Now that you know some of the reported speech rules about backshift, let’s learn some exceptions.
There are two situations in which we do NOT need to change the verb tense.
For example, if someone says “I have three children” (direct speech) then we would say “He said he has three children” because the situation continues to be true.
If I tell you “I live in the United States” (direct speech) then you could tell someone else “She said she lives in the United States” (that’s reported speech) because it is still true.
When the situation is still true, then we don’t need to backshift the verb.
But when the situation is NOT still true, then we DO need to backshift the verb.
Imagine your friend says, “I have a headache.”
We also don’t need to backshift to the verb when somebody said something about the future, and the event is still in the future.
Here’s an example:
Let’s look at a different situation:
Quick review:
Those were the rules for reported statements, just regular sentences.
What about reported speech for questions, requests, and orders?
For reported requests, we use “asked (someone) to do something”:
For reported orders, we use “told (someone) to do something:”
The main verb stays in the infinitive with “to”:
For yes/no questions, we use “asked if” and “wanted to know if” in reported speech.
The main verb changes and back shifts according to the rules and exceptions we learned earlier.
Notice that we don’t use do/does/did in the reported question:
For other questions that are not yes/no questions, we use asked/wanted to know (without “if”):
Again, notice that we don’t use do/does/did in reported questions:
Also, in questions with the verb “to be,” the word order changes in the reported question:
Learn more about reported speech:
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I’ve got one last little exercise for you, and that is to write sentences using reported speech. Think about a conversation you’ve had in the past, and write about it – let’s see you put this into practice right away.
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What is reported speech, changing direct speech to reported speech, changing the tense (backshifting), no change of tenses, questions in reported speech, demands/requests, expressions with who/what/how + infinitive, typical changes to time and place markers.
Reported speech is when we repeat what another person has said but instead of using their exact words in quotation marks (direct speech), we use subordinate clause introduced by a reporting verb like the ones below:
Often, we have to change the tense, pronouns and time markers in reported speech.
Learn the rules for writing indirect speech in English with Lingolia’s simple explanation. In the exercises, you can test your grammar skills.
“I’ve prepared a presentation about the product, if you’re interested?” “I would love to see it. … This product is exactly what my company has been looking for! Is there any room to negotiate on price?” “I’m happy to hear that. Unfortunately, pricing is fixed.” “That’s a shame, but I appreciate your transparency. Could you send me a written offer?” “Yes, I will contact you tomorrow to finalise the details.” |
I had an appointment with a new client yesterday. I told him that and he said . |
When turning direct speech into reported speech, we may have to change all or some of the following:
If the reporting verb is in the simple past (e.g. said, told, asked, replied … ), the tense has to be set back by one degree (see the table below). This is known as backshifting .
Direct Speech | Reported Speech | |
---|---|---|
simple present | → | simple past |
present progressive | → | past progressive |
simple past | → | past perfect simple |
present perfect simple | ||
past perfect simple | ||
past progressive | → | past perfect progressive |
present perfect progressive | ||
past perfect progressive | ||
future with going to | → | was / were going to |
future with will | → | conditional (would) |
would |
The verbs could, should, would, might, must, needn’t, ought to, used to normally do not change.
If the reporting verb is in the simple present (e.g. says, tells, asks, replies … ), then the tense remains unchanged.
While the tense remains unchanged, we often still have to change the verb form to match the new pronouns.
We often omit the word that after a reporting verb, especially in spoken language and informal contexts.
When turning questions into reported speech, we follow the same rules as for declarative sentences: we change the pronouns as well as the time and place markers and backshift the tense as needed.
In addition, we also have to bear in mind the following:
Questions in reported speech do not end in a question mark.
When turning orders, demands and requests into reported speech, we only need to change the pronouns and the time and place information.
We don’t have to pay attention to the tense – we simply use an infinitive rather than a conjugated verb.
If the imperative is negated, then we use not + infinitive .
To express what someone should or can do in reported speech, we leave out the subject and the modal verb and instead we use the construction who/what/where/how + infinitive .
Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
---|---|
today | that day |
now | then at that moment/time |
yesterday | the day before |
… days ago | … days before |
last week | the week before |
next year | the following year |
tomorrow | the next day the following day |
here | there |
this | that |
these | those |
The words say and tell are not interchangeable.
Head over to the vocabulary section to learn more about the difference between say and tell .
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Speech can be direct and indirect, or reported.
When you express your thought orally or in writing, it is direct speech. We usually put it in quotes.
When you communicate what someone else said, it is reported speech.
Sue: "I am hungry."
Sue says (that) she is hungry.
To transfer a positive or a negative sentence to reported speech, we need two parts:
Pay attention
In the reported speech, we must replace the pronouns. Otherwise, we won't keep the meaning.
Mary: "I am glad to help you!"
Mary says she is glad to help me . BUT NOT Mary says I am glad to help you.
