Reported Speech

Reported Speech

1. Reported speech is when we tell someone what another person said

2. we often use a tense which is 'further back' in the past (e.g. worked) than the tense originally used (e.g. work). This is called 'backshift'.

3. When we backshift, present simple changes to past simple, present continuous changes to past continuous and present perfect changes to past perfect.

   • 'I travel a lot in my job.' ---> Jamila said that she travelled a lot in her job.
   • 'The baby's sleeping!' ---> He told me the baby was sleeping.
   • 'I've hurt my arm.' ---> She said she'd hurt her arm.

4. When we backshift, past simple usually changes to past perfect simple, and past continuous usually changes to past perfect continuous.

   • 'We lived in China for five years.' ---> She told me they'd lived in China for five years.
   • 'It was raining all day.' ---> He told me it had been raining all day.

5. In case of past perfect doesn't change.

   • 'I'd tried everything without success, but this new medicine is great.' ---> He said he'd tried everything without success, but the new medicine was great.

6. If what the speaker has said is still true or relevant, it's not always necessary to change the tense. This might happen when the speaker has used a present tense.

   • I go to the gym next to your house.' ---> Jenny told me that she goes to the gym next to my house. I'm thinking about going with her.
   • He told me he's working in Italy for the next six months. Maybe I should visit him! 'I've broken my arm!' ---> 'I'm working in Italy for the next six months.'

7. Pronouns also usually change in indirect speech.

   • 'I enjoy working in my garden,' said Bob. ---> Bob said that he enjoyed working in his garden.
   • 'We played tennis for our school,' said Alina. ---> Alina told me they'd played tennis for their school.

8. When we are using "can", it changes to "could, or in case of "will" it becomes "would"

   • I can’t understand Scottish people. ⇨ She said she couldn’t understand Scottish people.
   • I’ll take the rubbish out this evening. ⇨ He said he would take the rubbish out that evening.

9. When we are using "can", it changes to "could, or or in case of "will" it becomes "would"

   • I can’t understand Scottish people. ⇨ She said she couldn’t understand Scottish people.
   • I’ll take the rubbish out this evening. ⇨ He said he would take the rubbish out that evening.

Imágenes y archivos del mapa