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Nepřímá řeč (1)

INTERMEDIATE Vydáno dne 25.03.2006

Základní principy tvoření nepřímé řeči v angličtině, především pro oznamovací věty. Podrobné vysvětlení celé gramatiky doplněné spoustou příkladů.

Nepřímá řeč ( reported speech )

Část první: základní principy, oznamovací věty.

Nepřímá řeč v angličtině je dalším obávaným jevem, díky kterému se ježí hrůzou vlasy nejednomu studentu. Ale jako obvykle, nejedná se o nějakou složitou vědu, stačí pouze pochopit, že angličtina funguje trochu na jiném principu než čeština.

Přímá / nepřímá řeč

O co se vůbec jedná, nám přiblíží následující příklad. Nejprve přímá řeč:

Řekl mi: ‘Nemůžu s vámi jít, protože nemám čas. Dneska se budu celý večer učit, protože jsem včera dostal pětku.’

Přímá řeč je to, co dotyčný doopravdy řekl, přesná slova (v uvozovkách) apod. Podívejme se, jak by to v češtině znělo v nepřímé řeči:

Řekl mi, že s námi nemůže jít, protože nemá čas a bude se celý večer učit, protože den předtím dostal pětku.

Vidíme, že v našem jazyce změníme osobní zájmena (já nemůžu – že on nemůže) a některá příslovce (včera – den předtím).

V češtině použijeme ten čas, který bychom použili v přímé řeči, tedy jako by to člověk říkal nyní. Podívejme se na následující příklad:

Řekl, že má hlad.  – ve vedlejší větě je přítomný čas, který vyjadřuje, že v momentě, kdy on to řekl, to vlastně byla přítomnost (proto přítomný) Řekl, že měl hlad.  – ve vedlejší větě je použitý minulý čas, který říká, že v momentě, kdy on to řekl, už daný děj (hlad) byl minulostí (proto minulý) Řekl, že bude mít hlad.  – ve vedlejší větě je nyní budoucí čas, který znamená, že v moment mluvení dotyčný člověk ještě hlad neměl, ale oznamoval, že v budoucnosti ho mít bude (proto budoucí)

V angličtině je však věc složitější. Je-li totiž věta hlavní v minulém čase (řekl, že) musí tomuto času odpovídat i časy v ostatních větách, ne jako v češtině:

He said (that) he was hungry.  – když to řekl, tak měl právě hlad, proto musí být v angličtině oba časy stejné, jeho mluvení i jeho hlad byl v minulosti He said (that) he had been hungry.  – když to řekl, hlad již tehdy byl minulostí, a proto pokud použijeme pro ‘řekl’ čas minulý, pro ten druhý děj musí být čas, který mluví o tom, co bylo ještě předtím – tedy předminulý čas. Z pohledu přítomnosti (tady a teď) tedy jasně vidíme, jak to bylo: řekl to – v minulosti, měl hlad – ještě předtím He said (that) he would be hungry.  – když to řekl, hlad ještě neměl a očekával hlad v budoucnosti. Would nám vyjádří, že v momentě mluvení to byla budoucnost, nemusí to však být budoucnost z našeho pohledu (tady a teď), ten hlad již nyní pravděpodobně nemá

Prakticky vlastně dochází k tomu, že to, co je v přímé řeči se prostě posune ‘o jeden čas zpět’.

Časový posun

Budoucí čas se v angličtině vždy tvoří pomocí přítomného času, ať již přítomného času pomocného slovesa will , nebo přítomného průběhového času slovesa go ( be going to ), nebo se používá přítomný prostý či průběhový čas ve významu budoucím.

Proto je zde časový posun tak jednoduchý. Stačí to, co je ve větě přítomné, posunout do minulosti: tedy minulý čas slovesa will je would a minulý čas od be going to je was / were going to .

Pozn.: Některé učebnice uvádějí, že budoucí čas se mění na podmiňovací způsob. Zde však would s podmiňovacím způsobem nemá nic společného (kromě tvaru slova) – nic zde nepodmiňujeme, žádná podmínka zde není.

Časový posun se však týká i modálních sloves:

Modální slovesa

Další změny.

Kromě změny času musíme mít na paměti další nutné změny. První z nich je samozřejmě změna osobních zájmen. Pokud je v přímé řeči slovo ‘já’, jedná se o člověka který mluví, a změníme-li větu na nepřímou řeč, musíme i toto zájmeno změnit.

“ I  like fish.”  – He said that he liked fish.

I další osobní zájmena podléhají změnám, záleží však vždy na kontextu. Pokud kontext nemáte a pracujete pouze s jednou vytrženou větou, možností převodu je několik. Například:

“ He doesn't like you .”  – zde vůbec nevíme, kdo to komu říká a o kom

A proto se vždy musíte zamyslet především nad kontextem.

Změnám podlehnou také jakákoliv místní a časová příslovečná určení, která se přímo vztahují k místu a času mluvení. Řekneme-li slovo ‘dnes’, máme tím na mysli den, ve který danou větu říkáme. Převedeme-li větu do nepřímé řeči, ‘dnes’ již vůbec nemusí být dnes.

Slůvko ‘tady’ již také nemusí odpovídat místu, na kterém jsme, když nepřímou řeč používáme. Měníme především ta příslovečná určení času a místa, která mají vztah pouze k času a místu, kdy je člověk pronesl (např. nyní, včera, zítra, před rokem apod.) Určitě nebudeme měnit např. rok 1999, protože ten zůstává rokem 1999 ať již o něm mluvíme dnes, nebo kdykoliv jindy.

Příslovečná určení

Se změnou místních příslovečných určení ( here na there ), ukazovacích zájmen ( this na that , these na those ) souvisí ještě např. případná změna slovesa come na go , bring na take  apod.

Sloveso come totiž znamená ‘jít odněkud sem’, a to tedy může být nutné změnit na go , což znamená ‘jít odněkud někam’. Stejně tak bring znamená ‘přinést’, neboli ‘vzít něco odněkud sem’, což zase v některé situaci je nutné převést na ‘vzít něco odněkud někam’, tedy take .

Pozn.: Více v článcích GO vs. COME a Pleteme si: take, bring, fetch, carry, hold .

Kdy k posunu nedojde?

Posun časů, zájmen a příslovečných určení nebudeme provádět, pokud to není potřeba, tedy pokud daný čas, zájmeno a příslovečné určení stále ještě platí a vztahuje se i na čas a místo, kdy používáme nepřímou řeč. Pokud je v přímé řeči slovo today a my ještě ten den používáme nepřímou řeč, i v ní potom zůstane today .

Ukažme si to na příkladu. He said: “I will do it today .” Dnes ráno slíbil, že to udělá, ale je už večer (tentýž den) a on to neudělal. Já mu tedy budu vyčítat: You said you would do it today ! K posunu příslovce tedy nedošlo, protože dnešek je stále ještě dnešek.

Nebo porovnejte tyto dvě věty:

He said that he went there yesterday .  – Řekl, že tam včera jel (včera z pohledu dneška, tedy dne, kdy tuto větu říkáme my) He said that he had gone there the day before .  – Řekl, že tam jel den předtím (než to řekl)

Pokud je v přímé řeči čas budoucí, můžeme ho ponechat i v nepřímé řeči, pokud se stále ještě o budoucnost jedná:

He said that he will help me.  – Řekl, že mi pomůže, t.j. stále čekám pomoc. He said that he would help me.  – Řekl, že mi pomůže (a pomohl / ale nepomohl). Pomoc už nečekám.

