Unit

47 Reported speech 1 (he said that …)

A Study this example situation:

You saw Paul yesterday and you want to tell somebody

what he said.
There are two ways of doing this:
I’m feeling ill. You can repeat Paul’s words (direct speech):
Paul said, ‘I’m feeling ill.’
Or you can use reported speech:
Paul said that he was feeling ill.
PAUL
Compare:

direct Paul said, ‘ I am feeling ill.’ In writing we use these quotation

marks to show direct speech.
reported Paul said that he was feeling ill.

B When we use reported speech, the main verb of the sentence is usually past (Paul said that … /
I told her that … etc.). The rest of the sentence is usually past too:
Paul said that he was feeling ill.
I told Lisa that I didn’t have any money.
You can leave out that. So you can say:
Paul said that he was feeling ill. or Paul said he was feeling ill.
In general, the present in direct speech changes to the past in reported speech:
am/is → was do/does → did will → would
are → were have/has → had can → could
want/like/know/go etc. → wanted/liked/knew/went etc.
See also Unit 48A.
Compare direct and reported speech:

You met Anna. Here are some of Later you tell somebody what Anna said.
the things she said in direct speech: You use reported speech:
I’ve lost my phone. Anna said that she had lost her phone.
I want to buy a car. She said that she wanted to buy a car.
I can’t come to the party on She said that she couldn’t come to
Friday. the party on Friday.
She said that she didn’t have much
I don’t have much free time.
free time.
My parents are fine. She said that her parents were fine.
I’m going away for a few days. She said that she was going away for a
I’ll phone you when I get back. few days and would phone me when
ANNA
she got back.

C The past simple (did/saw/knew etc.) can stay the same in reported speech, or you can change it to the
past perfect (had done / had seen / had known etc.):
direct Paul said: ‘I woke up feeling ill, so I didn’t go to work.’
reported Paul said (that) he woke up feeling ill, so he didn’t go to work. or
Paul said (that) he had woken up feeling ill, so he hadn’t gone to work.

94 Reported speech 2 ➜ Unit 48 Reported questions ➜ Unit 50B

 Unit
Exercises 47
47.1 You talked to some friends of yours (Paul, Tom, Anna etc.). Read what they said on the left (direct
speech). Later (the same day) you tell another friend what they said (reported speech). Complete
the sentences.
direct speech reported speech
1 you: Are you going to work today, Paul? Paul didn’t go to work today. He said
paul: No, I’m feeling ill. he was feeling ill.

2 you: Shall we walk to the station? I wanted to walk to the station, but
tom: No, it’s too far. Let’s get a taxi. Tom said far.

3 you: Have you been invited to the party? Anna has been invited to the party but she
anna: Yes, but I don’t want to go. told me to go.

4 you: When are you going away, Dan? I asked Dan about his travel plans. He said
dan: I’ll let you know next week. next week.

5 you: Do you ever see Rachel these days? I asked Ben about Rachel, but he told me
ben: I haven’t seen her for a while. for a while.

6 you: Where can I borrow a guitar? I needed to borrow a guitar and Kate said
kate: You can borrow mine. .

7 you: How’s your job, Sue? I asked Sue about her job. She said
sue: I’m not enjoying it very much. very much.

8 you: Do you still have your car? I asked James about his car. He told me
james: No, I sold it a few months ago. a few months ago.

9 you: What’s the name of the cafe we went to? I asked Sarah the name of the cafe we went
sarah: I don’t know. to but she said .

10 you: How many students are there in your I asked Amy about her school and she told
class, Amy? me
amy: Twenty. class.

47.2 Somebody says something to you which is not what you expected. Use your own ideas to complete
your answers.
1 a: It’s quite a long way from the hotel to the city centre.
b: Is it? The man on the reception desk said it was only five minutes’ walk.
2 a: Sue is coming to the party tonight.
b: Is she? I saw her a few days ago and she said she .
3 a: Sarah gets on fine with Paul.
b: Does she? Last week you said each other.
4 a: Joe knows lots of people.
b: That’s not what he told me. He said anyone.
5 a: Jane will be here next week.
b: Oh, really? When I spoke to her, she said away.
6 a: I’m going out tonight.
b: Are you? I thought you said at home.
7 a: I speak French quite well.
b: Do you? But earlier you said any other languages.
8 a: I haven’t seen Ben recently.
b: That’s strange. He told me last weekend.

