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commands",null,{"type":44,"value":45,"toc":898},"minimark",[46,50,55,58,73,76,88,104,125,129,143,272,307,311,333,351,368,372,375,442,460,464,470,473,491,501,519,540,544,558,576,583,593,602,606,609,632,647,651,654,680,684,692,695,735,738,760,763,782,785,789,792,868,872,875,892],[47,48,49],"p",{},"Reported speech is how you pass on what someone said without quoting them word\nfor word. It is also called indirect speech, and it is one of the last big\nmechanical hurdles in English grammar: once the reporting verb is in the past,\nnearly everything inside the sentence shifts. This is the system behind that\nshift.",[51,52,54],"h2",{"id":53},"direct-speech-vs-reported-speech","Direct speech vs reported speech",[47,56,57],{},"Direct speech repeats the exact words a person used, inside quotation marks:",[59,60,61,68],"ul",{},[62,63,64],"li",{},[65,66,67],"em",{},"She said, \"I am tired.\"",[62,69,70],{},[65,71,72],{},"He said, \"I have finished the report.\"",[47,74,75],{},"Reported speech tells someone what was said, without the quotation marks and\nusually without the exact words:",[59,77,78,83],{},[62,79,80],{},[65,81,82],{},"She said she was tired.",[62,84,85],{},[65,86,87],{},"He said he had finished the report.",[47,89,90,91,95,96,99,100,103],{},"Three things change when you move from direct to reported speech: the ",[92,93,94],"strong",{},"tense","\n(the backshift), the ",[92,97,98],{},"pronouns",", and any ",[92,101,102],{},"time or place words",". Take them\none at a time.",[47,105,106,107,110,111,114,115,118,119,121,122,124],{},"Two smaller points first. The quotation marks and the comma disappear, because\nyou are no longer quoting. And the word ",[65,108,109],{},"that"," is optional after most reporting\nverbs: ",[65,112,113],{},"She said that she was tired"," and ",[65,116,117],{},"She said she was tired"," are both\ncorrect, and dropping ",[65,120,109],{}," is more natural in speech. With reported questions\nand commands, though, you never use ",[65,123,109],{}," at all, as the sections below show.",[51,126,128],{"id":127},"the-backshift-of-tenses","The backshift of tenses",[47,130,131,132,135,136,135,139,142],{},"When the reporting verb is in the past (",[65,133,134],{},"said",", ",[65,137,138],{},"told",[65,140,141],{},"asked","), the verb inside\nthe reported clause moves back one step into the past. This is the single most\nimportant rule in reported speech.",[144,145,146,159],"table",{},[147,148,149],"thead",{},[150,151,152,156],"tr",{},[153,154,155],"th",{},"Direct speech",[153,157,158],{},"Reported speech",[160,161,162,177,191,205,216,230,244,258],"tbody",{},[150,163,164,171],{},[165,166,167,168],"td",{},"Present simple: ",[65,169,170],{},"\"I work here.\"",[165,172,173,174],{},"Past simple: ",[65,175,176],{},"He said he worked there.",[150,178,179,185],{},[165,180,181,182],{},"Present continuous: ",[65,183,184],{},"\"I am working.\"",[165,186,187,188],{},"Past continuous: ",[65,189,190],{},"He said he was working.",[150,192,193,199],{},[165,194,195,196],{},"Present perfect: ",[65,197,198],{},"\"I have worked.\"",[165,200,201,202],{},"Past perfect: ",[65,203,204],{},"He said he had worked.",[150,206,207,212],{},[165,208,173,209],{},[65,210,211],{},"\"I worked.\"",[165,213,201,214],{},[65,215,204],{},[150,217,218,224],{},[165,219,220,221],{},"will: ",[65,222,223],{},"\"I will work.\"",[165,225,226,227],{},"would: ",[65,228,229],{},"He said he would work.",[150,231,232,238],{},[165,233,234,235],{},"can: ",[65,236,237],{},"\"I can work.\"",[165,239,240,241],{},"could: ",[65,242,243],{},"He said he could work.",[150,245,246,252],{},[165,247,248,249],{},"may: ",[65,250,251],{},"\"I may work.\"",[165,253,254,255],{},"might: ",[65,256,257],{},"He said he might work.",[150,259,260,266],{},[165,261,262,263],{},"must: ",[65,264,265],{},"\"I must work.