Dalším případem, kdy k posunu nedochází, je posun z minulého času na předminulý. V současné době tento posun není stoprocentně nutnou záležitostí a podle moderních učebnic je možné věty v minulém čase ponechat v nepřímé řeči beze změny.

Pokud by však tím, že v nepřímé řeči ponecháme minulý čas, mohlo dojít k nesprávnému pochopení, je vždy potřeba tento čas převést. A proto ho raději převeďte, nic tím nezkazíte. Některé učebnice toto totiž ‘neznají’ a mohli byste se tak dopustit zbytečných ‘chyb’.

Posledním případem, kdy k posunu nedojde, je to, když je hlavní věta v přítomném čase. Tedy: ‘Říká že…’  – ‘He says that…’

V tomto prvním článku věnovaném nepřímé řeči v angličtině jsme chtěli vysvětlit základní pravidla a principy, a vysvětlit, jak se nepřímá řeč tvoří u oznamovacích vět. Ve druhé části se dovíte, jak převádět tázací věty, otázky, zvolání apod. Je však nezbytně nutné, abyste si nejprve osvojili ta pravidla, která jsou obsažená v tomto dílu. Většina dalších věcí totiž na ně navazuje.

Na paměti tedy vždy mějte tři základní kroky:

• změnit čas slovesa (‘o jeden zpět’)
• změnit osobní zájmena
• změnit případná příslovečná určení času a místa
• má význam ‘potom’ ale i ‘tehdy’

V naší výukové aplikaci english me! je tento článek doplněn aktivitami k procvičení.

Bezkonkurenční online angličtina za 169 Kč měsíčně . Přečtěte si více informací nebo si ji hned zdarma vyzkoušejte .

Autor článku: Marek Vít

Mgr. Marek Vít je spoluzakladatelem portálu Help for English a spoluautorem několika výukových programů. Je držitelem certifikátu CPE a ocenění Evropský učitel jazyků 2008. Má dlouholeté zkušenosti jako učitel (ZŠ, SŠ i VŠ), soukromý lektor a překladatel.

Pokračovat můžete zde:

Časová souslednost (tabulka), test: nepřímá řeč (1).

Vyberte ze čtyř možností tu, pomocí které lze přímou řeč převést na nepřímou.

Nepřímá řeč (2)

Jak tvořit nepřímé otázky, rozkazy a převádět neúplné věty. Podrobné vysvětlení celé gramatiky doplněné spoustou příkladů.

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Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions

👉 Quiz 1 / Quiz 2

Advanced Grammar Course

What is reported speech?

“Reported speech” is when we talk about what somebody else said – for example:

• Direct Speech: “I’ve been to London three times.”
• Reported Speech: She said she’d been to London three times.

There are a lot of tricky little details to remember, but don’t worry, I’ll explain them and we’ll see lots of examples. The lesson will have three parts – we’ll start by looking at statements in reported speech, and then we’ll learn about some exceptions to the rules, and finally we’ll cover reported questions, requests, and commands.

So much of English grammar – like this topic, reported speech – can be confusing, hard to understand, and even harder to use correctly. I can help you learn grammar easily and use it confidently inside my Advanced English Grammar Course.

In this course, I will make even the most difficult parts of English grammar clear to you – and there are lots of opportunities for you to practice!

Backshift of Verb Tenses in Reported Speech

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:

Reported Speech (Part 1) Quiz

Exceptions to backshift in reported speech.

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.

No backshift needed when the situation is still true

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.

He said he HAS three children

But when the situation is NOT still true, then we DO need to backshift the verb.

Imagine your friend says, “I have a headache.”

• If you immediately go and talk to another friend, you could say, “She said she has a headache,” because the situation is still true
• If you’re talking about that conversation a month after it happened, then you would say, “She said she had a headache,” because it’s no longer true.

No backshift needed when the situation is still in the future

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:

• On Monday, my friend said, “I ‘ll call you on Friday .”
• “She said she ‘ll call me on Friday”, because Friday is still in the future from now.
• It is also possible to say, “She said she ‘d (she would) call me on Friday.”
• Both of them are correct, so the backshift in this case is optional.

Let’s look at a different situation:

• On Monday, my friend said, “I ‘ll call you on Tuesday .”
• “She said she ‘d  call me on Tuesday.” I must backshift because the event is NOT still in the future.

Review: Reported Speech, Backshift, & Exceptions

Quick review:

• Normally in reported speech we backshift the verb, we put it in a verb tense that’s a little bit further in the past.
• when the situation is still true
• when the situation is still in the future

Reported Requests, Orders, and Questions

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”:

• “Please make a copy of this report.” (direct speech)
• She asked me to make a copy of the report. (reported speech)

For reported orders, we use “told (someone) to do something:”

• “Go to the bank.” (direct speech)
• “He told me to go to the bank.” (reported speech)

The main verb stays in the infinitive with “to”:

• She asked me to make a copy of the report. She asked me  make  a copy of the report.
• He told me to go to the bank. He told me  go  to the bank.

For yes/no questions, we use “asked if” and “wanted to know if” in reported speech.

• “Are you coming to the party?” (direct)
• He asked if I was coming to the party. (reported)
• “Did you turn off the TV?” (direct)
• She wanted to know if I had turned off the TV.” (reported)

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:

• She wanted to know did I turn off the TV.
• She wanted to know if I had turned off the TV.

For other questions that are not yes/no questions, we use asked/wanted to know (without “if”):

• “When was the company founded?” (direct)
• She asked when the company was founded.” (reported)
• “What kind of car do you drive?” (direct)
• He wanted to know what kind of car I drive. (reported)

Again, notice that we don’t use do/does/did in reported questions:

• “Where does he work?”
• She wanted to know  where does he work.
• She wanted to know where he works.

Also, in questions with the verb “to be,” the word order changes in the reported question:

• “Where were you born?” ([to be] + subject)
• He asked where I was born. (subject + [to be])
• He asked where was I born.

Reported Speech (Part 2) Quiz

Learn more about reported speech:

• Reported speech: Perfect English Grammar
• Reported speech: BJYU’s

If you want to take your English grammar to the next level, then my Advanced English Grammar Course is for you! It will help you master the details of the English language, with clear explanations of essential grammar topics, and lots of practice. I hope to see you inside!

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.

Master the details of English grammar:

More Espresso English Lessons:

About the author.

Shayna Oliveira

Shayna Oliveira is the founder of Espresso English, where you can improve your English fast - even if you don’t have much time to study. Millions of students are learning English from her clear, friendly, and practical lessons! Shayna is a CELTA-certified teacher with 10+ years of experience helping English learners become more fluent in her English courses.

What is Reported Speech and how to use it? with Examples

Reported speech and indirect speech are two terms that refer to the same concept, which is the act of expressing what someone else has said. Reported speech is different from direct speech because it does not use the speaker's exact words. Instead, the reporting verb is used to introduce the reported speech, and the tense and pronouns are changed to reflect the shift in perspective. There are two main types of reported speech: statements and questions. 1. Reported Statements: In reported statements, the reporting verb is usually "said." The tense in the reported speech changes from the present simple to the past simple, and any pronouns referring to the speaker or listener are changed to reflect the shift in perspective. For example, "I am going to the store," becomes "He said that he was going to the store." 2. Reported Questions: In reported questions, the reporting verb is usually "asked." The tense in the reported speech changes from the present simple to the past simple, and the word order changes from a question to a statement. For example, "What time is it?" becomes "She asked what time it was." It's important to note that the tense shift in reported speech depends on the context and the time of the reported speech. Here are a few more examples: ●  Direct speech: "I will call you later." Reported speech: He said that he would call me later. ●  Direct speech: "Did you finish your homework?" Reported speech: She asked if I had finished my homework. ●  Direct speech: "I love pizza." Reported speech: They said that they loved pizza.