➜ Additional exercise 25 (page 316) 95

Unit
48 Reported speech 2
A We do not always change the verb in reported speech. If the situation is still the same, it is not necessary to
change the verb to the past. For example:
direct Paul said, ‘My new job is boring.’
reported Paul said that his new job is boring.
(The situation is still the same. His job is still boring now.)
direct Helen said, ‘I want to go to Canada next year.’
reported Helen told me that she wants to go to Canada next year.
(Helen still wants to go to Canada next year.)
You can also change the verb to the past:
Paul said that his new job was boring.
Helen told me that she wanted to go to Canada next year.
But if the situation has changed or finished, you need to use a past verb. Compare:
Paul left the room suddenly. He said ‘I have to go.’ (direct speech)
Paul left the room suddenly. He said (that) he had to go. (not has to go)

B You need to use the past in reported speech when

what was said is different from what is really true. Joe is in hospital.
For example:
RACHEL
You met Rachel a few days ago. She said:
Have you heard? Joe is in hospital.
Later that day you meet Joe in the street. You say: Rachel said
Joe, this is a surprise. Rachel said you were in hospital. you were
(not ‘you are in hospital’ – it’s clear that he isn’t) in hospital
JOE

C say and tell

If you say who somebody is talking to, use tell:
Rachel told me that you were in hospital. (not Rachel said me)
What did you tell the police? (not say the police)
Otherwise use say:
Rachel said that you were in hospital.
(not Rachel told that …)
What did you say?
You can ‘say something to somebody’:
Anna said goodbye to me and left. (not Anna said me goodbye)
What did you say to the police?

D We say ‘tell somebody to …’ and ‘ask somebody to …’ .

Compare direct and reported speech:
direct ‘Drink plenty of water,’ the doctor said to me.
reported The doctor told me to drink plenty of water.
direct ‘Don’t work too hard,’ I said to Joe.
reported I told Joe not to work too hard.
direct ‘Can you help me, please,’ Jackie said to me.
reported Jackie asked me to help her.
You can also say ‘Somebody said (not) to do something’:
Paul said not to worry about him. (but not Paul said me)

96 Reported speech 1 ➜ Unit 47 Reported questions ➜ Unit 50B

 Unit
Exercises 48
48.1 Here are some things that Sarah said to you earlier:

I’ve never been to the United States. I don’t have any brothers or sisters.

I can’t drive. I don’t like fish. Jane has a very well-paid job.

I’m working tomorrow evening. Jane is a friend of mine. Dave is lazy.

But later Sarah says something different to you. What do you say?

Sarah You
1 Dave works very hard. But you said he was lazy.
2 Let’s have fish for dinner. But
3 I’m going to buy a car.
4 Jane is always short of money.
5 My sister lives in Paris.
6 I think New York is a great place.
7 Let’s go out tomorrow evening.
8 I’ve never spoken to Jane.

48.2 Complete the sentences with say or tell (in the correct form). Use only one word each time.
1 Anna said goodbye to me and left.
2 us about your holiday. Did you have a nice time?
3 Don’t just stand there! something!
4 I wonder where Sue is. She she would be here at 8 o’clock.
5 Dan me that he was bored with his job.
6 The doctor that I should rest for at least a week.
7 Gary couldn’t help me. He me to ask Chris.
8 Gary couldn’t help me. He to ask Chris.
9 Don’t anybody what I . It’s a secret just between us.
10 ‘Did Kate you what happened?’ ‘No, she didn’t anything to me.’

48.3 The following sentences are direct speech:

Don’t wait for me if I’m late. Mind your own business.

Please slow down! Can you open your bag, please? Don’t worry, Sue.

Hurry up! Will you marry me? Do you think you could give me a hand, Tom?

Now choose one of these to complete each of the sentences below. Use reported speech.
1 Will was taking a long time to get ready, so I told him to hurry up .
2 Sarah was driving too fast, so I asked .
3 Sue was nervous about the situation. I told .
4 I couldn’t move the piano alone, so I .
5 The security guard looked at me suspiciously and .
6 The man started asking me personal questions, so I .
7 Carl was in love with Maria, so he .
8 I didn’t want to delay Helen, so I .

➜ Additional exercise 25 (page 316) 97