her friends everything. (say/tell)
tells

4.Don’t take his work for it, he never ...... the truth. (say/tell)
said

5.The doctor …… I had to stay in bed. (say/tell)


2 - Change of tenses
- Verbs tense often change in reported speech. When
the verb in the main clause (Tom said, etc) in the past,
the verb in the noun clause is often shifted to one of

past tenses.


DIRECT SPEECH

INDIRECT SPEECH

Present simple

Past simple

Present continuous

Past continuous

Present perfect

Past perfect

Present perfect continuous

Past perfect continuous

Past simple

Past perfect*

Past continuous

Past continuous/ Past perfect

continuous*

Past perfect

Past perfect (no change)

Past perfect continuous

Past perfect continuous (no change)

Future simple

Future in the past

Future continuous

Future continuous in the past


 PRACTICES :
1. “I have found a flat”, David said.
he had found a flat
→ David said (that)…………………………
2. Charles: “I didn’t have time to do my homework”.
he hadn’t had time to do his homework
→ Charles remarked that……………………..

3. Mrs Jones: “My mother will be 50 years old”.
her mother would be 50 years old
→ Mrs Jones told me (that)…………………….

4. Mark: “Frank often reads a book”.
Frank often read a book
Mark told me (that)…………………………

→

5. Susan: “I’m watching TV”.
she was watching TV
→ Susan said to me (that)……………………….


3- Cases the tenses remain
unchanged:

-When the introductory verb is in a present
simple (say/says), present continuous (is/are
saying), present perfects (have/ has said) or
future tense (will say).
Ex1: The famer says, “I hope it will rain
tomorrow”.
→ The famer says that he hopes it will rain
tomorrow
Ex2: He has said/will say, “The questions are very
difficult”.
→ He has said/ will say that the questions are very
difficult.




The reported verb expresses a fact, a habit in a present, or

situation always true that can’t or is unlikely to change.
Ex1: Tom said, “New York is bigger than London”.
→Tom said (that) New York is bigger than London.
+ You also possible to change the tense (but it is unnecessary
to change).
→Tom said (that) New York was bigger than London..
Ex2: “I always play the piano in Sunday”, Mary said.
→Mary said (that) she always plays
the piano on Sunday.
→Mary said (that) she always played
the piano on Sunday.


 In unreal conditional (type 2 and type 3) or unreal past tenses
after wish, would rather/ sooner, It is time do not change.
Ex1: “We wish we didn’t have to take exams,” the children said.
→The children said (that) they wished they didn’t have to take exams.
Ex2: “If I were you, I would see a doctor,” Tony said.
→Tony said (that) if he were me he would see a doctor.


 The verbs in direct speech are tenses:
past simple, past continuous have concrete
time or in time clause do not normally
change.
Ex1: He said, “The Asian tsunami happened
in 2004”

→He said to me the Asia tsunami had
happened/ happened in 2004.
Ex2: He said, “I was eating when she called
me”
→ He told me he was eating when she
called him.
Ex3: He said, “I was born in 1995”.
→ He said (that) he was born in 1995.


4-Pronouns and Adjectives in indirect speech

 Pronouns and possessive adjectives usually
change from first or second to third person, except
when the speaker is reporting his own words:
-Ex: He said, “I have forgotten the
combination of my safe”
→He said that he had forgotten the
combination of his safe.
-Ex: I said, “I like my new house”
→I said that I like my new house.


 
 

Subjects

Objects

Possessive
Adjective

Possessive
Pronounce

The table of the changes pronouns and
possessive adjective in reported speech
Direct speech

Indirect speech

I

He / She

We

They

You

I / They / He / She

Me

Him / Her

Us

Them

You

Me /Us

Mine

His / Hers

Ours

Theirs

Yours

Mine / Ours

My

His / Her

Our

Their

Your

My / Our / His / Her / Their

5- Expressions of time and place in indirect speech

Adverbs and adverbial phrases of time change as follows:
The table of the changes of time and place in indirect speech

Direct speech

Indirect speech

Now

Then

Today

That day

Tonight

That night

Yesterday

The day before/ the previous day

Tomorrow

The next/ the following day/ the day after

The day after tomorrow

In two days' time/ two days after

Next + Time

The following + Time

Last + Time

The previous + Time/ The + Time + before

Time + ago

Time + before/ Time + earlier

This, these

That, those

Here, Over here

There, Over there


-Ex: She said, “My father died a year ago”.
→She said that her father had died a year before/ the previous year.

