Reporting Speech - GE 9 - 11

REPORTING SPEECH

I have something interesting to tell you.

You said you had something interesting to tell me.

I am planning to set up my own business.

He told me that he was planning to set up his own business.

I have been looking for a good location since August.

He said he had been looking for a good location since August.

Verb forms in :

Direct speech	Indirect speech
I have an idea.	He said he had an idea.
I am leaving.	He said he was leaving.
I have done it.	He said he had done it.
I have been working.	He said he had been working.
I woke up late.	He said he had woken up late.
I was sleeping.	He said he had been sleeping.
Am/is/are going to I am going to do it	Was/were/ going to He said he was going to do it.
Will I will call them	Would He said he would call them.
Can I can do it.	Could He said he could do it.
Must I must go.	Had to He said he had to go.

No change

Direct speech	Indirect speech
I had seen it before.	He said he  had seen it before.
I had been working.	He said he  had been working.

Tips

- Modal verbs (could, should, would, might, and ought to) doesn’t change in reported speech.

- Say doesn’t have an object.

- Tell must have an object.

The past simple doesn’t have to change to the past perfect simple. It can stay in the past simple.

We don’t have to change the verb form if the reported sentences is about something general or is still in the future.

I have got a car.

He said he has got a car.

I am going to Africa next year.

She said she is going to Africa next year.

We sometimes change time expressions in reported speech.

Tomorrow – the next day

Next Monday – the following Monday

This week – last week

Last month – the month before

Reported questions

Do you want to go into business with me?

He asked me if I wanted to go into business with him.

Can you home up with the other half?

He wanted to know whether I could come up with  the other half.

How long will it take for the business to make a profit?

I asked how long it would take for the business to make a profit

He asked (me) He wanted to know

Question word If / whether

+ Subject + Verb

In reported questions the word order is the same as in positive sentences:

I asked where he was.

We use if/whether when report question without a question word.

We don’t use auxiliaries do, does, and did in reported questions:

What do you think?

He asked me what I thought.

Tips

In reported questions the changes in verb forms are the same as in reported sentences

We can use an object with ask:

He asked …

He asked me …

Reported imperatives and requests

a. To report imperatives, we use:

Told + object + (not) + infinitive with to .

Don’t talk to anyone else about it.

He told me not to talk to anyone else about it.

b. To report requests, we use

Asked + object + (not) + infinitive with to.

Can you meet me in Brighton on Sunday?

He asked me to meet him in Brighton on Sunday.