Reporting Verbs & Reported Speech
1. Reporting Verbs:
Some of these verbs look a bit more complicated to use than 'say' and 'tell', but it's just a question of getting to know the verb patterns (or verb structures).
(As I'm sure you know, we can often choose if we want to use 'that' or not in English. I've put it in brackets () to show that it's optional. The meaning is exactly the same if you use 'that' or if you don't use 'that'.)
1: SAY
Let's look first at the verbs we've already talked about. The basic verb pattern for using 'say' for reported speech is:
say + (that) + clause
- She said (that) she had already eaten.
2: TELL
On the other hand, with 'tell' we need to use an object, a person who we tell the information to.
tell + someone + (that) + clause
- I told John (that) I had seen the new film.
When we are reporting orders, we can also use another pattern with 'tell':
tell + someone + to + infinitive
- She told the children to go to bed.
We use 'ask' to report questions or requests. For questions we use the pattern:
ask + someone + if / question word + clause
- I asked my boss if I could leave early.
- She asked them where the station was.
ask + someone + to + infinitive
- I asked Lucy to pass me the salt.
Other reporting verbs follow a variety of patterns. I'm afraid there aren't any rules about which verbs follow which patterns. You need to learn each one.
4: ADVISE*
(= Give someone advice. Notice the different spelling for the verb and the noun.)
Advise + someone + to + infinitive
- She advised him to see a doctor.
- The staff advise that you carry water at all times.
- I'd advise against leaving early.
Agree + to + infinitive
- We agreed to meet the following day.
- I agreed that the children could do their homework later.
Apologise + (to + someone) + for + verb-ing
- They apologised to us for being late.
- She apologised for forgetting the book.
- She apologised for the delay.
Decide + to + infinitive
- They decided to go to the cinema.
- They decided that they would go to the cinema.
Encourage + someone + to + infinitive
- She encouraged him to take the exam again.
- The teacher encouraged the students to ask questions.
Explain + (that) + clause
- The teacher explained that the course was finished.
- She explained the grammar to the students.
Explain + question word + to + infinitive
- They explained how to buy a train ticket on the internet.
- John explained where to find the restaurant.
- We explained what the exams would cover.
Insist + on + verb-ing
- He insisted on paying.
- He insisted that we sit down.
Promise + to + infinitive
- He promised to arrive early.
- I promised him that I wouldn't do it again.
Recommend + verb-ing
- I recommend visiting the British Museum while you're in London.
- I recommend that you visit the British Museum
Remind + someone + to + infinitive
- She reminded him to take his keys.
- They reminded me that there is a party tonight.
Suggest + verb-ing
- I suggest leaving soon
- I suggest that you come as soon as you can.
15: WARN
Warn + someone + (not) + to + infinitive
- I warned them not to go in the water.
- She warned us about the dangerous roads.
Negatives
To make the verbs that we have reported negative, we need to look at the verb pattern:
- When there's a clause, we make the negative in the usual way: She said that she didn't like ice cream.
- When there's 'to + infinitive', we generally put 'not' before 'to': He promised not to do it again.
- When there's 'verb-ing', we generally put 'not' in front of it: I advise not taking the bus.
* Advanced Point
In formal English, some verbs that are followed by '(that) + clause' use the infinitive instead of a present tense verb. Some people suggest that this is a kind of subjunctive in English. You only need to worry about this in very formal writing.
Mostly, this doesn't make a difference, because the present simple form in English is often the same as the infinitive form. But when the subject is 'he', 'she' or 'it' or when the verb is 'be', we can see it clearly.
- I advise that he go to bed early. (Normally we'd expect: I advise that he goes to bed early.)
- I insist that she come now. (Normally we'd expect: I insist that she comes now.)
- They suggested that the cats be put in the garden for the night. (Normally we'd expect: They suggested that the cats are put in the garden for the night.)
2. Reported Speech:
Reported Statements
When do we use reported speech? Sometimes someone says a sentence, for example "I'm going to the cinema tonight". Later, maybe we want to tell someone else what the first person said.
Here's how it works:
We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence:
- Direct speech: I like ice cream.
- Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.
We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I' to 'she', for example. We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your'.
(As I'm sure you know, often, we can choose if we want to use 'that' or not in English. I've put it in brackets () to show that it's optional. It's exactly the same if you use 'that' or if you don't use 'that'.)
(As I'm sure you know, often, we can choose if we want to use 'that' or not in English. I've put it in brackets () to show that it's optional. It's exactly the same if you use 'that' or if you don't use 'that'.)
But, if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported speech:
- Direct speech: I like ice cream.
