1. Ιωάννης Π. Κρητικός Καθηγητής Αγγλικής Γλώσσας & Φιλολογίας
Γυμνάσιο Αντιμάχειας
Reported Speech
Ιωάννης Π. Κρητικός
Καθηγητής Αγγλικής Γλώσσας & Φιλολογίας

2. Reported/Indirect Speech
In Reported Speech we convey what someone said.
Be careful!
The meaning remains the same.
The syntax of the sentence changes.
Before you begin, look for:
Quotation marks/ inverted commas (“ ”)
Punctuation marks (. , ! , ? , ; , etc.)
A verb outside the quotation marks (said, told, asked, answered, etc.) in past tenses
in the sentence which is in Direct Speech.

3. A. Syntax said, answered, replied, mentioned, etc. + (that) name
ordered / told + pronoun (not) to + “ ”
object noun
asked wh – if

4. B. Tenses Direct Speech → Indirect Speech Present → Past
Past → Past Perfect
Past Perfect → Past Perfect

5. C. Words Direct Speech → Indirect Speech this → that here → there
tonight → that night
today → that day
last week → the previous week or
the week before
next year → the following year or
the year after

6. Examples “It is a nice day today,” said John.
John said (that) it was a nice day that day.
The teacher said to Mary “Open your book!”
The teacher told Mary to open her book.
“What time is it?” asked Helen.
Helen asked what time it was.
“Are you twelve years old?” she asked me.
She asked me if I was twelve years old.

7. Exercises “I will see you next week,” said Anna.
Helen said “William ate the apples.”
“Be quiet!” the teacher told Kostas.
“Don’t be rude!” mum told her child.
“When are we taking the test?” Fanis asked the teacher.
“Did you go to the cinema yesterday?” Despoina asked Katerina.

8. Writing
You are a reporter for ‘Have Fun’ music magazine and you have just interviewed Sakis Rouvas. Write a short text about him. Use sentences in the direct and the indirect (reported) speech.