Reported Speech

Reported speech

Talking about what other people have said
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EngelsMiddelbare schoolhavoLeerjaar 4

This lesson contains 20 slides, with interactive quizzes and text slides.

time-iconLesson duration is: 30 min

Items in this lesson

Reported speech

Talking about what other people have said

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What is reported speech?
Sometimes someone says a sentence, for example: "I'm going to the cinema tonight".  Perhaps later, we want to tell someone else what that person said. In that case we report what was said. 

We will look at how to do this.

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  • The exact words someone says.
  • Often in written text with quotation marks "..."/'...'


  • Mike: “I am very angry with you”. 

  • The report of what somebody else said.
  • No quotation marks in written text.

  • He said (that) he was very angry with me. 


Direct speech
Indirect speech
  • So. what changes when you use the reported speech? 

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  • Pronouns

  • Tense

  • time / place 




  • Mike: “I am very angry with you at the moment”. 

  • He said he was very angry with me at that moment.
What changes?

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Tenses

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Time words

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Place words

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Choose the right reported speech:
"I am so happy"
A
She said she was so happy
B
She said she is so happy

Slide 9 - Quiz

Choose the right reported speech:
"We are listening to the radio"
A
They said they had listened to the radio
B
They said they were listening to the radio

Slide 10 - Quiz

Choose the right reported speech:
"She went out with friends"
A
She said she had gone out with with her friends
B
She said she is going out with her friends

Slide 11 - Quiz

What is the correct back shifting for this:
"tonight"
A
that night
B
tonight

Slide 12 - Quiz

What is the correct back shifting for this:
"yesterday"
A
the day before
B
the next day

Slide 13 - Quiz

No tense change 

When something that is reported is a general truth, there is often no tense change
  • “Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius."
  • "The Moon orbits the earth once every month."

No backshifting ! 

  • The teacher said that water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
  • He said that the Moon orbits the earth once every month. 



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There are different reporting verbs, which can take the following structures:

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Say + (that) 
The fireman: “The fire started in the bakery". He said that the fire had started in the bakery.

Explain + (that) 
The mechanic: “There aren’t any problems anymore”
The mechanic explained (that) there weren’t any problems anymore. 

Tell+to+infinitive
Dad: "Throw out the trash"
Dad told me to throw out the trash.

Asked+ if / whether
Student: "Miss, can you explain this again?"
She asked the teacher if she could explain that again.

Claim + (that)
Jane: “He is a coward” → Jane claimed that he was a coward. 

Promise + (that) / promise+ to + infinitive
Dad: “I will pick you up”
Dad promised (that) he would pick me up. / Dad promised to pick me up. 

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Suggest + (that) / suggest + -ing
“Let’s drive more slowly." 
The man suggested (that) we drove more slowly. / The man suggested driving more slowly.

Urge + to + infinitive
Hugh: “Don’t worry.”
Hugh urged them not to worry.

Apologise + for + -ing
Mike: “I am sorry that I am late”
He apologised for being late  

Warn + (that) / warn = to + infinitive
Mum: “Santa will not come if you are naughty.”
Mum warned us that Santa wouldn’t come if we were naughty. / Mum warned us not to be naughty or Santa wouldn’t come.
Passive: is said + to + infinitive
- “The book contains several flashbacks"
- The book is said to contain several flashback.  

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Turn into reported speech
  1. John: “She has a dentist’s appointment tomorrow”. 
  2. Mr X: “You should finish the job this week”. 
  3. Emma: “I have never been so embarrassed”. 
  4. Tom: “When are you going to interview the suspect?” 
  5. Mum: "My children were at home” 
  6. Me: "I cannot do my homework”. 
  7. Teacher: “Will you be here tomorrow?”  
  8. Guy: “ I loved visiting America”    

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Answers
  1. John said that she had a dentist’s appointment the following day/the next day
  2. Mr X said that I/we should have finished/ should finish the job that week. 
  3. Emma said that she had never been so embarrassed. 
  4. Tom asked  me when I was going to interview the suspect. 
  5. Mum said that her children had been at home. 
  6. I said that I couldn’t do my homework. 
  7. The teacher asked us if we would be there the next day.   
  8. Guy said that he had loved visiting America.  

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Reported speech
Still having some problems with understanding how this works? Have a look at the videos!

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