You should also be careful with time indicators (today, now, next week etc.) not to lose the idea of the original direct statement.
The word that can be used or left out, both options are correct.
When we have a sentence that consists of the main and the dependent part we need to be careful with the verb tenses. The tense in the main part affects the tense in the dependent part. This is called backshifting.
If the main part is in the present simple (e.g., "she says...", "he tells me..."), the dependent part remains unchanged.
John: "I have just got up."
John says he has just got up. "Says" is the present simple → no backshifting
If the main part is in the past simple, we have to do the backshifting. Its basic principle is that the past simple in the main part "pushes" the tense of the dependent part one step back in time. This way we balance both parts of the sentence.
tense | changes to | direct speech | he said... |
---|---|---|---|
present simple → | past simple | I don't have a pen | He he a pen |
present continuous → | past continuous | I am having a shower | He he a shower |
present perfect → | past perfect | I haven't finished yet | He said he yet |
past simple → | past perfect OR doesn't change | I didn't like the film | He said he hadn't liked the film OR He said he didn't like the film |
past continuous → | past perfect continuous | I was reading a book | He said he a book |
will → | would | I will help you | He said he me |
can → | could | I can ride a horse | He said he a horse |
You can view the topic ' reported statements ' with an explanation and exercises.
If the direct question began with a question word (when, what, how, why and so on), then in the reported speech:
"Why did you leave the door open?" → She asked me why I had left the door open.
"Where have you been?" → She asked me where I had been.
If the direct question didn't have a question word (it was a yes/no question), we add the word "if" to transform it into reported speech. The rules of backshifting are the same.
"Will it rain tomorrow?" → They wanted to know if it would rain the next day.
"Can I lend your pen for a second?" → I asked if I could lend his pen for a second.
You can also view the topic ' reported questions ' for a detailed explanation and exercises.
If we want to transform somebody's demand or request into reported speech, we say:
If the imperative was negative (don't go, don't do), we put "not" before "to": tell somebody not to do something.
"Do not cross the red line, please!" → The officer told us not to cross the red line.
"Could you put the flowers in the vase, please?" → She asked me to put the flowers in the vase.
You can also view the topic ' reported requests & demands ' for a detailed explanation and exercises.
How to use reported speech.
If you have a sentence in Direct Speech, try to follow our 5 steps to put the sentence into Reported Speech..
Mind the type of sentences when you use Reported Speech. There is more detailed information on the following pages.
If you use Reported Speech there are mostly two main differences.
The introductory sentence in Reported Speech can be in the Present or in the Past .
If the introductory sentences is in the Simple Present, there is no backshift of tenses.
If there is a pronoun in Direct Speech, it has possibly to be changed in Reported Speech, depending on the siutation.
Here I is changed to she .
If there is backshift of tenses in Reported Speech, the tenses are shifted the following way.
Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
---|---|
Simple forms | |
Simple Present | Simple Past |
Simple Past | Past Perfect |
Present Perfect | |
Past Perfect | |
will | would |
Progressive forms | |
am/are/is | was/were |
was/were | had been |
has been | |
had been |
If there is an expression of time/place in the sentence, it may be changed, depending on the situation.
Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
---|---|
this evening | that evening |
today/this day | that day |
these days | those days |
now | then |
a week ago | a week before |
last weekend | the weekend before / the previous weekend |
next week | the following week |
tomorrow | the next/following day |
here | there |
In some cases backshift of tenses is not necessary, e.g. when statements are still true. Backshift of tenses is never wrong.
when you use general statements.
* The word that is optional, that is the reason why we put it in brackets.
Definition of reported speech noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
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Sometimes we may wish to report the words of others. In fact, this is quite a regular occurrence in any language.
There are two ways to do this: reported (indirect) speech, and direct speech.
Here’s how they work.
As the name would suggest, direct speech is when you directly report the words of another person.
“I’ll see you at the meeting on Wednesday,” he said.
Direct speech can always be identified in written speech through the use of speech marks (sometimes known as quotation marks). Please note that single or double marks can be used depending on the habit of the individual user.
Direct speech is the easier of the two options because it does not involve any grammatical or structural changes to the original sentence.
Reported speech involves grammatical, and sometimes structural, changes.
Here is an example of the same sentence as above but this time delivered in reported speech.
“I’ll see you at the meeting on Wednesday,” he said. (direct speech)
He said (that) he would see me at the meeting today. (reported/indirect speech)
Aa can be seen, considerable changes have been made to the original sentence. First of all, the speech marks have been removed. Next, we must consider the verb tense used. Fortunately, the rules covering this are written in stone:
1) Present simple | Past simple |
2) Present Perfect | Past Perfect |
3) Present continuous | Past continuous |
4) Past simple | Past Perfect |
5) Past continuous | Past perfect continuous |
6) Past perfect | Past perfect (no change) |
7) Past perfect continuous | Past perfect continuous (no change) |
8) Future simple (will) | Would |
9) Can | Could |
10)All other Modal Verbs (might/may/could/should/would) | No change |
As can be seen from the above table, the original verb tense must be adapted accordingly. Let us look at the original examples once more:
The verb tense in the original, direct speech sentence (‘will’) has been adapted to ‘would’ as necessary. This reflects the difference in time between when the comment was originally made, and when it was reported.
