Mastering Reported Speech: Tense Shifts, Questions, and Orders
Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is used to convey what someone else said without using their exact words. This often involves changes in tense, pronouns, and time expressions.
Tense Changes in Reported Speech
When reporting speech, the tense of the verb usually shifts back one step. Here are some common tense changes:
- Present Simple: He works in a restaurant. → She said that he worked in a restaurant.
- Past Simple: He worked in a restaurant. → She said that he had worked in a restaurant.
- Future Simple: He will work in a restaurant. → She said that he would work in a restaurant.
- Present Continuous: He is working in a restaurant. → She said that he was working in a restaurant.
- Past Continuous: He was working in a restaurant. → She said that he had been working in a restaurant.
- Present Perfect Simple: He has worked in a restaurant. → She said that he had worked in a restaurant.
- Present Perfect Continuous: He has been working in a restaurant. → She said that he had been working in a restaurant.
- Past Perfect Simple: He had worked in a restaurant. → She said that he had worked in a restaurant.
- Past Perfect Continuous: He had been working in a restaurant. → She said that he had been working in a restaurant.
Changes in Modal Verbs
Modal verbs also undergo changes in reported speech:
- can → could
- may → might
- must/have to → had to
- will → would
Changes in Time and Place Expressions
Certain words related to time and place also change:
- now → then
- today → that day
- yesterday → the day before
- last week → the week before
- tomorrow → the following day
- here → there
- this → that
Reported Statements
Example:
I graduated from university last year. → She said that she had graduated from university the year before.
If the statement expresses a fact that is still true, the tense does not change:
London is the capital of Great Britain. → He said that London is the capital of Great Britain.
Reported Questions
Yes/No Questions
Yes/no questions are converted into indirect speech using ask + if or whether.
Did you have an exam yesterday? → My mum asked me if I had had an exam the day before.
Wh- Questions
Wh- questions (what, where, when, why, who, how) are reported using ask + wh- word + subject + verb.
What are the job requirements? → I asked what the job requirements were.
Reported Orders
To report an order, change the imperative into an infinitive, often using a verb expressing command.
Please be quiet. → The teacher told us to be quiet.
For negative orders, use not before the infinitive.
Don’t park your car here. → The policeman ordered me not to park my car there.
Reported Suggestions
To express a suggestion in indirect speech, use the verbs suggest or recommend in the past tense.
Let’s go to the cinema tomorrow. → Jim suggested going to the cinema the following day.
Alternatively, use that + subject + verb in the base form.
Try the new restaurant. → Beth suggested that I try the new restaurant.
Reporting Verbs
Verbs like say, tell, and ask introduce the message without adding extra information. Other verbs convey the speaker’s intention or manner.
In Affirmations
admit, agree, answer, complain
I’ve had problems with my computer. → He complained that he had had problems with his computer.
In Questions
enquire, request, want to know, wonder
Did you leave your previous job? → John wanted to know if I had left my previous job.
In Orders
demand, order, warn
Stay here. → She ordered me to stay there.
In Suggestions
advise, invite, suggest, recommend
You should apply for that job. → Lucy advised him to apply for that job.