\"",[165,267,268,269],{},"had to: ",[65,270,271],{},"He said he had to work.",[47,273,274,275,114,278,281,282,285,286,135,289,135,292,114,295,298,299,302,303,306],{},"A few of these need a note. The past simple and the present perfect both end up\nas the past perfect, so ",[65,276,277],{},"\"I saw it\"",[65,279,280],{},"\"I have seen it\""," are both reported as\n",[65,283,284],{},"she said she had seen it",". And ",[65,287,288],{},"would",[65,290,291],{},"could",[65,293,294],{},"might",[65,296,297],{},"should"," do not\nchange, because they are already past forms: ",[65,300,301],{},"\"I would help\""," stays as ",[65,304,305],{},"he said\nhe would help",".",[51,308,310],{"id":309},"pronoun-changes","Pronoun changes",[47,312,313,314,317,318,321,322,135,325,328,329,332],{},"The pronouns shift to match the new speaker's point of view. If you report what\nsomeone else said, ",[65,315,316],{},"I"," usually becomes ",[65,319,320],{},"he"," or ",[65,323,324],{},"she",[65,326,327],{},"we"," becomes ",[65,330,331],{},"they",", and\nthe possessives follow.",[59,334,335,343],{},[62,336,337,328,340],{},[65,338,339],{},"\"I have lost my keys.\"",[65,341,342],{},"She said she had lost her keys.",[62,344,345,328,348],{},[65,346,347],{},"\"We need your help.\"",[65,349,350],{},"They said they needed my help.",[47,352,353,354,357,358,135,361,321,364,367],{},"Always work out who is speaking and who is listening before you fix the pronouns,\nbecause ",[65,355,356],{},"your"," can become ",[65,359,360],{},"my",[65,362,363],{},"his",[65,365,366],{},"their"," depending on the situation.",[51,369,371],{"id":370},"time-and-place-word-changes","Time and place word changes",[47,373,374],{},"Words that point to \"now\" and \"here\" in the original moment have to be adjusted,\nbecause you are reporting from a later time and often a different place.",[144,376,377,385],{},[147,378,379],{},[150,380,381,383],{},[153,382,155],{},[153,384,158],{},[160,386,387,395,403,411,419,426,434],{},[150,388,389,392],{},[165,390,391],{},"now",[165,393,394],{},"then",[150,396,397,400],{},[165,398,399],{},"today",[165,401,402],{},"that day",[150,404,405,408],{},[165,406,407],{},"tomorrow",[165,409,410],{},"the next day",[150,412,413,416],{},[165,414,415],{},"yesterday",[165,417,418],{},"the day before",[150,420,421,424],{},[165,422,423],{},"this",[165,425,109],{},[150,427,428,431],{},[165,429,430],{},"here",[165,432,433],{},"there",[150,435,436,439],{},[165,437,438],{},"ago",[165,440,441],{},"before",[59,443,444,452],{},[62,445,446,328,449],{},[65,447,448],{},"\"I am leaving tomorrow.\"",[65,450,451],{},"He said he was leaving the next day.",[62,453,454,328,457],{},[65,455,456],{},"\"I saw her here yesterday.\"",[65,458,459],{},"She said she had seen her there the day\nbefore.",[51,461,463],{"id":462},"reported-questions","Reported questions",[47,465,466,467],{},"Questions cause the most trouble, because the word order changes. In reported\nquestions the order goes back to a normal statement: ",[92,468,469],{},"no inversion, and no\nauxiliary do.",[47,471,472],{},"For wh-questions, keep the question word and follow it with statement order:",[59,474,475,483],{},[62,476,477,328,480],{},[65,478,479],{},"\"Where do you live?\"",[65,481,482],{},"She asked where I lived.",[62,484,485,328,488],{},[65,486,487],{},"\"What time does it start?\"",[65,489,490],{},"He asked what time it started.",[47,492,493,494,321,497,500],{},"For yes\u002Fno questions, there is no question word, so you join the clause with\n",[92,495,496],{},"if",[92,498,499],{},"whether",":",[59,502,503,511],{},[62,504,505,328,508],{},[65,506,507],{},"\"Are you ready?\"",[65,509,510],{},"She asked if I was ready.",[62,512,513,328,516],{},[65,514,515],{},"\"Did you call him?\"",[65,517,518],{},"She asked whether I had called him.",[47,520,521,522,525,526,328,529,532,533,536,537,306],{},"Notice that the auxiliary ",[65,523,524],{},"do\u002Fdoes\u002Fdid"," disappears completely once the verb\ncarries the tense itself: ",[65,527,528],{},"do you live",[65,530,531],{},"I lived",", and ",[65,534,535],{},"did you call","\nbecomes ",[65,538,539],{},"I had called",[51,541,543],{"id":542},"reported-commands-and-requests","Reported commands and requests",[47,545,546,547,550,551,554,555,306],{},"Commands and requests do not use a that-clause at all. You use ",[92,548,549],{},"tell"," or\n",[92,552,553],{},"ask"," plus an object plus a ",[92,556,557],{},"to-infinitive",[59,559,560,568],{},[62,561,562,328,565],{},[65,563,564],{},"\"Wait here.