1) INTRODUCTIOIN
When we want to report what someone said, we can use ‘direct speech’ or ‘reported speech’:
- In direct speech, we give the exact words that the person said, and we use quotation marks (‘…’ or “…”). For example, Annie said, ‘I’m hungry.’
- In reported speech, we change some of the words that the person said and we do not use quotation marks. For example, Annie said (that) she was hungry; or Annie says (that) she is hungry.
NOTE:
- When we use a past reporting verb (e.g. Annie said), the tense in reported speech normally changes (e.g. I’m changes to the past: she was).
- But when we use a present reporting verb (e.g. Annie says), the tense does not change (e.g. I’m stays in the present: she is).
2) REPORTED STATEMENT
a) Tenses: when the reporting verb is in the past (eg he said, you told me), the tense in reported speech normally ‘moves back’:
a) Verbs in the present change into the past.
| Speaker’s words | Reported speech |
| I’m going home. I don’t like tea. Sally has finished. | He said he was going home. She told me she didn’t like tea. You said that Sally had finished. |
b) Verbs already in the past change into the past perfect or they do not change.
| Speaker’s words | Reported speech |
| I spoke to them. | I said I had spoken to them. I said I spoke to them. |
| We arrived late. | They said they had arrived late. They said they arrived late. |
c) Verbs already in the past perfect do not change.
| Speaker’s words | Reported speech |
| I had seen the film before. | I told you I had seen the film before. |
NOTE1: We don’t always change tenses in reported speech when we use a past reporting verb. If we report something that is still true now, we sometimes use the same tense.
| Speaker’s words | Reported speech |
| ‘The population of Phnom Penh is around 2 million.’ | He said that the population of Phnom Penh is around 2 million. |
| ‘I live in Siem Reap.’ | She told me that she lives in Siem Reap. |
NOTE2: But when something is still true, we often change the tense in reported speech.
| Speaker’s words | Reported speech |
| ‘The population of Phnom Penh is around 2 million.’ | He said that the population of Phnom Penh was around 2 million. |
NOTE3: We always change the tense when there is a difference between what was said and what is really true.
Example: She said that she was 18 years old, but in fact she’s only 16.
