Reported speech / Indirect speech

Direct speech Indirect speech Contamos lo que alguien ha dicho sin hacer ningún cambio en sus palabras. Contamos lo que alguien ha dicho pero no repetimos exactamente sus palabras. Las comillas desaparecen.

Direct speech Indirect speech El reporting verb está en presente. El reporting verb está en pasado. El tiempo verbal no cambia. El tiempo verbal da un salto al pasado.

Direct speech Indirect speech George says: “I want to eat.” George said: “I want to eat.” George says that he wants to eat. George said that he wanted to eat.

Statements in reported speech

Direct speech Indirect speech Subject + reporting verb + (that) + subject + verb… * The general reporting verbs in statements are: “say / tell”

Direct speech Indirect speech Contamos lo que alguien ha dicho sin hacer ningún cambio en sus palabras. Detrás del “sujeto + say (+ to + C. Ind.)” ponemos la conjunción that. El verbo da un salto atrás hacia el pasado.

Direct speech Indirect speech Contamos lo que alguien ha dicho sin hacer ningún cambio en sus palabras. Detrás del “sujeto + tell + C. Indirecto” ponemos la conjunción that. El verbo da un salto atrás hacia el pasado.

Direct speech Indirect speech Contamos lo que alguien ha dicho sin hacer ningún cambio en sus palabras. Los pronombres personales cambian. Los adjetivos posesivos cambian. Los pronombres posesivos cambian.

Direct speech Indirect speech Contamos lo que alguien ha dicho sin hacer ningún cambio en sus palabras. Los demostrativos cambian. Las expresiones de tiempo cambian. Las expresiones de lugar cambian.

Direct speech Indirect speech Past simple. Past continuous. Had. Would. Could. Had to Might. Present simple. Present continuous. Have. Will. Can. Must. May.

Direct speech Indirect speech Past perfect simple. Past perfect continuous. Past simple. Present perfect simple. Past perfect simple. Past perfect continuous.

Direct speech Indirect speech Then. That day. The next / following day. That / the. Those / the. There. He / She. His / Her. Now. Today. Tomorrow. This. These. Here. I. My.

Direct speech Indirect speech The day before. Two days before. Two days later. The following week / the week after. The previous month / the month before. Ten years before. Yesterday. The day before yesterday. The day after tomorrow. Next week. Last month. Ten years ago.

Direct speech Indirect speech “I want to be famous,” said Alex to her friends. Alex said (to her friends) that she wanted to be famous. Alex told her friends that she wanted to be famous.

Direct speech Indirect speech “Brad is studying,”his mum said. Brad’s mum said that he was studying.

Direct speech Indirect speech “You can see Big Ben if you go to London,” the tour guide said. The tour guide said that I could see Big Ben if I went to London.

Direct speech Indirect speech “You must be 18 to drive,” the police said. The police said that I had to be 18 to drive.

Direct speech Indirect speech “I will bring you my CD tomorrow,” Jane said. Jane said that she would bring me her CD the next day.

Direct speech Indirect speech “We have been here before,” he said. He said that they had been there before.

Direct speech Indirect speech “There was an earthquake last night,” the reporter said. The reporter said that there had been an earthquake the night before.

Direct speech Indirect speech “I was really proud of my brother when he won this quiz show,” said Clare. Clare said that she had been really proud of her brother when he had won that / the quiz show.

Direct speech Indirect speech “These people deserve better,” stated the MP. The MP stated that those people deserved better.

Direct speech Indirect speech “I moved to Oxford six months ago, “ said Scarlett. Scarlett said that she had moved to Oxford six months before.

Direct speech Indirect speech “It may snow today,” warned the weatherman. The weatherman warned that it might snow that day.

Questions in reported speech

Direct speech Indirect speech Questions Wh-questions. Yes / No questions. Subject + reporting verb + wh-word + subject + verb… Subject + reporting verb + whether / if + subject + verb… *The general reporting verb in questions is: “ask”

Direct speech Indirect speech Questions Contamos lo que alguien ha preguntado sin hacer ningún cambio en sus palabras. La interrogativa deja de serlo y se convierte en una oración enunciativa (sin inversión sujeto verbo, sin auxiliar, sin signo de interrogación).