\"",[65,566,567],{},"He told me to wait there.",[62,569,570,328,573],{},[65,571,572],{},"\"Please help me.\"",[65,574,575],{},"She asked me to help her.",[47,577,578,579,582],{},"For a negative command, put ",[65,580,581],{},"not"," before the to-infinitive:",[59,584,585],{},[62,586,587,328,590],{},[65,588,589],{},"\"Don't touch it.\"",[65,591,592],{},"He told me not to touch it.",[47,594,595,596,598,599,601],{},"Use ",[65,597,549],{}," for orders and ",[65,600,553],{}," for polite requests. Both need a person object.",[51,603,605],{"id":604},"say-vs-tell","Say vs tell",[47,607,608],{},"This pair trips up learners constantly. The rule is mechanical:",[59,610,611,619],{},[62,612,613,615,616],{},[92,614,549],{}," must be followed by a person: ",[65,617,618],{},"tell me, tell her, told the class.",[62,620,621,624,625,628,629],{},[92,622,623],{},"say"," is not followed by a person directly. If you want to name the\nlistener, you need ",[65,626,627],{},"to",": ",[65,630,631],{},"say to me.",[47,633,634,635,638,639,642,643,646],{},"So ",[65,636,637],{},"He told me he was late"," is correct, and ",[65,640,641],{},"He said he was late"," is correct, but\n",[65,644,645],{},"He said me he was late"," is wrong.",[51,648,650],{"id":649},"when-not-to-backshift","When not to backshift",[47,652,653],{},"The backshift is not always required. Leave the tense alone in these cases.",[59,655,656,670],{},[62,657,658,661,662,665,666,669],{},[92,659,660],{},"The reporting verb is in the present."," ",[65,663,664],{},"He says he is busy",", not ",[65,667,668],{},"he was\nbusy",". No past reporting verb means no backshift.",[62,671,672,675,676,679],{},[92,673,674],{},"General truths and things still true now."," If the fact has not stopped being\ntrue, you can keep the present: ",[65,677,678],{},"She said the Earth is round. He said he lives\nin Madrid"," (and he still does). Backshifting here is also accepted, but keeping\nthe present is natural when the statement is permanently true.",[51,681,683],{"id":682},"other-reporting-verbs","Other reporting verbs",[47,685,686,114,689,691],{},[65,687,688],{},"Say",[65,690,549],{}," do most of the work, but they are blunt: they only report that\nsomething was said. English has a large set of reporting verbs that carry the\nfunction of the original words, and using them makes your reporting sharper.",[47,693,694],{},"Several of these take the same to-infinitive pattern as commands and requests:",[59,696,697,714],{},[62,698,699,135,702,135,705,135,708,628,711],{},[65,700,701],{},"promise",[65,703,704],{},"offer",[65,706,707],{},"agree",[65,709,710],{},"refuse",[65,712,713],{},"He promised to call. She refused to\nsign.",[62,715,716,135,719,135,722,135,725,135,728,731,732],{},[65,717,718],{},"advise",[65,720,721],{},"warn",[65,723,724],{},"remind",[65,726,727],{},"encourage",[65,729,730],{},"invite"," (with a person object): ",[65,733,734],{},"The\ndoctor advised me to rest. She reminded him to lock the door.",[47,736,737],{},"Others take a that-clause and still follow the backshift rule:",[59,739,740],{},[62,741,742,135,745,135,748,135,751,135,754,628,757],{},[65,743,744],{},"explain",[65,746,747],{},"admit",[65,749,750],{},"complain",[65,752,753],{},"claim",[65,755,756],{},"insist",[65,758,759],{},"He admitted that he had\nforgotten. She explained that the office was closed.",[47,761,762],{},"And a few take a verb in the -ing form:",[59,764,765],{},[62,766,767,135,770,135,773,135,776,628,779],{},[65,768,769],{},"suggest",[65,771,772],{},"recommend",[65,774,775],{},"deny",[65,777,778],{},"apologise for",[65,780,781],{},"She suggested taking a break.