Reported Speech, Definition and Example Sentences

English Reported Speech, Definition and Example Sentences

REPORTED SPEECH

When do we use reported speech?

When we tell someone what another person said we use reported speech. For this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech. For example, in reported statements, we can use either ‘say’ or ‘tell’. These meaning is the same, but the grammar is different.

For Example:

Direct speech: Johny: “I will be late”.

• Reported speech: Johny said (that) he would be late.

Or

• Johny told me (that) he was going to be late.

We do not need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the ‘person’ from ‘I’ to ‘he’, for example.

We also may need to change words like ‘my’ and ‘our’.

Detailed Expressions with English Modals Table and Example Sentences

Some reported speech examples;

Present Simple

Direct speech: I like frozen yogurt.

Reported speech: She said (that) she liked frozen yogurt.

 

Present Continuous

Direct speech: I am living in paris.

Reported speech: He said he was living in paris.

 

Past Simple

Direct speech: I bought a yacht.

Reported speech: She said (that) she had bought a yacht.

12 Tenses Formula With Example PDF

Past Continuous

Direct speech: I was running along the street

Reported speech: She said (that) she had been running along the street.



Present Perfect

Direct speech: I haven’t seen Jack.

Reported speech: She said (that) she hadn’t seen Jack.

 

Past Perfect

Direct speech: I had taken Spanish lessons before

Reported speech: She said (that) she had taken Spanish lessons before.

 

Will

Direct speech: I will see you tomorrow.

Reported speech: He said (that) He would see me tomorrow.

 

Would

Direct speech: I would help, but…”

Reported speech: He said (that) He would help but…

 

Can

Direct speech: I can speak perfect Germany.

Reported speech: She said (that) she could speak perfect Germany.

 

Could

Direct speech: I could swim when I was seven.

Reported speech: She said that she could swim when she was seven.

 

Shall

Direct speech: I shall come another time.

Reported speech: She said (that) she would come another time.

 

Should

Direct speech: I should call my father.

Reported speech: He said (that) He should call her father.

 

Might

Direct speech: I might be late for cinema.

Reported speech: He said (that) He might be for cinema.

 

Must

Direct speech: I must study on the friday.

Reported speech: She said (that) she must study on the friday.

Example Sentences with Reported Speech

• He said that he was living in Paris.
• She said she had taken Spanish lessons before.
• She says the exam is very difficult.
• Mary said, “My husband went with me to the show yesterday.”
• He said he had gone to London the week before.
• He said he could swim when he was four.
• Mary said she wanted to go on vocation, but she didn’t know where to go.
• He said “I ought to swim.”
• He said he should call her mother.
• He said he could swim when he was four.
• Mark said “I need help with my work.”
• Michel said she liked apple.
• He said he had been walking along the Street.
• He told us that they had visited their aunt the last week.
• Hannah has said she goes school every day.
• Mark says he is not so keen to see that film.
• She said she watched TV every day.
• She said that she was exhausted.
• She said that she always drank white chocolate mocha.
• Jack said he had been on the phone for three hours, when the call dropped.