1. Reported Speech

2. What is Reported Speech?

3. Active Speech vs. Reported Speech
“Man, I’m totally bagged.”
→ What did he say?
He said (that) he was totally bagged.
He said (that) he was really tired.
Report the idea – not necessarily the exact words

4. Format of Reported Speech
Generally change tense…
When? Logical
Don’t HAVE TO change tense…
- facts: “Paris is the capital of France.” → He said Paris is the capital of France. - very soon after said: “I’m hungry.” → She said she is hungry.
BUT – OPTIONAL → changing tense always possible & common
He said Paris was the capital of France.
She said she was hungry.

5. Tense changes present tense → past tense : “You’re nuts.”
→ She said I was nuts.
present continuous → past continuous : “I’m dating a real babe.”
→ He said he was dating a real babe.
past → past perfect : “Omg, somebody farted.”
→ He said somebody had farted.
past continuous → past perfect cont. : “You were snoring again last night.”
→ She said I’d been snoring again last night.
present perfect → past perfect : “Wtf, somebody has farted again.”
→ He said someone had farted again.
present perfect cont. → past perfect cont. : “I’ve been waiting for my idiot boyfriend for over an hour.”
→ She said she’d been waiting for her idiot boyfriend for over an hour.

6. Form changes “will” → would : “I will kill you if you dump me.”
→ She said she would kill me if I dumped her. I think it’s worth the risk.
“can” → could : “I can drink a lot more without puking.”
→ He said he could drink a lot more without puking. And then he puked 5 minutes later.
“may” → might : “I may be a little late.”
→ She said she might be a little late. For her, a little late means, like, hours.
Imperatives:
. “Stop slacking off!”
→ Our handsome teacher told us to stop slacking off. But nobody listens to him anyway.
. “Don’t forget the homework.”
→ Our kind teacher told us not to forget the homework. Good luck with that.

7. No changes
Certain forms do not change in reported speech
Past perfect : “I was grossed out because he had farted so many times.”
→ She said she had been grossed out because he had farted so many times.
Note: In reported speech, the form is the same for the past perfect as for the simple past & present perfect .
could / should / would / might
“I couldn’t trust him anymore.”
→ She said she couldn’t trust him anymore.
. “You should seriously get a life.”
→ He said I should get a life.
“I would never lie to you.”
→ She said she would never lie to me.
“They might split up.”
→ He said they might split up.

8. Questions in Reported Speech
Yes / No questions
→ if / whether
“Do you have the hots for me?”
She asked me if I had the hots for her.
She asked if I had the hots for her.
“Are you kidding me?”
I asked (her) whether she was kidding me.

9. Questions in Reported Speech continued
WH questions
“Who spilled coffee on my fricking cell phone?”
He asked (me) who had spilled coffee on his cell.
“How many girlfriends did you have before me?”
She asked (me) how many girls I’d gone out with before her.
“Where were you last night?”
They asked me where I was last night.
When did you get home?
She asked me when I had gotten home.

10. Time…
Spoken on Tuesday morning… → “I’ll give you a shout tomorrow.” Reported Tuesday evening. → He said he would call me tomorrow. Reported Wednesday. → He said he‘d give me a shout today. Reported Thursday. → He said he would phone yesterday. Reported a different day. → He said he’d call the next day.

11. Say & Tell & Ask “You are my best friend.”
He said (that) I was his best friend.
He said to me (that) I was his best friend.
“We will be best friends forever.”
She told me (that) we would be best friends forever.
She told (that) we would be best friends forever.
Will you always love me?
She asked me if / whether I would always love her.
She asked if / whether I would always love her.

12. Different verbs for Reported Speech
said boasted suggested told someone commented stated noted complained mentioned explained asked (someone) claimed insisted wondered replied observed wanted to know answered remarked added repeated announced reported argued revealed

13. Notes on pronunciation
ASKED → / æst / What did he say? → / wƏ dı di sei /

14. Instead of Reported Speech
“BE + LIKE” = said
A: “I don’t want you to talk to my bf.” B: “I’ll talk to anybody I want.” A: “Yeah, well, try it and see what happens.” B: “What are you going to do?” A: “Just you wait and see.” B: “Bring it on, sister.”
A: “I’m like, I don’t want you to talk to my bf and she’s like, I’ll talk to anybody I want. So, I’m like, yeah, well, try it and see what happens, and she’s like, what are you going to do, and I’m like, just you wait and see and then, she’s like, bring it on, sister. Can you believe it?”