\nHe denied breaking the window.",[47,783,784],{},"You do not need all of these to be understood, but recognising them helps you\nread reports of speech accurately, because the verb itself tells you whether the\nwords were a promise, a warning, a complaint or a denial.",[51,786,788],{"id":787},"common-mistakes","Common mistakes",[47,790,791],{},"Ranked by how often they actually appear:",[793,794,795,811,827,839,856],"ol",{},[62,796,797,661,800,803,804,807,808,306],{},[92,798,799],{},"Keeping question word order in a reported question.",[65,801,802],{},"She asked where do I\nlive"," is wrong. It is ",[65,805,806],{},"She asked where I lived"," - statement order, no ",[65,809,810],{},"do",[62,812,813,661,816,819,820,823,824,306],{},[92,814,815],{},"Using a person after say.",[65,817,818],{},"He said me to wait"," is wrong. Use ",[65,821,822],{},"He told me\nto wait",", or ",[65,825,826],{},"He said to me",[62,828,829,832,833,836,837,306],{},[92,830,831],{},"Forgetting the backshift."," After a past reporting verb, ",[65,834,835],{},"She said she is\ntired"," should usually be ",[65,838,117],{},[62,840,841,661,844,847,848,850,851,853,854,306],{},[92,842,843],{},"Wrong time-word changes.",[65,845,846],{},"He said he would call tomorrow"," (reported later)\nshould be ",[65,849,410],{},"; ",[65,852,391],{}," should become ",[65,855,394],{},[62,857,858,661,861,864,865],{},[92,859,860],{},"Using that with a command.",[65,862,863],{},"He told me that wait"," is wrong. Commands take\na to-infinitive: ",[65,866,867],{},"He told me to wait.",[51,869,871],{"id":870},"practice","Practice",[47,873,874],{},"Rewrite each sentence in reported speech. Answers are below.",[793,876,877,880,883,886,889],{},[62,878,879],{},"She said, \"I am cooking dinner.\"",[62,881,882],{},"He said, \"I have seen this film before.\"",[62,884,885],{},"\"Where are you going?\" she asked.",[62,887,888],{},"\"Are you tired?\" he asked me.",[62,890,891],{},"\"Close the door,\" she told him.",[47,893,894,897],{},[92,895,896],{},"Answers:"," 1. She said she was cooking dinner. 2. He said he had seen that film\nbefore. 3. She asked where I was going. 4. He asked me if I was tired. 5. She\ntold him to close the door.",{"title":899,"searchDepth":900,"depth":900,"links":901},"",2,[902,903,904,905,906,907,908,909,910,911,912],{"id":53,"depth":900,"text":54},{"id":127,"depth":900,"text":128},{"id":309,"depth":900,"text":310},{"id":370,"depth":900,"text":371},{"id":462,"depth":900,"text":463},{"id":542,"depth":900,"text":543},{"id":604,"depth":900,"text":605},{"id":649,"depth":900,"text":650},{"id":682,"depth":900,"text":683},{"id":787,"depth":900,"text":788},{"id":870,"depth":900,"text":871},"B2","How reported speech works in English: the tense backshift table, pronoun and time-word changes, reported questions and commands, and say vs tell.","md",[917,920,923,926],{"q":918,"a":919},"What is reported speech?","Reported speech (also called indirect speech) is how you tell someone what another person said without quoting their exact words. Direct speech keeps the original words in quotation marks (She said, \"I am tired\"); reported speech reports the meaning (She said she was tired). When the reporting verb is in the past, the tense usually shifts back one step.",{"q":921,"a":922},"What is the tense backshift in reported speech?","When the reporting verb is in the past (said, told, asked), the tense of the original words moves back one step: present simple becomes past simple, present perfect becomes past perfect, will becomes would, can becomes could. So \"I am busy\" becomes she said she was busy.",{"q":924,"a":925},"How do you report a question?","Use statement word order, not question word order: no inversion and no auxiliary do. \"Where do you live?\" becomes she asked where I lived. For yes\u002Fno questions, add if or whether: \"Are you ready?\" becomes she asked if I was ready.",{"q":927,"a":928},"What is the difference between say and tell?","Tell needs a person object straight after it (tell me, tell her, told them). Say does not take a person object directly; if you name the listener you need to: say to me. So He told me to wait is correct, but He said me to wait is wrong.","english",{},"\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Freported-speech",{"title":41,"description":914},"english\u002Fgrammar\u002Freported-speech","e14gcv1o-5CCiKz6Kfijg-PbCawX8aixk2sygU0dKTg"]