When do we use reported speech?

Reported speech is used to report what someone else has said, thought, or written. It is often used in situations where you want to relate what someone else has said without quoting them directly. Reported speech can be used in a variety of contexts, such as in news reports, academic writing, and everyday conversation. Some common situations where reported speech is used include: News reports: Journalists often use reported speech to quote what someone said in an interview or press conference. Business and professional communication: In professional settings, reported speech can be used to summarize what was discussed in a meeting or to report feedback from a customer. Conversational English: In everyday conversations, reported speech is used to relate what someone else said. For example, "She told me that she was running late." Narration: In written narratives or storytelling, reported speech can be used to convey what a character said or thought.

How to make reported speech?

1. Change the pronouns and adverbs of time and place: In reported speech, you need to change the pronouns, adverbs of time and place to reflect the new speaker or point of view. Here's an example: Direct speech: "I'm going to the store now," she said. 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: Direct speech: "I will meet you at the park tomorrow," he said. Reported speech: He said he would meet me at the park the next day. In this example, the present tense "will" is changed to the past tense "would." 3. Change reporting verbs: In reported speech, you can use different reporting verbs such as "say," "tell," "ask," or "inquire" depending on the context of the speech. Here's an example: Direct speech: "Did you finish your homework?" she asked. Reported speech: She asked if I had finished my homework. In this example, the reporting verb "asked" is changed to "said" and "did" is changed to "had." Overall, when making reported speech, it's important to pay attention to the verb tense and the changes in pronouns, adverbs, and reporting verbs to convey the original speaker's message accurately.

How do I change the pronouns and adverbs in reported speech?

1. Changing Pronouns: In reported speech, the pronouns in the original statement must be changed to reflect the perspective of the new speaker. Generally, the first person pronouns (I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, ours) are changed according to the subject of the reporting verb, while the second and third person pronouns (you, your, yours, he, him, his, she, her, hers, it, its, they, them, their, theirs) are changed according to the object of the reporting verb. For example: Direct speech: "I love chocolate." Reported speech: She said she loved chocolate. Direct speech: "You should study harder." Reported speech: He advised me to study harder. Direct speech: "She is reading a book." Reported speech: They noticed that she was reading a book. 2. Changing Adverbs: In reported speech, the adverbs and adverbial phrases that indicate time or place may need to be changed to reflect the perspective of the new speaker. For example: Direct speech: "I'm going to the cinema tonight." Reported speech: She said she was going to the cinema that night. Direct speech: "He is here." Reported speech: She said he was there. Note that the adverb "now" usually changes to "then" or is omitted altogether in reported speech, depending on the context. It's important to keep in mind that the changes made to pronouns and adverbs in reported speech depend on the context and the perspective of the new speaker. With practice, you can become more comfortable with making these changes in reported speech.

How do I change the tense in reported speech?

In reported speech, the tense of the reported verb usually changes to reflect the change from direct to indirect speech. Here are some guidelines on how to change the tense in reported speech: Present simple in direct speech changes to past simple in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: "I like pizza." Reported speech: She said she liked pizza. Present continuous in direct speech changes to past continuous in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: "I am studying for my exam." Reported speech: He said he was studying for his exam. Present perfect in direct speech changes to past perfect in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: "I have finished my work." Reported speech: She said she had finished her work. Past simple in direct speech changes to past perfect in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: "I visited my grandparents last weekend." Reported speech: She said she had visited her grandparents the previous weekend. Will in direct speech changes to would in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: "I will help you with your project." Reported speech: He said he would help me with my project. Can in direct speech changes to could in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: "I can speak French." Reported speech: She said she could speak French. Remember that the tense changes in reported speech depend on the tense of the verb in the direct speech, and the tense you use in reported speech should match the time frame of the new speaker's perspective. With practice, you can become more comfortable with changing the tense in reported speech.

Do I always need to use a reporting verb in reported speech?

No, you do not always need to use a reporting verb in reported speech. However, using a reporting verb can help to clarify who is speaking and add more context to the reported speech. In some cases, the reported speech can be introduced by phrases such as "I heard that" or "It seems that" without using a reporting verb. For example: Direct speech: "I'm going to the cinema tonight." Reported speech with a reporting verb: She said she was going to the cinema tonight. Reported speech without a reporting verb: It seems that she's going to the cinema tonight. However, it's important to note that using a reporting verb can help to make the reported speech more formal and accurate. When using reported speech in academic writing or journalism, it's generally recommended to use a reporting verb to make the reporting more clear and credible. Some common reporting verbs include say, tell, explain, ask, suggest, and advise. For example: Direct speech: "I think we should invest in renewable energy." Reported speech with a reporting verb: She suggested that they invest in renewable energy. Overall, while using a reporting verb is not always required, it can be helpful to make the reported speech more clear and accurate.

How to use reported speech to report questions and commands?

1. Reporting Questions: When reporting questions, you need to use an introductory phrase such as "asked" or "wondered" followed by the question word (if applicable), subject, and verb. You also need to change the word order to make it a statement. Here's an example: Direct speech: "What time is the meeting?" Reported speech: She asked what time the meeting was. Note that the question mark is not used in reported speech. 2. Reporting Commands: When reporting commands, you need to use an introductory phrase such as "ordered" or "told" followed by the person, to + infinitive, and any additional information. Here's an example: Direct speech: "Clean your room!" Reported speech: She ordered me to clean my room. Note that the exclamation mark is not used in reported speech. In both cases, the tense of the reported verb should be changed accordingly. For example, present simple changes to past simple, and future changes to conditional. Here are some examples: Direct speech: "Will you go to the party with me?" Reported speech: She asked if I would go to the party with her. Direct speech: "Please bring me a glass of water." Reported speech: She requested that I bring her a glass of water. Remember that when using reported speech to report questions and commands, the introductory phrases and verb tenses are important to convey the intended meaning accurately.

How to make questions in reported speech?

To make questions in reported speech, you need to use an introductory phrase such as "asked" or "wondered" followed by the question word (if applicable), subject, and verb. You also need to change the word order to make it a statement. Here are the steps to make questions in reported speech: Identify the reporting verb: The first step is to identify the reporting verb in the sentence. Common reporting verbs used to report questions include "asked," "inquired," "wondered," and "wanted to know." Change the tense and pronouns: Next, you need to change the tense and pronouns in the sentence to reflect the shift from direct to reported speech. The tense of the verb is usually shifted back one tense (e.g. from present simple to past simple) in reported speech. The pronouns should also be changed as necessary to reflect the shift in perspective from the original speaker to the reporting speaker. Use an appropriate question word: If the original question contained a question word (e.g. who, what, where, when, why, how), you should use the same question word in the reported question. If the original question did not contain a question word, you can use "if" or "whether" to introduce the reported question. Change the word order: In reported speech, the word order of the question changes from the inverted form to a normal statement form. The subject usually comes before the verb, unless the original question started with a question word. Here are some examples of reported questions: Direct speech: "What time is the meeting?" Reported speech: She asked what time the meeting was. Direct speech: "Did you finish your homework?" Reported speech: He wanted to know if I had finished my homework. Direct speech: "Where are you going?" Reported speech: She wondered where I was going. Remember that when making questions in reported speech, the introductory phrases and verb tenses are important to convey the intended meaning accurately. Here you can find more examples of direct and indirect questions

What is the difference between reported speech an indirect speech?

