Reported speech in English: Complete guide in 24 minutes

How to Use Reported Speech in English

Introduction to Reported Speech

• Shaa introduces the concept of reported speech, explaining its purpose in conveying what someone else has said.

• The video aims to clarify when and how to use reported speech effectively.

Direct vs. Reported Speech

• Direct speech example: "I love cake." becomes reported speech as "She says that she loves cake."

• When using past tense reporting verbs like "said," the verb tenses typically shift back (backshifting), e.g., "she said that she loved cake."

Tense Changes in Reported Speech

• Present simple changes to past simple; for instance, "The boys are tired" becomes "She said that the boys were tired."

• Present continuous shifts to past continuous; e.g., "I am going to the gym" changes to "She said that she was going to the gym."

Handling Past Tenses

• The past simple can remain unchanged or shift to past perfect; both forms are acceptable.

• Past continuous is converted into past perfect continuous in reported speech, such as changing "I was watching a film" into "She said that she had been watching a film."

Future Tenses and Modals

• Future simple with 'will' changes to 'would'; for example, “I will come” becomes “She said that she would come.”

• Modal verbs like 'can' change to 'could,' while others like 'might' and 'should' generally remain unchanged.

Using Say vs. Tell

• The verb 'say' does not require an object, while 'tell' does; e.g., “Shona told me” versus “Shona said.”

Reporting Questions

• For questions, maintain question words but adjust word order from question format to statement format.

• Yes/no questions use ‘if’ instead of a question word; e.g., “Do you like cake?” becomes “She asked me if I liked cake.”

Reporting Requests and Orders

• Requests are reported using ‘ask + object + infinitive’; for example, “Please pass the water” turns into “She asked me to pass the water.”

• Orders follow a similar structure but use ‘tell’ instead of ‘ask’; e.g., “Sit down” becomes “She told me to sit down.”

Time Expressions in Reported Speech

• Time expressions often change based on context when reporting speech; today may become yesterday depending on when it’s reported.

Additional Reporting Verbs

• Various verbs can be used for reporting beyond say/tell, including announce and insist which also require backshifting.

This structured overview captures key concepts related to reported speech as discussed by Shaa. Each point links directly back to specific timestamps for easy reference.