This fact is made most obviously clear when the present tense is adapted to the past, as follows:
“I want to talk to you,” she said.
She said that she wanted to talk to me.
As is dictated, ‘want’ has become wanted’ because the request is now clearly in the past.
Please note that, on some occasions, adapting the present tense to the past tense may not be necessary. For example:
“I like pizza,” she said.
She said she likes/liked pizza.
Because we can assume the state to still be true, the present tense is also correct in the reported sentence.
Let us look once more at the original pair of sentences:
As well as the verb tense, both the subject and object have been adapted, and so has the time expression.
Of course, these amendments are all relative. Who was talking to who, and what is the time relationship between when the original sentence was communicated, and when it was reported? Always bear in mind these considerations when using reported speech.
Questions are a little bit different, and must be adapted in their own unique way. Generally speaking, there are two types of questions, and each must be considered separately.
The first question is an ‘information’ question, requiring some kind of specific detail in the answer. The second question, meanwhile, is quite simply a ‘yes/no’ question, where detail is optional.
Here are the changes that must be made to each question in reported (indirect) speech
In the ‘information’ question, the original sentence must be restructured so it is now no longer a question, but an affirmative statement. That is because, when reported, it is no longer a question. The verb tense should also be adapted as per the rules with all reported speech transitions.
In the ‘yes/no’ question, the sentence must also be adapted, with the word ‘if’ (or ‘whether’) replacing the auxiliary. Again, the verb tense must be changed accordingly.
In the examples in this article we have included the classic reporting verbs ‘said’ and ‘asked’. ‘Tell’ is another classic.
In truth, these verbs are incredibly uninformative. In reality, they tell us nothing about the emotion or feeling of what was communicated.
Therefore, it is better to run through the many options of reporting verbs we have at our disposal to select an option which best describes the sentiment of the words. Of course, in formal or business English you may want to stay with the neutral words of ‘say’, ‘ask’ and ‘tell’, but to be a little more descriptive, why not check out some of these options:
There are almost countless others. Give your language more color by choosing something more descriptive.
And don’t forget, the Linguix AI-powered writing assistant can provide you not only with the grammatical and structural amendments that you need to be correct in your writing, but can also be used to adapt your style so it is suitable to your audience. Get lists of synonyms to help you identify the perfect word, too.
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Reported speech.
Jump to: Definition | Related Entries |
Reported Speech (also called Indirect Speech ) is used to communicate what someone else said, but without using the exact words. A few changes are necessary; often a pronoun has to be changed and the verb is usually moved back a tense , where possible.
Direct & Indirect Speech
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Reported speech
When you use reported speech, the words put into the reported clause do not exactly match the words spoken.
‘I’ll leave at 8.30 on Friday.’ à She says that she will leave at 8.30 on Friday .
‘I’m looking forward to seeing you.’ à She says she’s looking forward to seeing us .
Pronouns and possessive determiners have to change in reported speech because of the change of speaker, e.g . I may become she ; you may become us or him .
‘I believe you.’ à She said that she believed us .
‘I’m leaving you.’ à She said that she was leaving him .
‘I’ve finished.’ à She said that she had finished .
Expressions of place and time may also have to change, e.g. here may become there or home ; Friday may become in three days’ time .
‘I’ve been here before.’ à She said that she had been there before .
‘I’ll see you on Monday.’ à She said that she would see him in three days’ time .
The verb may also change; the most common change is a change of tense.
‘Hello Jake? It’s me, Penny. I’ve arrived here on time, and I’m going to take a bus to your place. There’s one coming now, so I’d better run.’
She rang to say that she’d arrived there on time and was going to take a bus to our place. Then she said that one was coming at that very moment , so she had to run.
A reporting verb in the present tense can be used in the main clause when you report on a letter or email or on a recent conversation, e.g. a phone conversation.
‘Hello, Jake? I’ve arrived here on time, and I’m going to take a bus to your place.’
Penny has just phoned. She says that she has arrived on time and that she’s coming here by bus.
However, it is more common to use a past tense when reporting speech.
The changes of tense may be summarized as follows:
Direct speech
present simple
present continuous
present perfect
present perfect continuous
past simple
past continuous
past perfect
past perfect continuous
past perfect or past simple
conditional
For further information on English Grammar, visit: https://grammar.collinsdictionary.com/easy-learning
Come back for other blogs on using English in everyday situations: https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-learners/learning-english/
All opinions expressed on this blog are those of the individual writers, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Collins, or its parent company, HarperCollins.