Direct speech Indirect speech Questions Contamos lo que alguien ha preguntado sin hacer ningún cambio en sus palabras. El resto de cambios que vimos al principio se mantienen (verbos, pronombres, adjetivos, expresiones de tiempo, expresiones de lugar).

Direct speech Indirect speech Questions Al pasarlas a estilo indirecto empleamos el verbo ask + if… Las Yes / No questions son las que se contestan con un sí o un no.

Direct speech Indirect speech Questions Al pasarlas a estilo indirecto empleamos el verbo ask + Wh-word… Las Wh-questions no se pueden contestar con un sí o un no porque empiezan con una partícula interrogativa (What, who, where, when, why,how,…).

Direct speech Indirect speech Questions “Are they eating now?” I asked. I asked if/whether they were eating then.

Direct speech Indirect speech Questions “What is the name of the new film?” she asked. She asked what the name of the new film was.

Direct speech Indirect speech Questions “Where does Ryan live?” Carol asked. Carol asked where Ryan lived.

Direct speech Indirect speech Questions “Can we meet now?” Don asked. Don asked if we could meet then.

Direct speech Indirect speech Questions “How is English changing?” she asked. She asked how English was changing.

Direct speech Indirect speech Questions “Have you seen the news?” asked Jude. Jude asked me if I had seen the news.

Direct speech Indirect speech Questions “How many people will be attending the conference?” asked the organizers. The organizers asked how many people would be attending the conference.

Direct speech Indirect speech Questions “Did he know any celebrities?” wondered the magazine editor. The magazine editor wondered whether/if he knew any celebrities.

Orders, requests and suggestions in reported speech

Direct speech Indirect speech Affirmative orders and requests Subject + reporting verb + indirect object + to + infinitive… *The general reporting verbs in orders and requests are: “ask / tell”

Direct speech Indirect speech Affirmative orders and requests “Can you buy some chocolate when you go to the shop?” asked Susan. Susan asked me to buy some chocolate when I went to the shop.

Direct speech Indirect speech Affirmative orders and requests “Read the text,” said the teacher to the students. The teacher told the students to read the text.

Direct speech Indirect speech Negative orders and requests Subject + reporting verb + indirect object + not + to + infinitive…

Direct speech Indirect speech Negative orders and requests “Don’t move!” the policeman ordered the criminal not to move. The policeman ordered the criminal not to move.

Direct speech Indirect speech Suggestions Subject + suggest + (not) + verb + -ing… Subject + suggest + (that) + subject + infinitive without to… Subject + suggest + (that) + subject + should + infinitive without to…

Direct speech Indirect speech Suggestions “Let’s not go to France this year,” suggested Jack. Jack suggested not going to France that year.

Direct speech Indirect speech Suggestions “How about having sushi tonight?” said Chloe. Chloe suggested that we have sushi that night.

Direct speech Indirect speech Suggestions “Why don’t we recycle more?” said Liam. Liam suggested that we should recycle more.

Reporting verbs and structures

Direct speech Indirect speech Reporting verbs Subject + reporting verb + (not) + to + infinitive… agree / offer / promise / refuse / threaten

Indirect speech Reporting verbs He refused to leave the house.

Direct speech Indirect speech Reporting verbs Subject + reporting verb +indirect object + (not) + to + infinitive… advise / ask / encourage / invite / order/ persuade / recommend / remind / tell / warn

Indirect speech Reporting verbs The weatherman warned us to expect a storm that night.

Direct speech Indirect speech Reporting verbs Subject + reporting verb + (not) + verb -ing… apologize for / deny / recommend / suggest

Indirect speech Reporting verbs The paparazzi apologized for harassing the actress.

Direct speech Indirect speech Reporting verbs Subject + reporting verb + (that) + subject + verb… add / admit / agree / announce / claim / complain / declare / deny / explain / insist / mention / predict / promise / reply / reveal / say / state / suggest

Indirect speech Reporting verbs The man admitted that he had stolen the money.

Direct speech Indirect speech Reporting verbs Subject + reporting verb + indirect object + (that) + subject + verb… persuade / remind / tell / warn

Indirect speech Reporting verbs Max reminded me that he was going out that night.

Direct speech Indirect speech Reporting verbs Subject + reporting verb + if / whether / wh-word + subject + verb… ask / enquire / question / wonder / want to know

Indirect speech Reporting verbs The actor wondered whether he would win a prize at the awards ceremony that night.

Marga Renedo Gómez