In reported or indirect speech, you are retelling or reporting what someone said using your own words. The tense of the reported speech is usually shifted back one tense from the tense used in the original statement. For example, if someone said, "I am going to the store," in reported speech you would say, "He/she said that he/she was going to the store." The main difference between reported speech and indirect speech is that reported speech usually refers to spoken language, while indirect speech can refer to both spoken and written language. Additionally, indirect speech is a broader term that includes reported speech as well as other ways of expressing what someone else has said, such as paraphrasing or summarizing.

Examples of direct speech to reported

1. Direct speech: "I am hungry," she said. Reported speech: She said she was hungry. 2. Direct speech: "Can you pass the salt, please?" he asked. Reported speech: He asked her to pass the salt. 3. Direct speech: "I will meet you at the cinema," he said. Reported speech: He said he would meet her at the cinema. 4. Direct speech: "I have been working on this project for hours," she said. Reported speech: She said she had been working on the project for hours. 5. Direct speech: "What time does the train leave?" he asked. Reported speech: He asked what time the train left. 6. Direct speech: "I love playing the piano," she said. Reported speech: She said she loved playing the piano. 7. Direct speech: "I am going to the grocery store," he said. Reported speech: He said he was going to the grocery store. 8. Direct speech: "Did you finish your homework?" the teacher asked. Reported speech: The teacher asked if he had finished his homework. 9. Direct speech: "I want to go to the beach," she said. Reported speech: She said she wanted to go to the beach. 10. Direct speech: "Do you need help with that?" he asked. Reported speech: He asked if she needed help with that. 11. Direct speech: "I can't come to the party," he said. Reported speech: He said he couldn't come to the party. 12. Direct speech: "Please don't leave me," she said. Reported speech: She begged him not to leave her. 13. Direct speech: "I have never been to London before," he said. Reported speech: He said he had never been to London before. 14. Direct speech: "Where did you put my phone?" she asked. Reported speech: She asked where she had put her phone. 15. Direct speech: "I'm sorry for being late," he said. Reported speech: He apologized for being late. 16. Direct speech: "I need some help with this math problem," she said. Reported speech: She said she needed some help with the math problem. 17. Direct speech: "I am going to study abroad next year," he said. Reported speech: He said he was going to study abroad the following year. 18. Direct speech: "Can you give me a ride to the airport?" she asked. Reported speech: She asked him to give her a ride to the airport. 19. Direct speech: "I don't know how to fix this," he said. Reported speech: He said he didn't know how to fix it. 20. Direct speech: "I hate it when it rains," she said. Reported speech: She said she hated it when it rained.

What is Direct and Indirect Speech?

Direct and indirect speech are two different ways of reporting spoken or written language. Let's delve into the details and provide some examples. Click here to read more

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He Said, She Said: Mastering Reported Speech in English (Both Direct and Indirect)

“Reported speech” might sound fancy, but it isn’t that complicated.

It’s just how you talk about what someone said.

Luckily, it’s pretty simple to learn the basics in English, beginning with the two types of reported speech: direct (reporting the exact words someone said) and indirect (reporting what someone said without using their exact words ).

Read this post to learn how to report speech, with tips and tricks for each, plenty of examples and a resources section that tells you about real world resources you can use to practice reporting speech.

How to Report Direct Speech

How to report indirect speech, reporting questions in indirect speech, verb tenses in indirect reported speech, simple present, present continuous, present perfect, present perfect continuous, simple past, past continuous, past perfect, past perfect continuous, simple future, future continuous, future perfect, future perfect continuous, authentic resources for practicing reported speech, novels and short stories, native english videos, celebrity profiles.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Direct speech refers to the exact words that a person says. You can “report” direct speech in a few different ways.

To see how this works, let’s pretend that I (Elisabeth) told some people that I liked green onions.

Here are some different ways that those people could explain what I said:

Direct speech: “I like green onions,” Elisabeth said.

Direct speech: “I like green onions,” she told me. — In this sentence, we replace my name (Elisabeth) with the pronoun she.

In all of these examples, the part that was said is between quotation marks and is followed by a noun (“she” or “Elisabeth”) and a verb. Each of these verbs (“to say,” “to tell [someone],” “to explain”) are ways to describe someone talking. You can use any verb that refers to speech in this way.

You can also put the noun and verb before what was said.

Direct speech: Elisabeth said, “I like spaghetti.”

The example above would be much more likely to be said out loud than the first set of examples.

Here’s a conversation that might happen between two people:

1: Did you ask her if she liked coffee?

2: Yeah, I asked her.

1: What did she say?

2. She said, “Yeah, I like coffee.” ( Direct speech )

Usually, reporting of direct speech is something you see in writing. It doesn’t happen as often when people are talking to each other. 

Direct reported speech often happens in the past. However, there are all kinds of stories, including journalism pieces, profiles and fiction, where you might see speech reported in the present as well.

This is sometimes done when the author of the piece wants you to feel that you’re experiencing events in the present moment.

For example, a profile of Kristen Stewart in Vanity Fair  has a funny moment that describes how the actress isn’t a very good swimmer:

Direct speech: “I don’t want to enter the water, ever,” she says. “If everyone’s going in the ocean, I’m like, no.”

Here, the speech is reported as though it’s in the present tense (“she says”) instead of in the past (“she said”).

In writing of all kinds, direct reported speech is often split into two or more parts, as it is above.

Here’s an example from Lewis Carroll’s “ Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland ,” where the speech is even more split up:

Direct speech: “I won’t indeed!” said Alice, in a great hurry to change the subject of conversation. “Are you—are you fond—of—of dogs?” The Mouse did not answer, so Alice went on eagerly: “There is such a nice little dog near our house I should like to show you!”

Reporting indirect speech is what happens when you explain what someone said without using their exact words.

Let’s start with an example of direct reported speech like those used above.

Direct speech: Elisabeth said, “I like coffee.”

As indirect reported speech, it looks like this:

Indirect speech: Elisabeth said she liked coffee.

You can see that the subject (“I”) has been changed to “she,” to show who is being spoken about. If I’m reporting the direct speech of someone else, and this person says “I,” I’d repeat their sentence exactly as they said it. If I’m reporting this person’s speech indirectly to someone else, however, I’d speak about them in the third person—using “she,” “he” or “they.”

You may also notice that the tense changes here: If “I like coffee” is what she said, this can become “She liked coffee” in indirect speech.

However, you might just as often hear someone say something like, “She said she likes coffee.” Since people’s likes and preferences tend to change over time and not right away, it makes sense to keep them in the present tense.

Indirect speech often uses the word “that” before what was said:

Indirect speech: She said that she liked coffee.

There’s no real difference between “She said she liked coffee” and “She said that she liked coffee.” However, using “that” can help make the different parts of the sentence clearer.

Let’s look at a few other examples:

Indirect speech: I said I was going outside today.

Indirect speech: They told me that they wanted to order pizza.

Indirect speech: He mentioned it was raining.

Indirect speech: She said that her father was coming over for dinner.

You can see an example of reporting indirect speech in the funny video “ Cell Phone Crashing .” In this video, a traveler in an airport sits down next to another traveler talking on his cell phone. The first traveler pretends to be talking to someone on his phone, but he appears to be responding to the second traveler’s conversation, which leads to this exchange:

Woman: “Are you answering what I’m saying?”