What’s the difference between quiet and quite, 15 other words for ‘run’, what’s the difference between shadow and shade, what’s the difference between street, road and lane, asking for permission, other articles.
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As for lowlights, an under-reported speech by Judge Roy Moore took the Wingnut prize.
His longest reported speech will be found in the Parliamentary History, vol.
Indirect discourse means reported speech,—the thoughts of a writer or speaker put in the words of the one reporting them.
She was quoting from his last reported speech, and her spirits rose as she felt how glad she was to have been ready.
A fully reported speech was therein described as perhaps the greatest oratorical masterpiece ever delivered outside Hyde Park.
Lincoln's remarks on the resolution form his first reported speech.
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Reported Speech: Reported Speech or also known as indirect speech, is typically used to convey what has been said by someone at a particular point of time. However, owing to the nuances of the systems involved, English grammar may be a complicated language to learn and understand. But once you get hold of the grammar fundamentals , you can be a pro. It’s these fundamentals that will help you create a solid base. The rest of the journey becomes much easier once you get a good grip on the english grammar for competitive exams . So, today, we’re going to talk about one of those basics that is an important part of English grammar, i.e., Reported Speech with multiple definition, usage with examples and numerous practise exercicses.
What is reported speech, definition of reported speech, reported speech rules, rules for modal verbs, rules for pronouns, rules for change in tenses, rules for changing statements into reported speech, rules for changing interrogative sentences into reported speech, rules for changing commands and requests into indirect speech, tips to practise reported speech, fun exercises for reported speech with answers.
When we use the exact words spoken by someone, it is known as Direct Speech or Reported Speech. Reporting speech is a way to effectivley communication something that has been spoken, usually in the past, by the speaker. It is also possible to describe it from the speaker’s perspective from the third person. Since you are only communicating the message and are not repeating the speaker’s exact words, you do not need to use quotation marks while using this type of speaking.
For example: Rita said to Seema, “ I am going to bake a cake ”
Here we are using the exact words spoken by Rita, however, reported or Indirect speech is used when we are reporting something said by someone else but we do not use the exact words. So, we use this form of speech to talk about the past. For example:
Rita told Seema that she was going to bake a cake
In this case, we haven’t used the exact words of Rita but conveyed her message.
Difference Between Reporting Clause and Reported Speech
The words that come before the inverted commas are known as the reporting clause, in the example given above, the reporting clause will be – Rita said to Seema, where ‘said’ is the verb and is known as the reporting clause/verb . The words written within the inverted commas are known as the Reported speech, in the above example, the reported speech is “I am going to bake a cake” .
Also Read: 55+ Phrases with Meaning to Boost Your Vocabulary
Here are some common definitions of reported speech for your reference:
➡️ An Oxford Learner’s Dictionary definition of reported speech is “a report of what somebody has said that does not use their exact words.”
➡️ Reporter speech is described as “speech which tells you what someone said but does not use the person’s actual words” by the Collins Dictionary.
➡️ “The act of reporting something that was said, but not using the same words,” according to the Cambridge Dictionary.
➡️ Reported speech is defined as “the words that you use to report what someone else has said” by the Macmillan Dictionary.
Also Read: Adjective: Definition, Usage, Example, Forms, Types
Now let us take a look at the rules for changing direct speech to indirect or reported speech –
➡️ First and foremost, we do not use inverted commas in reported speech which must be clear from the example given above.
➡️ We use conjunctions like ‘if’, and ‘whether’ after the reporting verb in reported speech
➡️ The reporting verb’s tense is never altered.
➡️ The verb of reporting varies according to sense: it can be told, inquired, asked, etc.
For example: Direct : Mohan said to Sohan, “I am going to school” Reported : Mohan told Sohan that he is going to school
Also Read: Useful Idioms for IELTS Exams That Will Boost Your Score
Modal words are used to show a sense of possibility, intent, necessity or ability. Some common examples of verbs can include should, can and must. These words are used to express hypothetical conditions. Check the table of contents below for rules with examples of modal verbs.
this | that |
there | those |
now | then |
Here | There |
today | That day |
tomorrow | The next day |
yesterday | The previous day |
last night | The previous night |
can | Could |
may | Might |
shall | Should |
will | Would |
ago | Before |
just | Then |
come | Go |
Also Read: Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises With Answers for Class 12
Listed below are some common rules followed in pronouns using reported speech:
✏️ We change the first-person pronouns (I, my, us, our, me, we) as per the subject of the reporting verb in the reported speech. ✏️ We change the second-person pronouns (you, your, yourself) as per the object of the reporting verb in the reported speech. ✏️ There is no change in the third-person pronouns.
I | He, she |
We | They |
Me | Him, her |
Us | Them |
My | His, her |
You | He, she, they |
Our | Their |
Your | His, her, their |
Mine | His, hers |
Ours | Theirs |
You | Him, her, them |
Yours | His, hers, theirs |
For example:
Direct : Rita said, “I like the book.” Reported : Rita said that she likes the book.
