REPORTED STATEMENTS

Estilo indirecto - Reported Speech

El Estilo indirecto o Reported speech es una estructura que se emplea cuando queremos decir o hacer mención sobre algo que alguien ha dicho previamente.

Direct speech (estilo directo)	Reported speech (estilo indirecto)
"I always drink coffee". She said.	She said that she always drank coffee.
"Yo siempre bebo café." Ella dijo.	Ella dijo que ella siempre bebía café.

Para hacer mención sobre lo que alguien ha dicho usamos verbos como explain, promise, say, tell, suggest... Aunque los más utilizados son say y tell.

No es necesario cambiar el tiempo del verbo si el verbo de la oración principal está en presente. En el ejemplo anterior podríamos decir: She said that she always drink coffee.

Para introducir lo que ha dicho, usamos that aunque muchas veces se puede omitir esta palabra.

Al convertir una oración de "Direct Speech" a "Reported Speech" tenemos en cuenta que el verbo principal retrocede un tiempo verbal.

Tabla de cambios que sufre el verbo:

Direct speech		Reported speech
present simple I am happy I sleep		past simple He said he was happy He said he slept
present continuos I am feeling happy I am sleeping		past continuos He said he was feeling happy He said he was sleeping
past simple I was happy I slept		past perfect He said he had been happy He said he had slept

present perfect I have been happy I have slept		past perfect He said he had been happy He said he had slept
present perfect continuos I have been feeling happy I have been sleeping		past perfect continuos He said he had been feeling happy He said he had been sleeping
future I will be happy I will sleep		simple conditional He said he would be happy He said he would sleep
3future perfect I will have been happy I will have sleep		simple conditional perfect He said he would have been happy He said he would have slept

Verbos modales

Direct speech		Reported speech
CAN I can sleep		COULD He said he could sleep
MAY I may sleep		MIGHT He said he might sleep
WILL I will sleep		WOULD He said he would sleep
MUST I must sleep		HAD TO He said he had to sleep

Cambios que pueden sufrir algunas partículas de lugar y tiempo:

now		at that moment, then
tonight		that night
today		that day
last night		the night before
this morning		that morning
this week		that week
next week		the following week
next year		the year after
here		there

Reported commands

If you put a command into Reported speech there are some steps which are the same like instatements: (changing of the person, backshift of tenses, changing of expressions of time).

The form is mostly: form of to tell + to + infinitive.

Affirmative commands		Negative commands
Father: "Do your homework."		Teacher. "Don't talk to your neighbour."
Father told me to do my homework.		The teacher told me not to talk to my neighbour.
	Finish the sentences using Reported speech. Always change the tense, although it is sometimes not necessary. Example: Peter: "Clean the black shoes!" Peter told me _________________________ Answer: Peter told me to clean the black shoes.
	1) Andrew: "Clean the blue bike!" Andrew told me . 2) Jessica: "Write a text message!" Jessica told me . 3) Nelly: "Help Peter's sister!" Nelly told me . 4) Fred: "Wash your hands!" Fred told me . 5) Anna: "Open the window!" Anna told me . 6) Tom: "Come at 8!" Tom told me . 7) Teacher: "Do your homework!" The teacher told me . 8) Doris: "Dance with me!" Doris told me . 9) Sabine: "Meet Sandy at the station!" Sabine told me . 10) Victoria: "Check your e-mails!" Victoria told me .

Reported commands - NEGATIVE

If you put a command into Reported speech there are some steps which are the same like instatements: (changing of the person, backshift of tenses, changing of expressions of time).

The form is mostly: form of to tell + not to + infinitive.

Affirmative commands	Negative commands
Father: "Do your homework."	Teacher. "Don't talk to your neighbour."
Father told me to do my homework.	The teacher told me not to talk to my neighbour.

Finish the sentences using Reported speech. Always change the tense, although it is sometimes not necessary. Example: Peter: "Don't clean the black shoes!" Peter told me _________________________ Answer: Peter told me not to clean the black shoes.

1) Karen: "Don't play football in the garden!" Karen told me . 2) Teacher: "Don't forget your homework!" The teacher reminded me . 3) Mike: "Don't shout at Peter!" Mike told me . 4) Yvonne: "Don't talk to your neighbour!" Yvonne told me . 5) Denise: "Don't open the door!" Denise told me . 6) Marcel: "Don't sing that song!" Marcel reminded me . 7) Jane: "Don't watch the new film!" Jane advised me . 8) Walter: "Don't ring Romy on Sunday!" Walter told me . 9) Lisa: "Don't fly via Paris!" Lisa advised me . 10) Jamie: "Don't eat so much junk food!" Jamie reminded me .

Reported speech - English Grammar

Statements

1) If the sentence starts in the present, there is no backshift of tenses in Reported speech.
Example: Susan: "I work in an office." Susan says that she works in an office.

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2) If the sentence starts in the past, there is often backshift of tenses in Reported speech. (see: Note)
Example: Susan: "I work in an office." Susan said that she worked in an office.

Backshift of tenses
from	to
Simple Present	Simple Past
Simple Past	Past Perfect
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
will	would
Progressive forms
am/are/is	was/were
was/were	had been
has been
had been

Backshift of tenses
from	to
Peter: "I work in the garden."	Peter said that he worked in the garden.
Peter: "I worked in the garden."	Peter said that he had worked in the garden.
Peter: "I have worked in the garden."
Peter: "I had worked in the garden."
Peter: "I will work in the garden."	Peter said that he would work in the garden.
Peter: "I can work in the garden."	Peter said that he could work in the garden.
Peter: "I may work in the garden."	Peter said that he might work in the garden.
Peter: "I would work in the garden." (could, might, should, ought to)	Peter said that he would work in the garden. (could, might, should, ought to)
Progressive forms
Peter: "I'm working in the garden."	Peter said that he was working in the garden.
Peter: "I was working in the garden."	Peter said that he had been working in the garden.
Peter: "I have been working in the garden."
Peter: "I had been working in the garden."

