Reported speech

Reported speech

1. There is no backshift of tenses with commands/requests/offers/promises etc., in Reported Speech.

2. Questions

   • A reported question is when we tell someone what another person asked. To do this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech.
     • Yes/no questions
       • In yes/no questions, we use if or whether to report the question. If is more common.
         • 'Are you going to the Helsinki conference?' He asked me if I was going to the Helsinki conference.
     • Questions with a question word
       • In what, where, why, who, when or how questions, we use the question word to report the question.
         • 'What time does the train leave?' He asked me what time the train left.
     • Reporting verbs
       • The most common reporting verb for questions is ask, but we can also use verbs like enquire, want to know or wonder.
         • 'Did you bring your passports?' She wanted to know if they'd brought their passports.
     • Offers, requests and suggestions
       • If the question is making an offer, request or suggestion, we can use a specific verb pattern instead, for example offer + infinitive, ask + infinitive or suggest + ing.
         • 'Would you like me to help you?' He offered to help me.

3. Reported commands

   • affirmative commands → to + infinitive negative commands → not + to + infinitive
     • Affirmative commands
       • Direct Speech → Mum: “Tidy your room.” Reported Speech → Mum told me to tidy my room.
     • Negative commands
       • Direct Speech → Policeman: “Don’t park there.” Reported Speech → The policeman told me not to park there.
     • The introductory sentence in commands etc.,
       • The word tell is often used in introductory sentences in Reported Commands but others are possible such as order, insist, command etc.,
         • Direct Speech → Dad: “Do your homework.” Reported Speech → Dad told me to do my homework.

4. Reported request

   • Requests are when someone asks you to do something in a polite way.
     • affirmative request → asked me + to + infinitive negative request → asked me + not + to + infinitive
     • Affirmative commands
       • Direct Speech → Speaker: “Could you close the window, please?” Reported Speech → She asked me to close the window.
     • Negative commands
       • Direct Speech → Speaker: “Could you not make so much .” Reported Speech → She asked me not to make so much noise.

5. Sugestions

   • This reporting verb is an exception. Here is how it works
     • Direct Speech →Dad: “Let’s go to the match.” Reported Speech→ Dad suggested going to the match/Dad suggested that we go to the match.
       • Do not use the infinitive after suggest. Dad suggested to go to the match.

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