Direct : Arun said to me, “Do you like to eat cakes?” Reported : Arun asked me if I liked eating cakes.
Direct : Ravi said, “I enjoy fishing.” Reported : Ravi said that he enjoys fishing.
Also Read: Reported Speech Interrogative: Rules, Examples & Exercise
Here are some common ruled used for change in tenses:
✏️ The tense of the reported speech is not changed if the reporting verb is in the present or the future tense. ✏️ If a historical fact, a universal reality or a habitual fact is conveyed in a direct speech. The indirect speech tense will not change. ✏️ If the reporting verb is in the past tense, then it will change the tense of the reported speech as follows:
Simple Present Sheela said, “I wash clothes.” | Simple Past Sheela said she washed clothes |
Present Continuous Sheela said, “I am washing clothes.” | Past continuous Sheela said that she was washing clothes. |
Present Perfect Sheela said, “I have washed clothes.” | Past Perfect Sheela said that she has washed clothes. |
Simple Past Sheela said, “I washed clothes.” | Past Perfect Sheela said that she has washed clothes. |
Past Continuous Sheela said, “I was washing clothes.” | Past Perfect Continuous Sheela said she had been washing clothes. |
Direct : Reema says, “I am going out.” Reported : Reema says that she is going out.
Direct : Ramesh said, “Honesty is the best policy.” Reported : Ramesh said that honesty is the best policy.
Direct : Vishnu said that, “India gained independence in 1947.” Reported : Vishnu said that India gained independence in 1947.
Direct : Akshat will say, “I want a slice of cake.” Reported : Akshat will say that he wants a slice of cake.
Direct : Reena said, “I am writing a novel.” Reported : Reena said that she was writing a novel.
Direct : Ayushi said, “I was working on my project.” Reported : Ayushi said that she had been working on her project.
Also Read: Exploring the Types of Reported Speech: A Complete Guide
Here are some common rules for changing statements into reported speech:
✏️ The “said to” reporting verb is changed to “told,” “replied,” “remarked,” ✏️ We do not change the object i.e., the reporting verb is not followed by an object. ✏️ We drop the inverted commas and use a conjunction to join the reporting clause and speech/ ✏️ The laws are followed for the changing of pronouns, tenses, etc.
Direct: Ramu said, “I saw a lion in the forest.” Indirect: Ramu said that he had seen a lion in the forest.
Direct : Satish said to me, “I am very happy here.” Indirect : Satish told me that he was very happy there.
Direct : He said, “I can do this work.” Indirect: He said that he could do that work.
50 Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech Interrogative Sentences
Here are some common rules followed for changing interrogative sentences into reported speech:
✏️ The reporting verb “say” is transformed into “ask, inquire,” ✏️ By inserting the subject before the verb, the interrogative clause is converted into a declaration and the full stop is inserted at the end of the sentence. ✏️ The wh-word is repeated in the sentence if the interrogative sentence has a wh-word (who, where, where, how, why, etc). This works as a conjunction. ✏️ If the asking phrase is a yes-no answer style phrase (with auxiliary verbs are, were, were, do, did, have, shall, etc.), then if or whether is used as a conjunction. ✏️ In the reported speech, the auxiliaries do, did, does drop in a positive question. ✏️ The conjunction after the reporting clause is not used.
Direct: I said to him, “Where are you going?” Indirect: Tasked him where he was going.
Direct: He said to me, “Will you go there?” Indirect: He asked me if I would go there.
Direct: My friend said to Deepak, “Have you ever been to Agra?” Indirect: My friend asked Deepak if he had ever been to Agra.
How to Change Sentences into Indirect Speech
The reporting verb is changed into command, order, say, enable, submit, etc. in imperative sentences that have commands.
✏️ By positioning it before the verb, the imperative mood is converted into the infinitive mood. The auxiliary ‘do’ is dropped in the case of negative sentences, and ‘to’ is substituted after ‘not
Direct: She said to me, “Open the window.” Indirect: She ordered me to open the window.
Direct: The captain said to the soldiers, “Attack the enemy.” Indirect: The captain commanded the soldiers to attack the enemy.
Direct: I said to him, “Leave this place at once.” Indirect: I told him to leave that place at once.
Also Read: Direct And Indirect Speech Questions
Indirect speech, sometimes referred to as reported speech, is used to communicate ideas without directly quoting another person. The following advice will help you become proficient in reported speech:
👉 Understand the Basics : Ensure you have a solid understanding of direct speech (quoting exact words) before moving on to reported speech.
👉 Identify Reporting Verbs : Recognize common reporting verbs such as “say,” “tell,” “ask,” “inform,” etc. These verbs are often used to introduce reported speech.
👉 Practice with Various Tenses : Work on reported speech with different tenses (present, past, future) to become comfortable with each.
👉 Use Reporting Words Appropriately : Experiment with different reporting words to convey the speaker’s attitude or emotion accurately. For example, “complain,” “admit,” “suggest.”
