Reported Speech: A Complete Grammar Guide
I. Reported speech is often also called indirect speech in English.
II. Tense Changes in Reported Speech
When changing from direct to indirect speech, you need to change the grammar in certain ways.
Verb tense forms usually need to change. The tenses generally move backwards in this way:
Present Simple Tense into Past Simple Tense
Present Continuous Tense into Past Continuous Tense
Present Perfect Tense into Past Perfect Tense
Past Simple Tense into Past Perfect Tense
Past Continuous Tense into Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Past Perfect Tense (The tense remains unchanged)
Will into Would
Will be into Would be
Will have into Would have
Will have been into Would have been
Other Verb Form Changes in Indirect Speech
Can into Could
Could (The verb remains unchanged)
Have to into Had to
Must into Must/Had to
May into Might
Might (The verb remains unchanged)
Should (The verb remains unchanged)
III. Changes in Time and Place in Reported Speech
Time and place references often have to change in Indirect Speech
Now –> Then
Today –> That day
Here –> There
This –> That
Tomorrow –> The following day/ The next day/ The day after
Next week –> The following week/ The next week/ The week after
Yesterday –> The previous day/ The day before
Last week –> The previous week/ The week before
Ago –> Previously/ Before
Tonight –> That night
IV. No Change in Verb Tenses in Reported Speech
There is no change in verb tenses in Indirect Speech when:
1. The introductory verb is in the Present, Present Perfect or Future.
2. If the reported sentence deals with a fact or general truth.
3. The reported sentence contains a time clause.
4. The verb of the sentence is in the unreal past (the second or the third conditional).
5. The subjunctive stays unchanged in the subordinate clause.
6. Had better, could, would, used to, should, might, ought to and mustn’t remain unchanged.
7. If the speaker reports something immediately or soon after it was said.
V. Introductory Verbs in Reported Speech
List of Introductory Verbs in Reported Speech.
1. Tell, say, ask
2. Verb + that + clause: complain, deny, explain, exclaim, remark, promise, boast, inform somebody, claim, agree, suggest
3. Verb + to + infinitive: agree, offer, refuse, demand, threaten, promise, claim
4. Verb + indirect object + to + infinitive: advise, allow, beg, command, encourage, forbid, invite, want, instruct, permit, urge, order, remind, warn
5. Verb + “ing” form: admit (to), accuse somebody of, apologize for, boast about/ of, complain to somebody of, deny, insist on, suggest
6. Verb + how: explain to somebody
7. Wonder
VI. Changes of Pronouns in Reported Speech
In indirect speech, you need to be careful with personal pronouns. They need to be changed according to the situation. You need to know the context.
VII. Reported Questions in English
When you are changing a question from direct speech into indirect speech, you follow the same kinds of rules as for statements.
To report a question, we use verbs such as: inquire, wonder, want to know, ask…
VIII. Reported Commands and Requests in English
Reported Orders, Commands and Requests are formed using the to-infinitive and not to-infinitive.
The reporting verbs for the orders/ commands/ requests are: order, shout, demand, warn, beg, command, tell, insist, beseech, threaten, implore, ask, propose, forbid…
When we change from direct to indirect speech, the pronoun and tense changes that are also needed.
