Reported speechis 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.
Direct speech repeats the exact words the person used, or how we remember their words:
Barbara said,“I didn’t realise it was midnight.”
In indirect speech, the original speaker’s words are changed.
Barbara saidshe hadn’t realised it was midnight.
In this example,Ibecomessheand the verb tense reflects the fact that time has passed since the words were spoken:didn’t realisebecomeshadn’t realised.
Indirect speech focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words:
“I’m sorry,”said Mark.(direct)
Markapologised.(indirect: report of a speech act)
In a similar way, we can report what people wrote or thought:
‘I will love you forever,’he wrote, and then posted the note through Alice’s door.(direct report of what someone wrote)
He wrotethathe would love her forever, and then posted the note through Alice’s door.(indirect report of what someone wrote)
I need a new direction in life, she thought.(direct report of someone’s thoughts)
She thoughtthat she needed a new direction in life.(indirect report of someone’s thoughts)
See also:
Reported speech: direct speech
Reported speech: indirect speech
Reported speech: reporting and reported clauses
Speech reports consist of two parts: the reporting clause and thereported clause. The reporting clause includes a verb such assay, tell, ask, reply, shout, usually in the past simple, and the reported clause includes what the original speaker said.
reporting clause | reported clause |
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Reported speech: punctuation
Direct speech
In direct speechwe usually put a comma between the reporting clause and the reported clause. The words of the original speaker are enclosed in inverted commas, either single (‘…’) or double (“…”). If the reported clause comes first, we put the comma inside the inverted commas:
“I couldn’t sleep last night,”he said.
Rita said,‘I don’t need you any more.’
If the direct speech is a question or exclamation, we use a question mark or exclamation mark, not a comma:
‘Is there a reason for this?’ she asked.
“I hate you!” he shouted.
We sometimes use a colon (:) between the reporting clause and the reported clause when the reporting clause is first:
The officer replied: ‘It is not possible to see the General. He’s busy.’
See also:
Punctuation
Indirect speech
In indirect speechit is more common for the reporting clause to come first. When the reporting clause is first, we don’t put a comma between the reporting clause and the reported clause. When the reporting clause comes after the reported clause, we use a comma to separate the two parts:
She told me they had left her without any money.
Not:She told me, they had left her without any money.
Nobody had gone in or out during the previous hour, he informed us.
We don’t use question marks or exclamation marks in indirect reports of questions and exclamations:
He asked me why I was so upset.
Not:He asked me why I was so upset?
See also:
Punctuation
Reported speech: reporting verbs
Sayandtell
We can usesayandtellto report statements in direct speech, butsayis more common. We don’t always mention the person being spoken to withsay, but if we do mention them, we use a prepositional phrase withto(to me, to Lorna):
‘I’ll give you a ring tomorrow,’ shesaid.
‘Try to stay calm,’ shesaid to usin a low voice.
Not:‘Try to stay calm,’ she said us in a low voice.
Withtell, we always mention the person being spoken to; we use an indirect object (underlined):
‘Enjoy yourselves,’ hetoldthem.
Not:‘Enjoy yourselves,’ he told.
In indirect speech,sayandtellare both common as reporting verbs. We don’t use an indirect object withsay, but we always use an indirect object (underlined) withtell:
Hesaidhe was moving to New Zealand.
Not:He said me he was moving to New Zealand.
Hetoldmehe was moving to New Zealand.
Not:He told he was moving to New Zealand.
We usesay, but nottell, to report questions:
‘Are you going now?’ shesaid.
Not:‘Are you going now?’ she told me.
We usesay, nottell, to report greetings, congratulations and other wishes:
‘Happy birthday!’ shesaid.
Not:Happy birthday!’ she told me.
Everyonesaidgood luck to me as I went into the interview.
Not:Everyone told me good luck…
See also:
Sayortell?
Other reporting verbs
add | comment | explain | offer | state |
admit | complain | hint | order | suggest |
advise | confess | inform | point out | threaten |
agree | confirm | insist | promise | warn |
announce | continue | interrupt | protest | wonder |
answer | cry(=shout) | maintain | repeat | |
ask | demand | note | reply | |
claim | enquire | observe | shout |
The reporting verbs in this list are more common in indirect reports, in both speaking and writing:
Simonadmittedthat he had forgotten to email Andrea.
Louis alwaysmaintainsthat there is royal blood in his family.
The builderpointed outthat the roof was in very poor condition.
Most of the verbs in the list are used in direct speech reports in written texts such as novels and newspaper reports. In ordinary conversation, we don’t use them in direct speech. The reporting clause usually comes second, but can sometimes come first:
‘Who is that person?’ sheasked.
‘It was my fault,’ heconfessed.
‘There is no cause for alarm,’ the Ministerinsisted.
See also:
Verb patterns: verb +that-clause