👉 Write Dialogues : Create dialogues and convert them into reported speech. This will help you practice both creating and transforming speech.
👉 Use Authentic Materials : Practice reported speech by reading books, articles, or watching videos. Try to convert the direct speech in these materials into reported speech.
Here are a few exercises for reported speech along with answers:
Change the following sentences from direct speech to reported speech.
Reported Speech Exercises For Class 9
Combine the following sentences into reported speech.
Transform the sentences into reported speech.
Direct And Indirect Speech Questions: Comprehensive Guide with Examples
Reporting speech is the way we present our own or other people’s words. Direct speech and indirect speech are the two primary categories of reported speech. Direct communication restates the speaker’s precise words or their words as we recall them: “I didn’t realize it was midnight,” Barbara remarked.
The speech that is being reported may be declarative, interrogative, exclamatory, or imperative.
Quote marks are not used when putting the speaker’s words or ideas into a sentence in reported speech. Typically, noun clauses are employed. When reading a reported speech, the reader should not assume that the words are exactly what the speaker said; frequently, they are paraphrased.
The reported speech can be Assertive/Declarative, Imperative, Interrogative, and Exclamatory.
We hope that this blog helped you learn about the basics of Reported Speech. Planning for English proficiency exams like IELTS or TOEFL ? Our Leverage Edu experts are here to guide you through your exam preparation with the best guidance, study materials and online classes! Sign up for a free demo with us now!
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Sep 02, 2024 | 1 minute read
Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) today reported that on August 30, 2024 a total of 68,408 of its own common shares were repurchased, with a weighted average purchase price of EUR 27.37. These repurchases were made under the repurchase program to cover certain of the company’s obligations arising from its long-term incentive plans, which was announced on August 5, 2024. For the remainder of the program Philips had already entered into a forward transaction with a settlement date in November 2026. Further details can be found via this link .
By clicking on the link, you will be leaving the official Royal Philips ("Philips") website. Any links to third-party websites that may appear on this site are provided only for your convenience and in no way represent any affiliation or endorsement of the information provided on those linked websites. Philips makes no representations or warranties of any kind with regard to any third-party websites or the information contained therein.
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Press release | August 30, 2024
Press release | August 23, 2024
Press release | August 05, 2024
Philips to repurchase shares for up to EUR 125 million to cover long-term incentive plans
Press release | June 19, 2024
Philips completes cancellation of 4.4 million shares
Press release | May 23, 2024
Philips successfully prices offering of Notes for EUR 700 million to be used for repayment of existing debt
Press release | May 15, 2024
Philips announces exchange ratio for 2023 dividend
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An official website of the United States government
Personal income increased $75.1 billion (0.3 percent at a monthly rate) in July, according to estimates released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (tables 2 and 3). Disposable personal income (DPI), personal income less personal current taxes, increased $54.8 billion (0.3 percent) and personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $103.8 billion (0.5 percent).
The PCE price index increased 0.2 percent. Excluding food and energy, the PCE price index increased 0.2 percent (table 5). Real DPI increased 0.1 percent in July and real PCE increased 0.4 percent; goods increased 0.7 percent and services increased 0.2 percent (tables 3 and 4).
Personal income: | |||||
Current dollars | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
Disposable personal income: | |||||
Current dollars | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
Chained (2017) dollars | 0.2 | -0.1 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
Personal consumption expenditures (PCE): | |||||
Current dollars | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.5 |
Chained (2017) dollars | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.4 |
Price indexes: | |||||
PCE | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
PCE, excluding food and energy | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
Price indexes: | |||||
PCE | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
PCE, excluding food and energy | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.6 |
The increase in current-dollar personal income in July primarily reflected an increase in compensation (table 2).
The $103.8 billion increase in current-dollar PCE in July reflected an increase of $59.3 billion in spending for services and $44.5 billion in spending for goods (table 2). Within services, the largest contributor to the increase was housing and utilities (led by housing). Within goods, the largest contributors to the increase were motor vehicles and parts as well as food and beverages. Detailed information on monthly PCE spending can be found on Table 2.4.5U .
Personal outlays —the sum of PCE, personal interest payments, and personal current transfer payments—increased $103.3 billion in July (table 2). Personal saving was $598.8 billion in July and the personal saving rate —personal saving as a percentage of disposable personal income—was 2.9 percent (table 1).
From the preceding month, the PCE price index for July increased 0.2 percent (table 5). Prices for goods decreased by less than 0.1 percent and prices for services increased 0.2 percent. Food prices increased 0.2 percent and energy prices increased by less than 0.1 percent. Excluding food and energy, the PCE price index increased 0.2 percent. Detailed monthly PCE price indexes can be found on Table 2.4.4U .