Man “No, no… I’m on the phone with somebody, sorry. I don’t mean to be rude.” (Direct speech)

Woman: “What was that?”

Man: “I just said I was on the phone with somebody.” (Indirect speech)

When reporting questions in indirect speech, you can use words like “whether” or “if” with verbs that show questioning, such as “to ask” or “to wonder.”

Direct speech: She asked, “Is that a new restaurant?”

Indirect speech: She asked if that was a new restaurant. 

In any case where you’re reporting a question, you can say that someone was “wondering” or “wanted to know” something. Notice that these verbs don’t directly show that someone asked a question. They don’t describe an action that happened at a single point in time. But you can usually assume that someone was wondering or wanted to know what they asked.

Indirect speech: She was wondering if that was a new restaurant.

Indirect speech: She wanted to know whether that was a new restaurant.

It can be tricky to know how to use tenses when reporting indirect speech. Let’s break it down, tense by tense.

Sometimes, indirect speech “ backshifts ,” or moves one tense further back into the past. We already saw this in the example from above:

Direct speech: She said, “I like coffee.”

Indirect speech: She said she liked coffee.

Also as mentioned above, backshifting doesn’t always happen. This might seem confusing, but it isn’t that difficult to understand once you start using reported speech regularly.

What tense you use in indirect reported speech often just depends on when what you’re reporting happened or was true.

Let’s look at some examples of how direct speech in certain tenses commonly changes (or doesn’t) when it’s reported as indirect speech.

To learn about all the English tenses (or for a quick review), check out this post .

Direct speech: I said, “I play video games.”

Indirect speech: I said that I played video games (simple past) or I said that I play video games  (simple present).

Backshifting into the past or staying in the present here can change the meaning slightly. If you use the first example, it’s unclear whether or not you still play video games; all we know is that you said you played them in the past.

If you use the second example, though, you probably still play video games (unless you were lying for some reason).

However, the difference in meaning is so small, you can use either one and you won’t have a problem.

Direct speech: I said, “I’m playing video games.”

Indirect speech: I said that I was playing video games (past continuous) or I said that I’m playing video games (present continuous).

In this case, you’d likely use the first example if you were telling a story about something that happened in the past.

You could use the second example to repeat or stress what you just said. For example:

Hey, want to go for a walk?

Direct speech: No, I’m playing video games.

But it’s such a nice day!

Indirect speech: I said that I’m playing video games!

Direct speech: Marie said, “I have read that book.”

Indirect speech: Marie said that she had read that book (past perfect) or Marie said that she has read that book (present perfect).

The past perfect is used a lot in writing and other kinds of narration. This is because it helps point out an exact moment in time when something was true.

The past perfect isn’t quite as useful in conversation, where people are usually more interested in what’s true now. So, in a lot of cases, people would use the second example above when speaking.

Direct speech: She said, “I have been watching that show.”

Indirect speech: She said that she had been watching that show (past perfect continuous) or She said that she has been watching that show (present perfect continuous).

These examples are similar to the others above. You could use the first example whether or not this person was still watching the show, but if you used the second example, it’d probably seem like you either knew or guessed that she was still watching it.

Direct speech: You told me, “I charged my phone.”

Indirect speech: You told me that you had charged your phone (past perfect) or You told me that you charged your phone (simple past).

Here, most people would probably just use the second example, because it’s simpler, and gets across the same meaning.

Direct speech: You told me, “I was charging my phone.”

Indirect speech: You told me that you had been charging your phone (past perfect continuous) or You told me that you were charging your phone (past continuous).

Here, the difference is between whether you had been charging your phone before or were charging your phone at the time. However, a lot of people would still use the second example in either situation.

Direct speech: They explained, “We had bathed the cat on Wednesday.”

Indirect speech: They explained that they had bathed the cat on Wednesday. (past perfect)

Once we start reporting the past perfect tenses, we don’t backshift because there are no tenses to backshift to.

So in this case, it’s simple. The tense stays exactly as is. However, many people might simplify even more and use the simple past, saying, “They explained that they bathed the cat on Wednesday.”

Direct speech: They said, “The cat had been going outside and getting dirty for a long time!”

Indirect speech: They said that the cat had been going outside and getting dirty for a long time. (past perfect continuous)

Again, we don’t shift the tense back here; we leave it like it is. And again, a lot of people would report this speech as, “They said the cat was going outside and getting dirty for a long time.” It’s just a simpler way to say almost the same thing.

Direct speech: I told you, “I will be here no matter what.”

Indirect speech: I told you that I would be here no matter what. (present conditional)

At this point, we don’t just have to think about tenses, but grammatical mood, too. However, the idea is still pretty simple. We use the conditional (with “would”) to show that at the time the words were spoken, the future was uncertain.

In this case, you could also say, “I told you that I will be here no matter what,” but only if you “being here” is still something that you expect to happen in the future.

What matters here is what’s intended. Since this example shows a person reporting their own speech, it’s more likely that they’d want to stress the truth of their own intention, and so they might be more likely to use “will” than “would.”

But if you were reporting someone else’s words, you might be more likely to say something like, “She told me that she would be here no matter what.”

Direct speech: I said, “I’ll be waiting for your call.”

Indirect speech: I said that I would be waiting for your call. (conditional continuous)

These are similar to the above examples, but apply to a continuous or ongoing action.

Direct speech: She said, “I will have learned a lot about myself.”

Indirect speech: She said that she would have learned a lot about herself (conditional perfect) or She said that she will have learned a lot about herself (future perfect).

In this case, using the conditional (as in the first example) suggests that maybe a certain event didn’t happen, or something didn’t turn out as expected.

However, that might not always be the case, especially if this was a sentence that was written in an article or a work of fiction. The second example, however, suggests that the future that’s being talked about still hasn’t happened yet.

Direct speech: She said, “By next Tuesday, I will have been staying inside every day for the past month.”

Indirect speech: She said that by next Tuesday, she would have been staying inside every day for the past month (perfect continuous conditional) or She said that by next Tuesday, she will have been staying inside every day for the past month (past perfect continuous).

Again, in this case, the first example might suggest that the event didn’t happen. Maybe the person didn’t stay inside until next Tuesday! However, this could also just be a way of explaining that at the time she said this in the past, it was uncertain whether she really would stay inside for as long as she thought.

The second example, on the other hand, would only be used if next Tuesday hadn’t happened yet.

Let’s take a look at where you can find resources for practicing reporting speech in the real world.

One of the most common uses for reported speech is in fiction. You’ll find plenty of reported speech in novels and short stories . Look for books that have long sections of text with dialogue marked by quotation marks (“…”). Once you understand the different kinds of reported speech, you can look for it in your reading and use it in your own writing.

Writing your own stories is a great way to get even better at understanding reported speech.

One of the best ways to practice any aspect of English is to watch native English videos. By watching English speakers use the language, you can understand how reported speech is used in real world situations.

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

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Celebrity profiles, which you can find in print magazines and online, can help you find and practice reported speech, too. Celebrity profiles are stories that focus on a famous person. They often include some kind of interview. The writer will usually spend some time describing the person and then mention things that they say; this is when they use reported speech.

Because many of these profiles are written in the present tense, they can help you get used to the basics of reported speech without having to worry too much about different verb tenses.

While the above may seem really complicated, it isn’t that difficult to start using reported speech.

Mastering it may be a little difficult, but the truth is that many, many people who speak English as a first language struggle with it, too!

Reported speech is flexible, and even if you make mistakes, there’s a good chance that no one will notice.