If the sentence contains an expression of time, you must change it as well.

Peter: "I worked in the garden yesterday."
Peter said that he had worked in the garden the day before.

Shifting of expressions of time

this (evening)	that (evening)
today/this day	that day
these (days)	those (days)
now	then
(a week) ago	(a week) before
last weekend	the weekend before / the previous weekend
here	there
next (week)	the following (week)
tomorrow	the next/following day

Note:

In some cases the backshift of tenses is not necessary, e.g. when statements are still true.

John: "My brother is at Leipzig university."
John said that his brother was at Leipzig university. or
John said that his brother is at Leipzig university.

or

Mandy: "The sun rises in the East."
Mandy said that the sun rose in the East. or
Mandy said that the sun rises in the East.

REPORTED SPEECH - EXERSISES

Finish the sentences using Reported speech. Always change the tense, although it is sometimes not necessary. Example: Peter: "I clean the black shoes." Peter told me that ____________________________ Answer: Peter told me that he cleaned the black shoes.

1) John: "Mandy is at home." John said that . 2) Max: "Frank often reads a book." Max told me that . 3) Susan: "I'm watching TV." Susan said to me that . 4) Simon: "David was ill." Simon said that . 5) Peggy: "The girls helped in the house." Peggy told me that . 6) Richard: "I am going to ride a skateboard." Richard said to me that . 7) Stephen and Claire: "We have cleaned the windows." Stephen and Claire told me that . 8) Charles: "I didn't have time to do my homework." Charles remarked that . 9) Mrs Jones: "My mother will be 50 years old." Mrs Jones told me that . 10) Jean: "The boss must sign the letter." Jean said that .

Reported speech - EXERSISES - Time expressions

Finish the sentences using Reported speech. Always change the tense, although it is sometimes not necessary. Example: Peter: "I cleaned the black shoes yesterday." Peter told me that _________________________________ Answer: Peter told me that he had cleaned the black shoes the day before.

1) Emily: "Our teacher will go to Leipzig tomorrow." Emily said that . 2) Helen: "I was writing a letter yesterday." Helen told me that . 3) Robert: "My father flew to Dallas last year." Robert told me that . 4) Lisa: "Tim went to the stadium an hour ago." Lisa said that . 5) Patricia: "My mother will celebrate her birthday next weekend." Patricia said that . 6) Michael: "I am going to read a book this week." Michael said to me that . 7) Jason and Victoria: "We will do our best in the exams tomorrow." Jason and Victoria told me that . 8) Andrew: "We didn't eat fish two days ago." Andrew remarked that . 9) Alice: "I spent all my pocket money on Monday." Alice complained that . 10) David: "John had already gone at six." David said that .

Reported questions

If you put a question into Reported speech there are some steps which are the same like instatements: (changing of the person, backshift of tenses, changing of expressions of time).

In Reported speech there is no question anymore, the sentence becomes a statement.
That's why the word order is: subject - verb

Question without question words (yes/no questions):
Peter: "Do you play football?" - Peter asked me whether (if) I played football.

Question with question words:
Peter: "When do you play football?" - Peter asked me when I played football.

Finish the sentences using Reported speech. Always change the tense, although it is sometimes not necessary. Example: Peter: "Did John clean the black shoes?" Peter asked me _________________________________ Answer: Peter asked me if John had cleaned the black shoes.

1) Christopher: "Do you want to dance?" Christopher asked me . 2) Betty: "When did you come?" Betty wanted to know . 3) Mark: "Has John arrived?" Mark asked me . 4) Ronald: "Where does Maria park her car?" Ronald asked me . 5) Elisabeth: "Did you watch the latest film?" Elisabeth asked me . 6) Mandy: "Can I help you?" Mandy wanted to know . 7) Andrew: "Will Mandy have lunch with Sue?" Andrew asked me . 8) Justin: "What are you doing?" Justin asked me . 9) Frank: "How much pocket money does Lisa get?" Frank wanted to know . 10) Anne: "Must I do the shopping?" Anne asked .

REPORTED QUESTIONS WITH TIME EXPRESSIONS

Finish the sentences using Reported speech. Always change the tense, although it is sometimes not necessary. Example: Peter: "Did John clean the black shoes yesterday?" Peter asked me _________________________________________ Answer: Peter asked me if John had cleaned the black shoes the day before.

1) Mandy: "Are the boys reading the book?" Yesterday Mandy asked me . 2) Jason: "Who gave you the laptop?" Yesterday Jason wanted to know . 3) Robert: "Is Tim leaving on Friday?" Yesterday Robert asked me . 4) Daniel: "Will it rain tomorrow?" Yesterday Daniel asked me . 5) Jennifer: "Where do you play football today?" Yesterday Jennifer wanted to know . 6) Nancy: "Why didn't Nick go to New York last summer?" Yesterday Nancy wanted to know . 7) Barbara: "Must I do my homework this afternoon?" Yesterday Barbara asked me . 8) Linda: "Did Max fly to London two weeks ago?" Yesterday Linda wanted to know . 9) Grandmother: "Where are my glasses?" Yesterday Grandmother asked me . 10) A man: "When does the train to Liverpool leave?" Yesterday a man asked me .