From the same month one year ago, the PCE price index for July increased 2.5 percent (table 7). Prices for goods decreased by less than 0.1 percent and prices for services increased 3.7 percent. Food prices increased 1.4 percent and energy prices increased 1.9 percent. Excluding food and energy, the PCE price index increased 2.6 percent from one year ago.
The 0.4 percent increase in real PCE in July reflected an increase of 0.7 percent in spending on goods and an increase of 0.2 percent in spending on services (table 4). Within goods, the largest contributor to the increase was motor vehicles and parts. Within services, the largest contributor to the increase was health care. Detailed information on monthly real PCE spending can be found on Table 2.4.6U .
Updates to Personal Income and Outlays
Estimates have been updated for April through June 1 . Revised and previously published changes from the preceding month for current-dollar personal income, and for current-dollar and chained (2017) dollar DPI and PCE, are provided below for May and June.
(Billions of dollars) | (Percent) | (Billions of dollars) | (Percent) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Personal income: | ||||||||
Current dollars | 98.7 | 91.8 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 50.4 | 47.8 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
Disposable personal income: | ||||||||
Current dollars | 76.3 | 69.3 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 37.7 | 30.9 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
Chained (2017) dollars | 56.8 | 55.1 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 17.1 | 14.6 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
Personal consumption expenditures: | ||||||||
Current dollars | 83.7 | 104.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 57.6 | 63.1 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
Chained (2017) dollars | 63.3 | 83.7 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 34.3 | 41.5 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
BEA will release results from the 2024 annual update of the National Economic Accounts, which include the National Income and Product Accounts as well as the Industry Economic Accounts, on September 26, 2024. The update will present revised statistics for GDP, GDP by Industry, and gross domestic income. Updated monthly personal income and outlays will be released on September 27, along with the August 2024 estimate. For details, refer to Information on 2024 Annual Updates to the National, Industry, and State and Local Economic Accounts .
1 Revised wage and salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program for January through March will be incorporated with the annual update of the National Economic Accounts on September 26, 2024.
* * *
Next release: September 27, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. EDT Personal Income and Outlays, August 2024
Tables only (excel), release highlights (pdf), historical comparisons (pdf).
Additional Resources available at www.bea.gov :
Personal income is the income received by, or on behalf of, all persons from all sources: from participation as laborers in production, from owning a home or business, from the ownership of financial assets, and from government and business in the form of transfers. It includes income from domestic sources as well as the rest of world. It does not include realized or unrealized capital gains or losses.
Disposable personal income is the income available to persons for spending or saving. It is equal to personal income less personal current taxes.
Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) is the value of the goods and services purchased by, or on the behalf of, "persons" who reside in the United States.
Personal outlays is the sum of PCE, personal interest payments, and personal current transfer payments.
Personal saving is personal income less personal outlays and personal current taxes.
The personal saving rate is personal saving as a percentage of disposable personal income.
Current-dollar estimates are valued in the prices of the period when the transactions occurred—that is, at "market value." Also referred to as "nominal estimates" or as "current-price estimates."
Real values are inflation-adjusted estimates—that is, estimates that exclude the effects of price changes.
For more definitions, refer to the Glossary: National Income and Product Accounts .
Annual rates. Monthly and quarterly values are expressed at seasonally-adjusted annual rates (SAAR). Dollar changes are calculated as the difference between these SAAR values. For detail, refer to the FAQ " Why does BEA publish estimates at annual rates? "
Month-to-month percent changes are calculated from unrounded data and are not annualized.
Quarter-to-quarter percent changes are calculated from unrounded data and are displayed at annual rates. For detail, refer to the FAQ " How is average annual growth calculated? " and " Why does BEA publish percent changes in quarterly series at annual rates? "
Quantities and prices. Quantities, or "real" volume measures, and prices are expressed as index numbers with a specified reference year equal to 100 (currently 2017). Quantity and price indexes are calculated using a Fisherchained weighted formula that incorporates weights from two adjacent periods (months for monthly data, quarters for quarterly data and annuals for annual data). For details on the calculation of quantity and price indexes, refer to Chapter 4: Estimating Methods in the NIPA Handbook.
Chained-dollar values are calculated by multiplying the quantity index by the current dollar value in the reference year (2017) and then dividing by 100. Percent changes calculated from real quantity indexes and chained-dollar levels are conceptually the same; any differences are due to rounding. Chained-dollar values are not additive because the relative weights for a given period differ from those of the reference year. In tables that display chained-dollar values, a "residual" line shows the difference between the sum of detailed chained-dollar series and its corresponding aggregate.
Reported speech is how we represent the speech of other people or what we ourselves say. There are two main types of reported speech: direct speech and indirect speech.
Click on a topic to learn more about reported speech.
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Definition of Reported Speech. Reported speech, according to the Oxford Learner's Dictionary, is defined as "a report of what somebody has said that does not use their exact words." The Collins Dictionary defines reported speech as "speech which tells you what someone said, but does not use the person's actual words." ...
