The document summarizes direct and reported speech. It discusses how to adjust person, place, time and verb tense when changing direct to reported speech. Examples are provided of changing direct questions and statements to reported questions and statements. Finally, there is a practice section that provides direct speech quotes from Romeo and Juliet and asks the reader to change them to reported speech.

1. Reported speech
I. Direct speech versus reported/indirect speech
In reported or indirect speech we give the meaning of what was said rather than
the exact words.
1. tell or say?
• Tell: if we want to mention the hearer (the person spoken to)
 Sara’s boss told her she could leave early
• Say: when we do not mention the hearer
 Sara’s boss said she could leave in the morning
2. person, place and time must be adjusted in reported speech!
• person
I - we He / she - they
My - our His/ her - their
• place
here There / at the time
• time
Now Then / at the time
Today That day/ on Monday
Yesterday The day before/ the previous day
Tomorrow The next/ following day/ on Saturday/ …
This week That week
Last week The week before/ the previous week
Next week The following week
An hour ago An hour before/ earlier
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2. 3. tense change
When the reporting verb is in the past tense,
the tense of the verb in the statement changes.
Direct speech Indirect/reported speech
She said, "It's cold." She said it was cold.
Present simple past simple
She said, "I'm teaching English She said she was teaching English
online”. online.
Present continuous past continuous
She said, "I've been on the web since She said she had been on the web
1999." since 1999.
Present perfect past perfect
She said, "I've been teaching She said she had been teaching
English for seven years." English for seven years.
Present perfect continuous Past perfect continuous
She said, "I taught online yesterday." She said she had taught online the
Past simple day before.
past perfect
She said, "I was teaching earlier." She said she had been teaching
Past continuous earlier.
past perfect continuous
She said, "The lesson had started She said the lesson had started when
when he arrived." he arrived
Past perfect = past perfect (no change)
Modal verbs also change
She said, "I'll teach English online She said she would teach English
tomorrow." online the next day.
She said, "I can teach English She said she could teach English
online." online.
She said, "I must have a computer to She said she had to have a computer
teach English online." to teach English online.
She said, "What shall we learn She asked what we should learn that
today?" day.
She said, "May I open a new She asked if she might open a new
browser?" browser.
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3. (!) The modals would, should, could, might, ought, had better are usually
unchanged after past reporting verbs.
She said, "I would already been She said she would already been
teaching for five minutes." teaching for five minutes.
Imperatives change into ‘to + infinitive’.
"Close the door" He asked me to close the door.
"Lie down" He ordered me to lie down.
II. reported questions
• wh-questions -> wh-question
 When does the train leave?
I asked when the train left.
• yes/ no questions -> if/ whether
 Are you writing a letter?
I asked if/ whether he was writing a letter?
III. Practice Romeo and Juliet
Put the following sentences into reported speech.
Romeo thinks: "Who is that beautiful girl?"
› Romeo thinks
Juliet asks: "Where are you, Romeo?"
› Juliet asks
Romeo answers: " I am here in the garden."
› Romeo answers
Juliet's father tells her: " You must marry Count Paris."
› Juliet's father tells her
Juliet (to Romeo) : "How did you find this place? "
› Julie asked Romeo
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4. Juliet (to Romeo) : " I have forgotten why I called you back."
› Juliet told Romeo
Romeo (seeing Juliet’s dead body): " I will lie with you tonight."
› Romeo said
Juliet : " I will kiss your lips so that the poison will kill me too."
› Juliet said
Romeo: "I didn't sleep very well last night."
> Romeo said
Juliet asks: "What's in a name?"
> Juliet asked
Juliet said: "Go, before my kinsmen find you here.
> Juliet urges
Juliet: " How did you come in and why?"
> Juliet ...
Juliet: " What time tomorrow shall I send you?"
> Juliet
Romeo: " Let me stand here till you remember "
> Romeo
Juliet: "I hear some noise within"
>
Juliet: "Swear not by the moon."
>
Romeo: "What shall I swear by?"
>
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