Study this example situation:
You want to tell somebody else what Tom said.
There are two ways of doing this:
You can repeat Tom's words (direct speech):
Tom said 'I'm feeling ill.'
Or you can use reported speech:
Tom said that he was feeling ill.
Compare:
direct: Tom said I am feeling ill.' in writing we use these to show direct speech.
reported: Tom said that he was feeling ill.
When we use reported speech, the main verb of the sentence is usually past (Tom said that ... I told her that... etc.). The rest of the sentence is usually past too:
* Tom said that he was feeling ill.
* I told her that I didn't have any money.
You can leave out that:
* Tom said (that) he was feeling ill.
* I told her (that) I didn't have any money.
In general, the present form in direct speech changes to the past form in reported speech:
am/is -> was
do/does -> did
will -> would
are -> were
have/has -> had
can -> could
want/like/know/go etc. -> want/liked/knew/went etc.
Compare direct speech and reported speech:
You met Judy. Here are some of the things she said to you in direct speech:
Judy:
'my parents are very well.'
'I'm going to learn to drive.'
'John has given up his job.'
'I can't come to the party on Friday.'
'I want to go away for a holiday but I don't know where to go.' 'I'm going away for a few days. I'll phone you when I get back.'
Later you tell somebody what Judy said. You use reported speech:
* Judy said that her parents were very well.
* She said that she was going to learn to drive.
* She said that John had given up his job.
* She said that she couldn't come to the party on Friday.
* She said that she wanted to go away for a holiday but (she) didn't know where to go.
* She said that she was going away for a few days and would phone me when she got back.
The past simple (did/saw/knew etc.) can usually stay the same in reported speech, or you can change it to the past Perfect (had done/had seen/had known etc.):
direct: Tom said: 'I woke up feeling ill, so I didn't go to work.'
reported: Tom said (that) he woke up feeling ill, so he didn't go to work. or Tom said (that) he had woken up feeling ill, so he hadn't gone to work.
EXERCISES
46.1 Yesterday you met a friend of yours, Charlie. Here are some of the things Charlie said to you:
1. I'm living in London now.
2. My father isn't very well.
3. Sharon and Paul are getting married next month.
4. Margaret has had a baby.
5. I don't know what Fred is doing.
6. I saw Helen at a party in June and she seemed fine.
7. I haven't seen Diane recently.
8. I'm not enjoying my job very much.
9. You can come and stay at my flat if you are ever in London.
10. My car was stolen a few weeks ago.
11. I want to go on holiday but I can't afford it.
12. I'll tell Ann I saw you.
Later that day you tell another friend what Charlie said. Use reported speech.
1. _Charlie said that he was living in London now._
2. He said that ---
3. He ---
4. ---
5. ---
6. ---
7. ---
8. ---
9. ---
10. ---
11. ---
12. ---
46.2 Somebody says something to you which is the opposite of what they said before. Write a suitable answer beginning I thought you said ....
1. A: That restaurant is expensive.
B: is It? _I thought you said it was cheap._
2. A: Ann is coming to the party tonight.
B: Is she? I thought you said she ---
3. A: Ann likes Paul.
B: Does she? I thought ---
4. A: I know lots of people.
B: Do you? I thought you said you ---
5. A: I'll be here next week.
B: Will you? ---
6. A: I'm going out this evening.
B: Are you? ---
7. A: I can speak a little French.
B: Can you? ---
8. A: I haven't been to the cinema for ages.
B: Haven't you? ---
46.1
2 He said that his father wasn't very well.
3 He said that Sharon and Paul were getting married next month.
4 He said that Margaret had had a baby. She said that he didn't know what Fred was doing.
6 He said that he had/he'd seen Helen at a party in June and she had seemed fine. or He said that he saw Helen. and she seemed.
7 He said that he hadn't seen Diane recently.
8 He said that he wasn't enjoying his job very much.
9 He said that I could come and stay at his flat if I was ever in London.
10 He said that his car had been stolen a few weeks ago. or ... that his car was stolen.
11 He said he wanted to go on holiday but he couldn't afford it.
12 He said he would/he'd tell Ann he had/he'd seen me. or ... he saw me.
46.2 Example answers:
2 I thought you said she wasn't coming./... she was going somewhere else.
3 I thought you said she didn't like him.
4 I thought you said you didn't know many people.
5 I thought you said you wouldn't be here next week./... you would be away.
6 I thought you said you were staying at home./... you weren't going out.
7 I thought you said you couldn't speak (any) French.
8 I thought you said you went to the cinema last week./... you had been to the cinema last week.
