Practice
Now, you try it! First, read about reported speech below. Then try changing a few of these sentences into reported speech:

Anna asked, "Rick, are you ready?"
Hank said, "I've never seen anyone try so hard."
Kurt asked, "Are you ready to go on the rollercoaster?"
Anna said, "This hill is really steep."
Penelope said, "I think we have enough test drive video."
Anna said, "I think I should go again."

Write your sentences in the Comments section and we will try to respond to you.

Reported Speech

We often need to tell others what someone else said. We can do this in two ways. One is to say the person’s exact words and use quotation marks. We call this “direct speech.” The other is to talk about what someone else said. We call this “reported speech.”

Direct Speech
“You need to show lots of cars.”

Reported Speech
She said (that) we need show lots of cars.

Reported speech contains a subject, reporting verb, conjunction and reporting clause. (The word “that” is optional.)

Subject noun or pronoun
She

Reporting Verb
said

Conjunction
(that)

Reporting Clause
we need to show lots of cars.

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Using Reported Speech

To use reported speech, choose a reporting verb, such as say, tell or ask. Usually, the verb in direct speech moves one tense back in time in reported speech.

Direct Speech

Reported Speech

“I drive my car every day.”

She said (that) she drove her car every day.

“I am driving my car.

She said (that) she was driving her car.

“I have driven my car.”

She said (that) she had driven her car.

“I will drive my car.”

She said (that) she would drive her car.

If the speaker is reporting something that was just said, the reporting clause is often in present tense. This is also common for general facts.

Direct Speech

Reported Speech

“You need to show lots of cars.”

She said (that) we need to show lots of cars.

“The sky is blue.”

She said (that) the sky is blue.

The modals might, should, would, could and ought to do not change in reported speech. However, can, must and have to do change.

Direct Speech

Reported Speech

“I can/could drive my car.”

She said (that) she could drive her car.

“I may/might drive my car.”

She said (that) she might drive her car.

“I must drive my car.”

She said (that) she had to drive her car.

“I have to drive my car.”

She said (that) she had to drive her car.

“I should drive my car.”

She said (that) she should drive her car.

“I ought to drive my car.”

She said (that) she ought to drive her car.

Change the point of view. For example, the subject “I” becomes “he” or “she” and the subject “we” becomes “they.”

Direct Speech

Reported Speech

“I have two tickets to the Car Show.”

He said (that) he had two tickets to the Car Show.

“We want to dance like Hank the Robot.”

They said (that) they wanted to dance like Hank the Robot.

Use if or whether to report a “yes or no” question. And use the reporting verb “ask.”

Direct Speech

Reported Speech

“Do you like the Washington Car Show?”

She asked if/whether I liked the Washington Car Show.