 But if the speech is made and reported on the same day, these time changes
are not necessary:

-Ex: At breakfast this morning he said, “I will be very busy today”.
→At breakfast this morning he said (that) he would be very busy today.


PRACTICES :
Choose the correct answer
1. Emily said, “Our teacher will go to London tomorrow”.

1

A. Emily said that our teacher would go to London tomorrow.
B. Emily said that their teacher would go to London the next day.
C. Emily said that their teacher go to London the next day.
2. Helen: “I was writing a letter yesterday”.

2

A. Helen told me that she was writing a letter the day before.
B. Helen told me that she had been writing a letter yesterday.
C. Helen told me that she had been writing a letter the day before.
3. Robert: “My father flew to New York last year”.

3

A. Robert told me that his father had flown to New York the year before.
B. Robert told me that his father flew to New York the year before.
C. Robert told me that his father had flown to New York last year.
4. “I saw the school-boy here in this room today”, she said.

4

A. She said that she had seen the school-boy here in this room that day.
B. She said that she had seen the school-boy there in that room that day.
C. She said that she saw the school-boy there in that room today.


III- Modal verbs in indirect speech

We often need to make changes to modal verbs.
Direct speech

Indirect speech

Will

Would

Ex:” We will play football”, he said

→He said (that) we would play football.

Can
” I can play piano well”, Tom said.

Could
→Tom said (that) he could play piano well.

May
“It may rain”, the weatherman said.

Might
→ The weatherman said (that) it might rain.

Must
“You must lose 5 kilos!” the doctor said.

Must/ Had to
→ The doctor said (that) I must/had to lose 5
kilos.


NOTE:
1. Shall in reported speech.

Shall become would when it refers to the future.
Ex: “I shall tell them everything,”
→ I decided I would tell them everything.

Shall become should when it is a suggestion.
Ex: “We shall go”, Lisa said.
→ Lisa said (that) we should go.
2. Ought to, might, should, would, used to, had better, could *in
indirect statement often don’t change.
Ex: He said, “Mary might ring today”.
→ He said that Mary might ring that day.


You ought to/ you should/you must, if used
to express advice rather than obligation, can
be reported by advise + object +infinitive.

Ex: You ought to/should read the instructions,”
He said.
→ He said that I should/ought to read the
instructions.
→ He advise/urged me to read the instructions.
Ex: “I know the place well because I used to live
here,” he explained.
→ He explained that he knew the place well
because he used to live there.


A: Could for ability.

Could for present ability does not change:
Ex: “I can’t/couldn’t stand on my head” Tom said.
→ He said (that) he couldn’t stand on his head.

Could for future ability or Could in type 2 conditional sentences can
remain unchanged or be reported by would be able to:
Ex1: He said, “I could do it tomorrow”
→ He said (that) he could do it/would be able to do it the next day.
Ex2: “If I had the tools, I could mend it,” Tony said.
→ Tony said (that) if he had the tools, he could/would be able to mend it.

Could for past ability can remain unchanged or be reported by had been
able to:
Ex: She boasted, “I could read when I was three”.
→She boasted (that) she could/had been able to read when she was three.

B: Could for permission.

In type 2 conditional sentences “Could” can remain unchanged or be
reported by would be allowed to:
Ex: “If I paid my fine I could work out of prison today”, Tom said.
→ Tom said that if he paid his fine he could/would be allowed to work out of prison
that day.

Could can remain unchanged or be reported by was/were allowed to or
had been allowed to:
Ex: He said, “When I was a boy I could stay up as long as I liked”.
→ He said (that) when he was a boy he could/was allowed to/had been allowed
to stay up as long as he liked.