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• B1-B2 grammar

Reported speech

Daisy has just had an interview for a summer job. 

Instructions

As you watch the video, look at the examples of reported speech. They are in  red  in the subtitles. Then read the conversation below to learn more. Finally, do the grammar exercises to check you understand, and can use, reported speech correctly.

Sophie:  Mmm, it’s so nice to be chilling out at home after all that running around.

Ollie: Oh, yeah, travelling to glamorous places for a living must be such a drag!

Ollie: Mum, you can be so childish sometimes. Hey, I wonder how Daisy’s getting on in her job interview.

Sophie: Oh, yes, she said she was having it at four o’clock, so it’ll have finished by now. That’ll be her ... yes. Hi, love. How did it go?

Daisy: Well, good I think, but I don’t really know. They said they’d phone later and let me know.

Sophie: What kind of thing did they ask you?

Daisy: They asked if I had any experience with people, so I told them about helping at the school fair and visiting old people at the home, that sort of stuff. But I think they meant work experience.

Sophie: I’m sure what you said was impressive. They can’t expect you to have had much work experience at your age.

Daisy:  And then they asked me what acting I had done, so I told them that I’d had a main part in the school play, and I showed them a bit of the video, so that was cool.

Sophie:  Great!

Daisy: Oh, and they also asked if I spoke any foreign languages.

Sophie: Languages?

Daisy: Yeah, because I might have to talk to tourists, you know.

Sophie: Oh, right, of course.

Daisy: So that was it really. They showed me the costume I’ll be wearing if I get the job. Sending it over ...

Ollie: Hey, sis, I heard that Brad Pitt started out as a giant chicken too! This could be your big break!

Daisy: Ha, ha, very funny.

Sophie: Take no notice, darling. I’m sure you’ll be a marvellous chicken.

We use reported speech when we want to tell someone what someone said. We usually use a reporting verb (e.g. say, tell, ask, etc.) and then change the tense of what was actually said in direct speech.

So, direct speech is what someone actually says? Like 'I want to know about reported speech'?

Yes, and you report it with a reporting verb.

He said he wanted to know about reported speech.

I said, I want and you changed it to he wanted .

Exactly. Verbs in the present simple change to the past simple; the present continuous changes to the past continuous; the present perfect changes to the past perfect; can changes to could ; will changes to would ; etc.

She said she was having the interview at four o’clock. (Direct speech: ' I’m having the interview at four o’clock.') They said they’d phone later and let me know. (Direct speech: ' We’ll phone later and let you know.')

OK, in that last example, you changed you to me too.

Yes, apart from changing the tense of the verb, you also have to think about changing other things, like pronouns and adverbs of time and place.

'We went yesterday.'  > She said they had been the day before. 'I’ll come tomorrow.' >  He said he’d come the next day.

I see, but what if you’re reporting something on the same day, like 'We went yesterday'?

Well, then you would leave the time reference as 'yesterday'. You have to use your common sense. For example, if someone is saying something which is true now or always, you wouldn’t change the tense.

'Dogs can’t eat chocolate.' > She said that dogs can’t eat chocolate. 'My hair grows really slowly.' >  He told me that his hair grows really slowly.

What about reporting questions?

We often use ask + if/whether , then change the tenses as with statements. In reported questions we don’t use question forms after the reporting verb.

'Do you have any experience working with people?' They asked if I had any experience working with people. 'What acting have you done?' They asked me what acting I had done .

Is there anything else I need to know about reported speech?

One thing that sometimes causes problems is imperative sentences.

You mean like 'Sit down, please' or 'Don’t go!'?

Exactly. Sentences that start with a verb in direct speech need a to + infinitive in reported speech.

She told him to be good. (Direct speech: 'Be good!') He told them not to forget. (Direct speech: 'Please don’t forget.')

OK. Can I also say 'He asked me to sit down'?

Yes. You could say 'He told me to …' or 'He asked me to …' depending on how it was said.

OK, I see. Are there any more reporting verbs?

Yes, there are lots of other reporting verbs like promise , remind , warn , advise , recommend , encourage which you can choose, depending on the situation. But say , tell and ask are the most common.

Great. I understand! My teacher said reported speech was difficult.

And I told you not to worry!

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Reported Speech in English Grammar

Direct speech, changing the tense (backshift), no change of tenses, question sentences, demands/requests, expressions with who/what/how + infinitive, typical changes of time and place.

• Lingolia Plus English

Introduction

In English grammar, we use reported speech to say what another person has said. We can use their exact words with quotation marks , this is known as direct speech , or we can use indirect speech . In indirect speech , we change the tense and pronouns to show that some time has passed. Indirect speech is often introduced by a reporting verb or phrase such as ones below.

Learn the rules for writing indirect speech in English with Lingolia’s simple explanation. In the exercises, you can test your grammar skills.

When turning direct speech into indirect speech, we need to pay attention to the following points:

• changing the pronouns Example: He said, “ I saw a famous TV presenter.” He said (that) he had seen a famous TV presenter.
• changing the information about time and place (see the table at the end of this page) Example: He said, “I saw a famous TV presenter here yesterday .” He said (that) he had seen a famous TV presenter there the day before .
• changing the tense (backshift) Example: He said, “She was eating an ice-cream at the table where you are sitting .” He said (that) she had been eating an ice-cream at the table where I was sitting .

If the introductory clause is in the simple past (e.g. He said ), the tense has to be set back by one degree (see the table). The term for this in English is backshift .

The verbs could, should, would, might, must, needn’t, ought to, used to normally do not change.

If the introductory clause is in the simple present , however (e.g. He says ), then the tense remains unchanged, because the introductory clause already indicates that the statement is being immediately repeated (and not at a later point in time).

In some cases, however, we have to change the verb form.

When turning questions into indirect speech, we have to pay attention to the following points:

• As in a declarative sentence, we have to change the pronouns, the time and place information, and set the tense back ( backshift ).
• Instead of that , we use a question word. If there is no question word, we use whether / if instead. Example: She asked him, “ How often do you work?” → She asked him how often he worked. He asked me, “Do you know any famous people?” → He asked me if/whether I knew any famous people.
• We put the subject before the verb in question sentences. (The subject goes after the auxiliary verb in normal questions.) Example: I asked him, “ Have you met any famous people before?” → I asked him if/whether he had met any famous people before.
• We don’t use the auxiliary verb do for questions in indirect speech. Therefore, we sometimes have to conjugate the main verb (for third person singular or in the simple past ). Example: I asked him, “What do you want to tell me?” → I asked him what he wanted to tell me.
• We put the verb directly after who or what in subject questions. Example: I asked him, “ Who is sitting here?” → I asked him who was sitting there.

We don’t just use indirect questions to report what another person has asked. We also use them to ask questions in a very polite manner.

When turning demands and requests into indirect speech, we only need to change the pronouns and the time and place information. We don’t have to pay attention to the tenses – we simply use an infinitive .

If it is a negative demand, then in indirect speech 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.

Say or Tell?

The words say and tell are not interchangeable. say = say something tell = say something to someone

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Reported Speech Exercises

Perfect english grammar.

