Reported Speech grammar

1. REPORTED SPEECH

We use Reported Speech when we want to tell somebody what another person has said.

DIRECT SPEECH	REPORTED SPEECH
PRESENT SIMPLE I work in a bank. PRESENT CONTINUOUS I'm studying hard. PRESENT PERFECT We have bought a new car. PAST SIMPLE I invited Tom to the party.	PAST SIMPLE He said (that) he worked in a bank. PAST CONTINUOUS He said (that) he was studying hard. PAST PERFECT They said (that) they had bought a new car. PAST PERFECT He said (that) he had invited Tom to the party.

Modal Verbs

DIRECT SPEECH	REPORTED SPEECH
CAN I can speak French. WILL I'll repair your bike. MUST / HAVE TO You must be home at 7:30. MAY It may rain.	COULD He said (that) he could speak French. WOULD He said (that) he would repair my bike. HAD TO He said (that) I had to be home at 7:30. MIGHT He said (that) it might rain.

Other Expressions

DIRECT SPEECH	REPORTED SPEECH
THIS HERE TODAY YESTERDAY TOMORROW TONIGHT TOMORROW MORNING YESTERDAY AFTERNOON NEXT WEEK/ MONTH /YEAR LAST WEEK/ MONTH / YEAR A WEEK/ MONTH / YEAR AGO	THAT THERE / THAT PLACE THAT DAY THE DAY BEFORE THE NEXT DAY / THE FOLLOWING DAY THAT NIGHT THE NEXT / FOLLOWING MORNING THE PREVIOUS AFTERNOON THE AFTERNOON BEFORE THE FOLLOWING/ THE NEXT WEEK/ MONTH / YEAR THE PREVIOUS WEEK /MONTH /YEAR, THE WEEK / MONTH / YEAR BEFORE A WEEK/MONTH / YEAR BEFORE

2. REPORTED QUESTIONS

DIRECT SPEECH	REPORTED SPEECH
Where do you live? Do you work in a hospital?	He asked me where I lived. He asked me if I worked in a hospital.

3. TELL & SAY

You can say something to somebody

Examples:
"I'm ill" I said to the doctor.
John told me that he had been in hospital.


If you say who somebody is talking to, use "tell"

Examples:
Sue told me that you had won a prize.
What did the robber tell the police ?


We also use especially "tell and ask" in reported speech for orders and requests

Examples:
The teacher told us to copy all the sentences.
Carol asked me not to look at her that way.


Otherwise use "say":

He said (that) his job was interesting.