Unit 5: Reported Speech

I. Orientation

Reported speech is the grammatical system used to communicate someone’s words without necessarily repeating them exactly. Direct speech presents the original utterance, while reported speech presents its meaning from the viewpoint of a later speaker. The central principle is that reporting often requires changes in pronouns, verb forms, time expressions, word order, and punctuation.

• Defining principle: The reporter communicates the content of an earlier statement, question, request, or offer.
• Direct-speech convention: The original words appear inside quotation marks: Maya said, “I am tired.”
• Reported-speech convention: The message is integrated into a new grammatical clause: Maya said that she was tired.
• Reporting verb: Verbs such as say, tell, ask, explain, advise, and offer identify the speech act.
• Point of view: Pronouns and time expressions change according to who is reporting, when, and where.
• Backshift convention: When the reporting verb is in the past, the original verb commonly moves one step back in time.
• Meaning over form: Changes are not automatic if the information remains true, is a general fact, or is being reported immediately.

II. Direct Speech and Reported Speech — Two ways of presenting a message

Direct speech quotes the speaker’s exact or apparently exact words; reported speech reformulates the message within the reporter’s sentence. The choice depends on whether exact wording or general meaning is more important.

A. Direct speech and reported speech

This distinction determines punctuation, grammar, and the amount of interpretation in a sentence.

• Direct speech: The original speaker’s words are quoted exactly or presented as exact.
  • Lena said, “I will call you tonight.”
  • A comma commonly separates the reporting clause from the quotation, and quotation marks surround the spoken words.
• Reported speech: The message becomes a subordinate clause, usually introduced by that after statements.
  • Lena said that she would call me that night.
  • That is often omitted: Lena said she would call me that night.
• Pronoun perspective: I in the original message may become she, and you may become me, depending on the reporting situation.
• Reporting verb choice: Say normally focuses on the words or message: He said that he was busy. Tell requires an object: He told me that he was busy.
• Information focus: Direct speech preserves style, emphasis, and emotional wording; reported speech emphasizes content.
• Worked example: Direct: Omar said, “I can’t attend the meeting.” Reported: Omar said that he couldn’t attend the meeting. The modal can’t becomes couldn’t, and I becomes he.

III. Overview of Changes in Reported Speech — Adjusting the original message

Reported speech often changes the original sentence so that it fits a new grammatical and situational context. These adjustments are connected rather than isolated: tense, pronoun, place, and time must all match the reporting viewpoint.

A. Overview of changes in reported speech

This overview identifies the main transformations used when a past reporting verb introduces an earlier message.

• Tense backshift: A present form commonly changes to its past equivalent.
  • “I work from home.” → She said that she worked from home.
  • “I am working.” → She said that she was working.
  • “I have finished.” → She said that she had finished.
  • “I finished.” → She said that she had finished.
  • “I will leave.” → She said that she would leave.
• Modal changes: Some modal verbs shift when the reporting verb is past.
  • can → could: “I can help.” → He said he could help.
  • may → might: “It may rain.” → She said it might rain.
  • must often becomes had to when it expresses obligation: “I must go.” → He said he had to go.
  • could, would, should, and might usually remain unchanged.
• Pronoun changes: Pronouns reflect the new speaker and listener.
  • “I will send you my notes.” → Priya told Daniel that she would send him her notes.
• Time-expression changes: Words connected to the original speaking time may shift.
  • now → then
  • today → that day
  • yesterday → the day before
  • tomorrow → the next day
  • last week → the previous week
  • next month → the following month
• Place-expression changes: Location depends on the reporting viewpoint.
  • here → there: “I left my bag here.” → He said he had left his bag there.
• No backshift conditions: Backshift is optional when the fact is still true or the reporting verb is present.
  • The lecturer said that water boils at 100°C. The scientific fact remains valid.
  • Nadia says that she is tired. The reporting verb says is present.
• Past perfect limitation: A past perfect form normally does not shift further: “I had already eaten.” → He said he had already eaten.
• Sequence of meaning: Grammar must preserve the intended time relationship. She said she had left indicates leaving happened before the reporting moment, while she said she would leave indicates a later action from the original viewpoint.

IV. Reported Questions — Reporting information requests

Reported questions communicate what someone asked without reproducing the original interrogative structure. They use statement word order because the question is embedded inside a larger sentence.

A. Reported questions

A reported question normally begins with ask, wonder, want to know, or a similar verb and does not use a question mark when the whole sentence is a statement.

• Yes/no questions: Use if or whether to introduce a question whose answer is yes or no.
  • Direct: “Are you ready?”
  • Reported: The coach asked if I was ready.
• Wh-questions: Keep the question word, such as what, where, when, why, who, or how.
  • Direct: “Where do you live?”
  • Reported: She asked where I lived.
• Statement word order: Do not use auxiliary inversion in the reported clause.
  • Incorrect: She asked where did I live.
  • Correct: She asked where I lived.
• Tense and pronoun changes: Apply normal backshift when appropriate.
  • “Have you seen my keys?” → He asked whether I had seen his keys.
• Question marks: Use a question mark only when the reporting sentence itself is a question.
  • Statement: She asked where the station was.
  • Direct question about the report: Did she ask where the station was?
• Question subjects: When who or what is the subject, no additional auxiliary is needed.
  • “Who called?” → He asked who had called.
• Worked example: Direct: “Why are you leaving tomorrow?” Reported: Mina asked why I was leaving the next day. The word order changes to statement order, are leaving backshifts to was leaving, and tomorrow becomes the next day.

V. Reported Requests and Reported Offers — Reporting actions, permission, and willingness

Requests and offers are reported according to their communicative purpose rather than simply as ordinary statements. Requests usually require an infinitive structure, while offers commonly use offer + to-infinitive or ask if.

A. Reported requests and reported offers

This section distinguishes asking someone to do something from expressing willingness to do something for someone.

• Reported requests with ask: Use ask + object + to-infinitive when the original speaker requests an action.
  • Direct: “Please close the window.”
  • Reported: The teacher asked us to close the window.
• Negative requests: Use not to + infinitive.
  • Direct: “Please don’t touch the equipment.”
  • Reported: The technician asked us not to touch the equipment.
• Polite request forms: Could you…, Would you…, Will you…, and Would you mind…? are normally reported by focusing on the requested action.
  • “Could you email the file?” → She asked me to email the file.
  • “Would you mind waiting?” → He asked us to wait.
• Requests for information: Use ask + if/whether or a wh-clause, not an infinitive.
  • “Can I use your phone?” → She asked if she could use my phone.
  • “What time does it start?” → He asked what time it started.
• Reported offers with offer + to-infinitive: Use this structure when the speaker volunteers to perform an action.
  • Direct: “I’ll carry your bag.”
  • Reported: He offered to carry my bag.
• Offers of food, drink, or permission: Use offer + noun or report the offer as a question.
  • “Would you like some coffee?” → She offered me some coffee.
  • “Can I help you?” → He asked if he could help me.
• Offer versus promise: An offer presents possible help; a promise commits the speaker to a future action.
  • She offered to drive us home means she volunteered.
  • She promised to drive us home emphasizes commitment.
• Reporting-verb accuracy: Tell can report an instruction with an object: The manager told me to wait. Say cannot normally be followed directly by an object: The manager said to me to wait is not standard; use told me to wait or said that I should wait.
• Worked example: Direct: “Don’t worry. I’ll explain the process.” Reported: The supervisor offered to explain the process and told me not to worry. The first clause expresses voluntary help, while the second reports a negative request or instruction.