Here's a list of all the reported speech exercises on this site:

( Click here to read the explanations about reported speech )

Reported Statements:

• Present Simple Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here)
• Present Continuous Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here)
• Past Simple Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here)
• Present Perfect Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here)
• Future Simple Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here)
• Mixed Tense Reported Statement Exercise (intermediate) (in PDF here)
• 'Say' and 'Tell' (quite easy) (in PDF here)

Reported Questions:

• Present Simple Reported Yes/No Question Exercise (intermediate) (in PDF here)
• Present Simple Reported Wh Question Exercise (intermediate) (in PDF here)
• Mixed Tense Reported Question Exercise (intermediate) (in PDF here)

Reported Orders and Requests:

• Reported Requests and Orders Exercise (intermediate) (in PDF here)
• Reported Speech Mixed Exercise 1 (difficult) (in PDF here)
• Reported Speech Mixed Exercise 2 (difficult) (in PDF here)

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Reported speech: mowa zależna

Reported speech czyli mowa zależna.

Reported speech , czyli mowa zależna to zagadnienie, które wymaga od uczniów przede wszystkim bardzo dobrej znajomości czasów gramatycznych. Do czego potrzebna jest nam mowa zależna? Używa się jej po to, żeby przekazać czyjąś wypowiedź, bez cytowania jej wprost. Najtrudniejsze w mowie zależnej jest tzw. następstwo czasów, bowiem przekazując czyjąś wypowiedź musimy „cofnąć się” o jeden czas gramatyczny.

Reported speech: konstrukcja

Do stworzenia zdania twierdzącego w mowie zależnej ( reported speech) potrzebujemy nie tylko następstwa czasów. Ogólnym zamysłem mowy zależnej jest relacjonowanie wypowiedzi innej osoby, a więc zdanie w mowie zależnej musi zaczynać się od czasownika, który pozwoli nam tę wypowiedź zrelacjonować (reporting verb) .

Osoba + reporting verb + that + osoba + czasownik o czas do tyłu + reszta zdania

John said that he liked summertime.

John said, “I like summertime.”

John powiedział: „Lubię lato.”

John powiedział, że lubi lato.

Zauważmy, że w języku polskim przetłumaczymy to zdanie w czasie teraźniejszym.

Reported speech: następstwo czasów w mowie zależnej

W poniższej tabeli dokładniej omawiamy w jaki sposób tworzymy mowy zależnej od wypowiedzi bezpośredniej (direct speech) i jakie obowiązuje następstwo czasów.

Z początku może się to wydawać skomplikowane, jednak należy pamiętać że w mowie zależnej czasy zamieniają się zawsze o jeden czas do tyłu:

Past ← Present

„Najdalsza” przeszłość to czasy Past Perfect i Past Perfect Continuous , dlatego właśnie do nich cofamy się w przypadku czasu Past Simple i Past Continuous . Past Perfect i Past Perfect Continuous zostają bez zmian z bardzo prostego powodu – nie istnieje już „dalsza” przeszłość.

Jeśli chodzi o czasy Future , nie cofają się one do czasu Present , ponieważ byłoby to bez sensu (nie bylibyśmy wtedy w stanie wyrazić przyszłości). Używamy więc tzw. future in the past , które polega na zamianie will na would .

Reported speech:  inne zmiany

Jak można było zauważyć w przykładach wyżej, oprócz czasów w mowie zależnej musimy czasami zmienić inne słowa, takie jak zaimki, określenia czasu czy miejsca. Dlaczego?

Załóżmy, że relacjonujemy wypowiedź sprzed tygodnia, w której ktoś używa słowa tomorrow  (jutro). Jeśli użylibyśmy słowa tomorrow w mowie zależnej, oznaczałoby to następny dzień od teraz, czyli inny dzień niż miała na myśli osoba mówiąca. To samo tyczy się innych określeń czasu.

Reported speech:  określenia czasu w mowie zależnej

He said, “I saw him yesterday .”

He said he had seen him the day before .

She said, “I’m busy at the moment .”

She said she was busy at the time .

The professor said, “The test will take place next week .”

The professor said that the test would take place the following week .

They said, “We’re working now .”

They said they were working then .

Reported speech:  określenia miejsca

Zdarza się, że w mowie zależnej musimy zmienić też określenia miejsca.

She said, “Meet me here.”

She told me to meet her there.

Reported speech:  zaimki

Aby zachować logikę zdania, często musimy zmienić też zaimki osobowe – jeśli w mowie niezależnej mężczyzna mówi „my car” , to my relacjonując jego wypowiedź powinniśmy zmienić to na „his car” , bo inaczej nie oddamy sensu wypowiedzi.

Adam said, “This is my dog.”

Adam said that was his dog.

My neighbors asked, “Have you seen our cat?”

My neighbors asked whether I had seen their cat.

My sister said, “I don’t like these dresses.”

My sister said that she didn’t like those dresses.

Dowiedz się więcej o zaimkach w języku angielskim z wpisu zaimki po angielsku .

Reported speech:  reporting verbs

Oprócz czasownika said, którego używaliśmy wcześniej w przykładach do relacjonowania wypowiedzi możemy użyć również czasownika tell .

“I’m waiting for you at the station,” said Martha.

Martha told me she was waiting for me at the station.

Martha powiedziała mi, że czeka na mnie na stacji.

“You look beautiful,” he said.

He told me that I looked beautiful.

On powiedział mi, że wyglądam pięknie.

say vs tell

Zarówno say , jak i tell możemy przetłumaczyć na język polski jako „powiedzieć”. Istnieje jednak różnica w ich użyciu.

He said that he was unhappy.

He told me that he was unhappy.

Po say możemy dalej relacjonować wypowiedź, za to tell potrzebuje dopełnienia – powiedzieć coś komuś. W mowie niezależnej możemy również powiedzieć:

He said to me , “I am unhappy.”

Reported speech:  czasowniki modalne

W reported speech zmieniają się nie tylko czasy gramatyczne, ale także czasowniki modalne . Pocieszające jest jednak to, że niektóre z nich używane są w mowie zależnej i niezależnej w niezmienionej formie.

W zależności od tego, w jakim znaczeniu występuje may, inaczej zamienimy to na mowę zależną.

John said, “You may sit here” (pozwolenie)

John said we could sit there.

Anna said, “We may be late” (możliwość)

Anna said we might be late.

Dowiedz się więcej o czasowniku may z wpisu may vs might .

Inne przykłady:

Jack said, “I’ m supposed to go to school tomorrow.”

Jack said he was supposed to go to school tomorrow.

Emma said, “I must wash the dishes.”

Emma said she had to wash the dishes.

Bez zmiany pozostają:

Daniel said, “We could go to the beach on Sunday.”

Daniel said that we could go to the beach on Sunday.

Daniel powiedział, że w niedzielę moglibyśmy pójść na plażę.

Amy said, “You mustn’t touch the oven.”

Amy said I mustn’t touch the oven.

Amy powiedziała, że nie wolno mi dotykać piekarnika.

Reported speech:  pytania

W reported speech możemy relacjonować nie tylko zdania twierdzące czy przeczące, ale również pytania. Wyglądają one jednak trochę inaczej. Przede wszystkim musimy zmienić reporting verb, co jest logiczne, bo nie powiemy „On powiedział…”, ale „On spytał…”

Pytania yes/no

Pytania, na które możemy odpowiedzieć tak lub nie, po polsku zaczynają się „Czy..?”, a relacjonując je mówimy „On spytał czy…”. Po angielsku zamiast słówka czy użyjemy if   lub whether .

My mom asked, “Did you sleep well?”

My mom asked whether I had slept well.

Mama spytała czy dobrze spałam/spałem.

He asked, “Is she okay?”

He asked if she was okay.

Spytał czy wszystko u niej w porządku.

