REPORTED SPEECH. Direct Speech and Indirect Speech in English

Summary

In this lesson, Kate from English Lessons with Kate explains reported (indirect) speech in a clear, step-by-step way. She breaks down the three essential rules: adding a reporting verb, backshifting tenses, and changing pronouns. Through practical examples, she demonstrates how to transform different tenses—from present simple to past perfect—as well as how to handle future forms, time expressions, and common reporting verbs like “say,” “tell,” and “ask.” Kate also covers reported questions and important exceptions, such as ongoing situations where tense changes aren’t necessary. The lesson concludes with interactive practice exercises to help viewers confidently master indirect speech.

Takeaways

• 😀 Indirect (or reported) speech involves reporting what someone else has said using a few simple rules.
• 😀 The three main rules for indirect speech: 1) Add a reporting verb, 2) Backshift the tense, 3) Change the pronouns.
• 😀 Backshifting tenses means adjusting the verb tense in the reported speech to match the time when the original statement was made.
• 😀 Reporting verbs like 'said' and 'told' are commonly used, with 'told' requiring a direct object (e.g., 'She told me').
• 😀 When using indirect speech, we change phrases such as 'this' to 'that', 'today' to 'that day', and 'tomorrow' to 'the next day'.
• 😀 Past continuous in direct speech shifts to past perfect continuous in reported speech (e.g., 'I was walking' becomes 'She had been walking').
• 😀 Future tenses with 'will' change to 'would' in reported speech, and the word 'tomorrow' changes to 'the next day'.
• 😀 For questions in indirect speech, 'will' becomes 'would' and a question mark is removed, replaced by 'if'.
• 😀 When changing present simple to reported speech, use past simple (e.g., 'I want' becomes 'She wanted').
• 😀 Some exceptions apply, such as ongoing actions or habits that may retain the present tense in reported speech (e.g., 'I love my job' stays 'She loves her job').

Q & A

What is the main topic of the lesson in this video?

The main topic of the lesson is indirect speech, also known as reported speech. It explains how to transform direct speech into reported speech.

What are the three key rules to follow when using reported speech?

The three key rules for reported speech are: 1) Include a reporting verb. 2) Backshift the tenses by one. 3) Change the pronouns.

What does 'backshifting tenses' mean in reported speech?

Backshifting tenses means changing the verb tense in the reported speech to match the time when the speech was spoken. This usually means moving the tense one step back in time (e.g., present to past).

Can you provide an example of changing direct speech into reported speech?

Sure! Direct speech: 'I am hungry.' Reported speech: 'She said that she was hungry.' In this case, the verb tense shifts from 'am' to 'was' and the pronoun 'I' changes to 'she'.

When do we use 'say' and 'tell' in reported speech?

'Say' becomes 'said' and 'tell' becomes 'told' in reported speech. With 'tell', you must include the person being told (e.g., 'She told me...'). With 'say', you don't need to mention the person receiving the message unless it's part of the sentence structure.

What happens to the future tense when converting it into reported speech?

The future tense, which typically uses 'will', changes to 'would' in reported speech. For example, 'I will come to the party tomorrow' becomes 'She said she would come to the party the next day.'

What is the difference between using 'said' and 'told' in reported speech?

'Said' is used when reporting speech in general, while 'told' requires specifying the person being spoken to. For example, 'He said he enjoyed the concert' vs 'He told me he enjoyed the concert.'

What do we do when the direct speech includes a question?

When reporting a question, we remove the question mark and add 'if' or 'whether'. The verb tense also shifts accordingly. For example, 'Will you help me?' becomes 'She asked if I would help her.'

How do we handle time expressions like 'tomorrow' or 'yesterday' in reported speech?

Time expressions are usually shifted in reported speech. For instance, 'tomorrow' becomes 'the next day' or 'the following day', and 'yesterday' becomes 'the day before' or 'the previous day'.

Is there ever an exception to backshifting the tenses in reported speech?

Yes, if the information is still true or ongoing (like a habit or permanent situation), the tense may remain unchanged. For example, 'I love my job' could be reported as 'She said she loves her job' because it's an ongoing fact.