Reported speech - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary
Reported speech: She said she was going to the store then. In this example, the pronoun "I" is changed to "she" and the adverb "now" is changed to "then.". 2. Change the tense: In reported speech, you usually need to change the tense of the verb to reflect the change from direct to indirect speech. Here's an example:
For example: Direct speech: I dislike fried chicken. Reported speech: She said she disliked fried chicken. Note how the main verb in the reported statement is also in the past tense verb form. Use the simple present tense in your indirect speech if the initial words remain relevant at the time of reporting.
Time Expressions with Reported Speech Sometimes when we change direct speech into reported speech we have to change time expressions too. We don't always have to do this, however. It depends on when we heard the direct speech and when we say the reported speech. For example: It's Monday. Julie says "I'm leaving today".
Reported Speech Examples. When using reported speech, you are usually talking about the past. The verbs, therefore, usually have to be in the past too. For example: Direct speech: I've lost my umbrella. Reported speech: He said (that) he had lost his umbrella. Another example: Direct speech: She is doing her homework.
When we use reported speech, we often change the verb tense backwards in time. This can be called "backshift.". Here are some examples in different verb tenses: "I want to go home.". She said she wanted to go home. "I 'm reading a good book.". She said she was reading a good book. "I ate pasta for dinner last night.".
Also called reported discourse. Traditionally, two broad categories of reported speech have been recognized: direct speech (in which the original speaker's words are quoted word for word) and indirect speech (in which the original speaker's thoughts are conveyed without using the speaker's exact words). However, a number of linguists have ...
Reported speech is when we repeat what another person has said but instead of using their exact words in quotation marks (direct speech), we use subordinate clause introduced by a reporting verb like the ones below: He says/said …. She explains/explained …. She tells/told me …. He asks/asked …. Often, we have to change the tense ...
Examples. "Do not cross the red line, please!" → The officer told us not to cross the red line. "Could you put the flowers in the vase, please?" → She asked me to put the flowers in the vase. You can also view the topic ' reported requests & demands ' for a detailed explanation and exercises.
Reported Speech → Susan said (that)* she worked in an office. Here I is changed to she. 4. Backshift of tenses. If there is backshift of tenses in Reported Speech, the tenses are shifted the following way. Direct Speech → Peter, " I work in the garden." Reported Speech → Peter said (that)* he work ed in the garden.
Definition of reported speech noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
Direct speech is the easier of the two options because it does not involve any grammatical or structural changes to the original sentence. Reported (indirect) speech. Reported speech involves grammatical, and sometimes structural, changes. Here is an example of the same sentence as above but this time delivered in reported speech.
Reported Speech (also called Indirect Speech) is used to communicate what someone else said, but without using the exact words. A few changes are necessary; often a pronoun has to be changed and the verb is usually moved back a tense, where possible. EG: He said that he was going to come. (The person's exact words were "I'm going to come.")
When you use reported speech, the words put into the reported clause do not exactly match the words spoken. 'I'll leave at 8.30 on Friday.' à She says that she will leave at 8.30 on Friday. 'I'm looking forward to seeing you.' à She says she's looking forward to seeing us. Pronouns and possessive determiners have to change in reported speech because of the change of speaker, e.g.
→ another term for indirect speech.... Click for English pronunciations, examples sentences, video.
REPORTED SPEECH definition: 1. → indirect speech specialized 2. → indirect speech specialized 3. a description of what someone…. Learn more.
Reported speech definition: another term for indirect speech. See examples of REPORTED SPEECH used in a sentence.
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Here are some common definitions of reported speech for your reference: ️ An Oxford Learner's Dictionary definition of reported speech is "a report of what somebody has said that does not use their exact words.". ️ Reporter speech is described as "speech which tells you what someone said but does not use the person's actual words ...
The crash involved three vans carrying press and staff members who were accompanying the vice presidential nominee. "Passengers reported injuries considered to be non-life-threatening and were ...
Amsterdam, the Netherlands - Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) today reported that on August 30, 2024 a total of 68,408 of its own common shares were repurchased, with a weighted average purchase price of EUR 27.37. These repurchases were made under the repurchase program to cover certain of the company's obligations arising from its long-term incentive plans, which was announced on ...
The increase in current-dollar personal income in July primarily reflected an increase in compensation (table 2).. The $103.8 billion increase in current-dollar PCE in July reflected an increase of $59.3 billion in spending for services and $44.5 billion in spending for goods (table 2). Within services, the largest contributor to the increase was housing and utilities (led by housing).
Reported speech - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary
Netanyahu flew to Washington in late July for high-level meetings with US President Joe Biden and others, though tensions between Jerusalem and Washington remain high.
REPORTED SPEECH meaning: 1. → indirect speech specialized 2. → indirect speech specialized 3. a description of what someone…. Learn more.
Israeli protesters are calling for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strike a hostage deal with Hamas after the bodies of six hostages were recovered in Gaza. Follow for live news updates.
Reported speech - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary