How Do You Report What Someone Said?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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To use reported speech correctly, you have to be careful about what tense you use. The basic rule is that

you look at the tense the speaker used, then you go back one tense to report it

. So, for instance, if someone says something in the present tense, you report it in the past tense: ‘I like dogs.

How do you report a speech?

There are two ways to do this. One is

to say the same words and use quotation marks

. That is “direct speech.” The other method is to summarize, or tell about what someone said. This is called “reported speech.” Before we get into the rules for reporting speech, here are the terms we are using to explain it.

How do you change a sentence into a reported speech?

When using

indirect

or reported speech, the form changes. Usually indirect speech is introduced by the verb said, as in I said, Bill said, or they said. Using the verb say in this tense, indicates that something was said in the past. In these cases, the main verb in the reported sentence is put in the past.

How do you report an indirect speech question?

Indirect reports of yes-

no questions

and questions with or consist of a reporting clause and a reported clause introduced by if or whether. If is more common than whether. The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form: She asked if [S] [V]I was Scottish.

How do you report a sentence?

  1. Reporting statements. Put ‘that’ before the reported statement. Use the reporting verb ‘said’ or ‘told’. …
  2. Reporting WH-questions. Omit the question mark. …
  3. Reporting Yes-No questions. Omit the question mark. …
  4. Reporting imperative sentences. Put ‘to’ before the reported command or request.

What is reported speech 5 examples?

1 Direct She says, “I am ill.” 4 Direct I bought a car. Indirect He said he bought a car. 5 Direct My parents are very well. Indirect Alex said that his parents were very well.

What are the rules in changing direct speech to reported speech?

Rules Direct Speech Simple Present Changes To Simple Past “I always drink coffee”, she said Present Continuous Changes To Past Continuous “I am reading a book”, he explained. Present Perfect Changes To Past Perfect She said, “He has finished his work”

What are reported commands?

Use a reporting verb like

request, order, tell, advise, beseech, threaten, beg, implore, ask, propose and forbid

. Note that all of these verbs except propose must be followed by an object. Commands and requests are usually reported using a to-infinitive.

What is a reported question?

A reported question is

when we tell someone what another person asked

. To do this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech. … indirect speech: He asked me if I liked working in sales. In indirect speech, we change the question structure (e.g. Do you like) to a statement structure (e.g. I like).

What is reported request?

A request is

when somebody asks you to do something – usually politely

. Reported requests are one form of reported speech.

What is reporting statement?

Reported statements are

one form of reported speech

. direct statement. reported statement. He said, “I am sick.” He said that he was sick.

What are reporting phrases?

Reporting verbs are an essential part of academic writing. These verbs are used to

introduce a quote

or a paraphrase. Avoid using the same reporting verb or phrase. Also, make sure you understand what the word means as they can indicate your thoughts about the claim being made.

What is reported speech give examples?

Reported speech is

speech which tells you what someone said, but does not use the person’s actual words

: for example, ‘They said you didn’t like it,’ ‘I asked her what her plans were,’ and ‘Citizens complained about the smoke. ‘

What are the 20 examples of reported speech?

  • He said that he was living in Paris.
  • She said she had taken Spanish lessons before.
  • She says the exam is very difficult.
  • Mary said, “My husband went with me to the show yesterday.”
  • He said he had gone to London the week before.
  • He said he could swim when he was four.

What are the rules of direct speech?

  • Each new character’s speech starts on a new line.
  • Speech is opened with speech marks.
  • Each line of speech starts with a capital.
  • The line of speech ends with a comma, exclamation mark or question mark.
  • A reporting clause is used at the end (said Jane, shouted Paul, replied Mum).
Juan Martinez
Author
Juan Martinez
Juan Martinez is a journalism professor and experienced writer. With a passion for communication and education, Juan has taught students from all over the world. He is an expert in language and writing, and has written for various blogs and magazines.