- Reported speech: She said (that) she liked ice cream.
| Tense | Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|---|
| present simple | I like ice cream | She said (that) she liked ice cream. |
| present continuous | I am living in London | She said (that) she was living in London. |
| past simple | I bought a car | She said (that) she had bought a car OR She said (that) she bought a car. |
| past continuous | I was walking along the street | She said (that) she had been walking along the street. |
| present perfect | I haven't seen Julie | She said (that) she hadn't seen Julie. |
| past perfect* | I had taken English lessons before | She said (that) she had taken English lessons before. |
| will | I'll see you later | She said (that) she would see me later. |
| would* | I would help, but..” | She said (that) she would help but... |
| can | I can speak perfect English | She said (that) she could speak perfect English. |
| could* | I could swim when I was four | She said (that) she could swim when she was four. |
| shall | I shall come later | She said (that) she would come later. |
| should* | I should call my mother | She said (that) she should call her mother |
| might* | I might be late | She said (that) she might be late |
| must | I must study at the weekend | She said (that) she must study at the weekend OR She said she had to study at the weekend |
* doesn't change.
Occasionally, we don't need to change the present tense into the past if the information in direct speech is still true (but this is only for things which are general facts, and even then usually we like to change the tense):
- Direct speech: The sky is blue.
- Reported speech: She said (that) the sky is/was blue.
Reported Questions
So now you have no problem with making reported speech from positive and negative sentences. But how about questions?
- Direct speech: Where do you live?
How can we make the reported speech here?
In fact, it's not so different from reported statements. The tense changes are the same, and we keep the question word. The very important thing though is that, once we tell the question to someone else, it isn't a question any more. So we need to change the grammar to a normal positive sentence. A bit confusing? Maybe this example will help:
In fact, it's not so different from reported statements. The tense changes are the same, and we keep the question word. The very important thing though is that, once we tell the question to someone else, it isn't a question any more. So we need to change the grammar to a normal positive sentence. A bit confusing? Maybe this example will help:
- Direct speech: Where do you live?
- Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.
Do you see how I made it? The direct question is in the present simple tense. We make a present simple question with 'do' or 'does' so I need to take that away. Then I need to change the verb to the past simple.
Another example:
Another example:
- Direct speech: Where is Julie?
- Reported speech: She asked me where Julie was.
The direct question is the present simple of 'be'. We make the question form of the present simple of be by inverting (changing the position of)the subject and verb. So, we need to change them back before putting the verb into the past simple.
Here are some more examples:
| Direct Question | Reported Question |
|---|---|
| Where is the Post Office, please? | She asked me where the Post Office was. |
| What are you doing? | She asked me what I was doing. |
| Who was that fantastic man? | She asked me who that fantastic man had been. |
So much for 'wh' questions. But, what if you need to report a 'yes / no' question? We don't have any question words to help us. Instead, we use 'if':
- Direct speech: Do you like chocolate?
- Reported speech: She asked me if I liked chocolate.
No problem? Here are a few more examples:
| Direct Question | Reported Question |
| Do you love me? | He asked me if I loved him. |
| Have you ever been to Mexico? | She asked me if I had ever been to Mexico. |
| Are you living here? | She asked me if I was living here. |
Reported Requests
There's more! What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:
- Direct speech: Close the window, please
- Or: Could you close the window please?
- Or: Would you mind closing the window please?
All of these requests mean the same thing, so we don't need to report every word when we tell another person about it. We simply use 'ask me + to + infinitive':
- Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.
Here are a few more examples:
| Direct Request | Reported Request |
| Please help me. | She asked me to help her. |
| Please don't smoke. | She asked me not to smoke. |
| Could you bring my book tonight? | She asked me to bring her book that night. |
| Could you pass the milk, please? | She asked me to pass the milk. |
| Would you mind coming early tomorrow? | She asked me to come early the next day. |
To report a negative request, use 'not':
- Direct speech: Please don't be late.
- Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.
Reported Orders
And finally, how about if someone doesn't ask so politely? We can call this an 'order' in English, when someone tells you very directly to do something. For example:
- Direct speech: Sit down!
In fact, we make this into reported speech in the same way as a request. We just use 'tell' instead of 'ask':
- Reported speech: She told me to sit down.
| Direct Order | Reported Order |
| Go to bed! | He told the child to go to bed. |
| Don't worry! | He told her not to worry. |
| Be on time! | He told me to be on time. |
| Don't smoke! | He told us not to smoke. |
Time Expressions with Reported Speech
Sometimes when we change direct speech into reported speech we have to change time expressions too. We don't always have to do this, however. It depends on when we heard the direct speech and when we say the reported speech.
For example:
It's Monday. Julie says "I'm leaving today".
If I tell someone on Monday, I say "Julie said she was leaving today".
If I tell someone on Tuesday, I say "Julie said she was leaving yesterday".
If I tell someone on Wednesday, I say "Julie said she was leaving on Monday".
If I tell someone a month later, I say "Julie said she was leaving that day".
So, there's no easy conversion. You really have to think about when the direct speech was said.
Here's a table of some possible conversions:
| now | then / at that time |
| today | yesterday / that day / Tuesday / the 27th of June |
| yesterday | the day before yesterday / the day before / Wednesday / the 5th of December |
| last night | the night before, Thursday night |
| last week | the week before / the previous week |
| tomorrow | today / the next day / the following day / Friday |