Overview
This lecture introduces reported speech in English, explains its rules, offers examples, and highlights common exceptions and practice opportunities.
Direct vs. Reported Speech
- Direct speech repeats the exact words spoken, using quotation marks.
- Reported speech conveys what someone said without quoting them exactly.
Rules for Forming Reported Speech
- Add a reporting verb (e.g., said, told).
- Backshift the verb tense by one step in time.
- Change the pronouns to match the new speaker’s perspective.
Common Reporting Verbs
- "Say" and "tell" are the most used; use "said" or "told" in reported speech.
- With "tell," always include the person being spoken to: tell + someone + that + clause.
Backshifting Tenses
- Present Simple → Past Simple (e.g., “I want” → “she wanted”)
- Present Continuous → Past Continuous (e.g., “I am doing” → “she was doing”)
- Present Perfect → Past Perfect (e.g., “I have finished” → “she had finished”)
- Past Simple → Past Perfect (e.g., “I washed” → “she had washed”)
- Future with "will" → "would" (e.g., “I will call” → “she would call”)
- Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous do not change in reported speech.
Exceptions & Notes
- No tense change if the information is still current or an ongoing habit (e.g., “I love my parents” → “she loves her parents”).
Practice & Resources
- The lesson includes practical exercises and examples to help form reported speech.
- A free PDF with exercises and a quiz is available via the provided link.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Reported Speech — Restating what someone said without quoting directly.
- Direct Speech — Quoting the exact words spoken.
- Backshifting — Changing the verb tense back by one step in time.
- Reporting Verb — Verbs like "said" or "told" used to introduce reported speech.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Download the free PDF lesson and complete the exercises and quiz.
- Review the list of tense changes for reported speech.
- Practice converting direct speech examples into reported speech.
- (Optional) Consider the pronunciation course and follow on social media for additional resources.