Report speech

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Mastering Direct and Reported Speech: A Complete Guide

"The way we report speech reveals not just what was said, but how we interpret the world around us."

– Language Learning Insight

Leonidas Rubio Public Highschool Ibagué, Tolima, Colombia

ESL Advanced Communication Skills Workshop

Introduction to Speech Reporting

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on direct and reported speech! This essential aspect of English grammar allows us to accurately convey what others have said while maintaining the intended meaning.

By the end of this lesson, you will:

• ✓ Master the fundamental rules of speech reporting
• ✓ Understand tense changes and time expressions
• ✓ Handle quotations in academic and professional writing
• ✓ Practice with real-world scenarios

Core Concepts: Direct vs. Reported Speech

Direct Speech

Exact words someone said, enclosed in quotation marks

"I am studying English."

"We will visit Colombia next year."

"The coffee is delicious!"

Reported Speech

Reporting what someone said without quotes, with necessary changes

She said (that) she was studying English.

They said (that) they would visit Colombia the following year.

He said (that) the coffee was delicious.

Comprehensive Rules for Speech Reporting

1. Tense Changes

Direct Speech	Reported Speech	Example
Present Simple	Past Simple	"I work" → she said she worked
Present Continuous	Past Continuous	"I am working" → she said she was working
Present Perfect	Past Perfect	"I have worked" → she said she had worked
Past Simple	Past Perfect	"I worked" → she said she had worked
Will	Would	"I will work" → she said she would work
Can	Could	"I can work" → she said she could work
Must	Had to	"I must work" → she said she had to work

Examples of Reporting Verbs Categorized by Situation

Situation	Verb	Usage in Reported Speech	Example
Statements	Say	Used to report what someone said (no object required)	"I am tired" → She said she was tired.
Statements	Tell	Used with an object to indicate who was spoken to	"I am tired" → She told me she was tired.
Questions	Ask	Used to report a question	"What is your name?" → He asked what my name was.
Questions	Wonder	Express curiosity or doubt	"Where is she?" → He wondered where she was.
Commands	Order	Used to report authoritative commands	"Sit down!" → He ordered me to sit down.
Commands	Tell	Used to report instructions	"Do your homework!" → She told me to do my homework.
Suggestions	Suggest	Used to propose an idea or plan	"Let’s go to the park" → He suggested going to the park.
Suggestions	Recommend	Used to suggest something as beneficial	"You should rest" → She recommended that I rest.
Offers	Offer	Used to report a voluntary act	"I can help you" → She offered to help me.
Promises	Promise	Used to report a commitment	"I will call you" → He promised to call me.
Apologies	Apologize	Used to express regret	"I am sorry" → She apologized for being late.
Criticism	Criticize	Used to express disapproval	"You never listen" → He criticized me for not listening.
Agreement	Agree	Used to report consent or concurrence	"You are right" → She agreed that I was right.
Disagreement	Disagree	Used to report disagreement	"I don’t think so" → He disagreed with my suggestion.
Refusal	Refuse	Used to report rejection	"I won’t do it" → She refused to do it.

2. Time Expression Changes

Direct Speech	Reported Speech
today	that day
tomorrow	the next/following day
yesterday	the previous day/the day before
this week	that week
next year	the following year
last month	the previous month/the month before

3. Pronoun Changes

In reported speech, pronouns often change based on the perspective of the speaker and the subject in the original sentence. Here’s a detailed guide:

Direct Speech	Reported Speech	Example
I	he/she	"I am happy," she said → She said she was happy.
we	they	"We are ready," they said → They said they were ready.
my	his/her	"This is my book," he said → He said that was his book.
our	their	"This is our home," they said → They said it was their home.
me	him/her	"They saw me," she said → She said they had seen her.
us	them	"He called us," they said → They said he had called them.
mine	his/hers	"This book is mine," she said → She said the book was hers.
ours	theirs	"This house is ours," they said → They said the house was theirs.
you	I/we	"You are late," she told me → She told me I was late.
your	my/our	"Is this your pen?" he asked → He asked if it was my pen.
yours	mine/ours	"This book is yours," she said → She said the book was mine.