The Indirect Speech or Reported Speech - English Grammar

You can report what someone says without using their exact words. To do this, use a verbs like the ones listed below. This is called the indirect speech in the English grammar.

explain - answer - ask - complain - wonder - inform - know - mention - remember - report - tell - think - say - want to know - write

There are several differences between a sentence with direct speech and a sentence with indirect speech.

• You don’t use quotation marks with indirect speech.
• You change the tense of the verb.
• You change the pronouns and determiners.

Order, invitations, requests and prohibitions in the indirect speech

The most common verbs used to express orders in the reported speech (or: indirect speech) are “tell” and „ask“. To build such structures one only needs the base forms. Alternatively, one can also use the expression “should”. Notice these forms in the following example sentences.

Examples for orders in the reported speech

• Mrs. Torry said, "Keep running and do not stop!"
• Mrs. Torry told us to keep running and not (to) stop.
• (Mrs. Torry said we should keep running and not stop.)

Examples of invitations in the reported speech

• Aunt Mary said (to us), "Come again soon!"
• Aunt Mary told us to come again soon!
• (Aunt Mary said/told us that we should come again soon.)

Examples of requests in the indirect speech

• Heinz said, "Please put your clothes in the cabinet!"
• Heinz asked me to put my clothes in the cabinet.
• (Heinz said that I should put my clothes in the cabinet.)

Examples of prohibitions in the indirect speech

• Mum said, "Don't jump in the water!"
• Mum told me not to jump in the water.
• (Mum said that I shouldn't jump in the water.)