Po pierwsze, należy pamiętać, że nadal obowiązuje następstwo czasów. Po drugie, tworząc zdanie twierdzące, musimy użyć szyku zdania twierdzącego. Do tego należy pamiętać o słówku whether lub if   po reporting verb .

Pytania wh-

Pytania typu wh- , czyli zaczynające się od what , when , where itd. traktujemy trochę inaczej. Nie potrzebujemy już if/whether , a w ich miejsce wstawiamy po prostu słówko pytające. Nadal obowiązuje następstwo czasów.

Adam asked, “What time is it?”

Adam asked what time it was.

Adam zapytał która godzina.

Jak widać, przy zamianie pytania na zdanie twierdzące, musimy zmienić również szyk zdania na szyk zdania twierdzącego.

She asked, “Where were you?”

She asked where we had been.

Spytała gdzie byliśmy.

John asked, “Why did you leave?”

John asked me why I had left.

John zapytał czemu wyszedłem/am.

Zamiast asked możemy użyć wyrażenia wanted to know .

He wanted to know what time it was.

Chciał wiedzieć która godzina.

Reported speech: rozkazy i prośby

Rozkazy i prośby wyraża się w języku angielskim w trybie rozkazującym . Relacjonowanie próśb i rozkazów w porównaniu do innych konstrukcji w reported speech jest stosunkowo łatwe, jeśli użyjemy odpowiednich reporting verbs . Nie obowiązuje tu następstwo czasów, ponieważ stosujemy konstrukcje z bezokolicznikiem lub końcówką -ing .

Rozkazy, oskarżenia, porady

Używamy tu trybu rozkazującego, więc nie cofamy się w czasie.

“Clean your room,” my mom said.

My mom told me to clean my room.

Mama kazała mi posprzątać w pokoju.

“Do your homework,” my dad said.

My dad ordered me to do my homework.

Tata kazał mi odrobić pracę domową.

“You should start exercising,” my doctor said.

My doctor advised me to start exercising.

Mój lekarz doradził mi, abym zaczął ćwiczyć.

Niektóre wypowiedzi możemy przekształcić na mowę zależną na kilka sposobów.

“Stop complaining,” my friend said.

My friend told me not to complain.

My friend told me to stop complaining.

Mój przyjaciel powiedział mi, żebym przestał/a narzekać.

Jak widać, przy użyciu czasownika accuse nie musimy cofać się do czasu Past Perfect .

He shouted, “You stole my money.”

He accused me of stealing his money.

Oskarżył mnie o kradzież jego pieniędzy.

Czasownik ask oznacza zarówno pytać, jak i prosić.

“Please come here,” she asked.

She asked him/her to come there.

Poprosiła jego/ją, żeby tam przyszedł/przyszła.

Maria said, “I’ll go and get us some water.”

Maria offered to go and get us some water.

Maria zaoferowała się, że pójdzie po wodę dla nas.

Reported speech: wyjątki

Istnieją przypadki, w których nie musimy zmieniać czasu w zdaniu w mowie zależnej. Nie trzeba wtedy pamiętać o następstwie czasu oraz określeniach czasu. Dzieje się tak w przypadku:

Kiedy reporting verb jest w czasie teraźniejszym

Reporting verb , czyli czasownik, którego używamy do relacjonowania czyjejś wypowiedzi, nie zawsze musi być w czasie przeszłym. W poprzednich przykładach używaliśmy głównie said i told . Wyobraźmy sobie jednak sytuację, że rozmawiamy z dwoma osobami i jedna z nich nie usłyszała co powiedziała ta druga. Chcąc powtórzyć wypowiedź jednej z osób, możemy ją zrelacjonować w czasie teraźniejszym. 

Anna: “I went to the movie theater yesterday.”

She says that she went to the movie theater yesterday.

Ona mówi, że wczoraj poszła do kina.

Jeśli użyjemy czasownika says , cofnięcie czasu w mowie zależnej nie będzie już konieczne – relacjonujemy przecież wypowiedź sprzed kilku minut.

Kiedy sytuacja nadal jest prawdziwa

Mowa zależna dopuszcza niezmienianie czasu gramatycznego, kiedy sytuacja, którą relacjonujemy nadal jest prawdziwa.

Linda said, “My son is in first grade.”

Linda said that her son is in first grade.

Linda powiedziała, że jej syn chodzi do pierwszej klasy.

W tym zdaniu, możemy, ale nie musimy zmieniać czasu gramatycznego. Zależy to od tego, kiedy relacjonujemy wypowiedź. Jeśli dziś relacjonujemy wypowiedź Lindy z dnia poprzedniego, jej syn na 99% nadal chodzi do pierwszej klasy, nie ma więc potrzeby zmiany czasu gramatycznego. Z kolei jeśli usłyszeliśmy wypowiedź kilka lat temu, prawdopodobnie sytuacja jest już nieaktualna i wtedy obowiązkowo zmieniamy czas o jeden do tyłu.

Kiedy opisujemy stałe odczucia, fakty

Mowa zależna pozwala na zachowanie czasu gramatycznego z oryginalnego zdania przy opisie faktów lub odczuć, które się nie zmieniają. Będa to przede wszystkim zdania z czasownikami typu love , like , hate itp.

Avah said, “I love your earrings!”

Avah said she loves my earrings.

Avah powiedziała, że podobają jej się moje kolczyki.

Jeśli zakładamy, że odczucia osoby mówiącej nie zmieniają się (kolczyki podobały jej się wtedy i nadal jej się podobają), nie musimy zmieniać czasu gramatycznego w mowie zależnej.

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Witryna internetowa

Wow, super opracowanie tematu, nigdy wcześniej nikt mi tego tak dobrze nie wytłumaczył! 🔥❤️

Super pomocne, dziękuję.

Wspaniałe opracowanie tematu

Ten artykuł pokazał mi się na 1 miejscu w Google po wpisaniu frazy „reported speech”. Dziękuję za wysiłek. Wszystko rozpisane bardzo obszernie i w sposób prosty do przyswojenia.

Na prawdę świetne opracowanie, nigdy wcześniej nie spotkałam się z takim, w którym omówione są wszystkie kwestie dot. tego tematu

Dziekuje, Super!

Pozdrawiam i j**** babe z anglika 🙂

Rewelacyjne wytłumaczenie

Swietnie wytłumaczone, dzięki!!!

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Reported Questions

Reported questions are one form of reported speech .

We usually introduce reported questions with the verb "ask":

• He asked (me) if / whether ... (YES/NO questions)
• He asked (me) why / when / where / what / how ... (question-word questions)

As with reported statements , we may need to change pronouns and tense (backshift) as well as time and place in reported questions.

But we also need to change the word order . After we report a question, it is no longer a question (and in writing there is no question mark). The word order is like that of a normal statement (subject-verb-object).

Reported YES/NO questions

We introduce reported YES/NO questions with ask + if :

Note that in the above example the reported question has no auxiliary "do". But there is pronoun change and backshift.

Note that we sometimes use "whether" instead of "if". The meaning is the same. "Whether" is a little more formal and more usual in writing:

• They asked us if we wanted lunch.
• They asked us whether we wanted lunch.

Reported question-word questions

We introduce reported question-word questions with ask + question word :

Note that in the above example the reported question has no auxiliary "do". But there is pronoun change and backshift.

• YES/NO questions: Do you want tea?
• Question Word questions: Where did you drink tea?
• Choice questions: Do you prefer tea or coffee?

Look at these example sentences:

Contributor: Josef Essberger

• B1-B2 grammar

Reported speech: questions

Do you know how to report a question that somebody asked? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.

Look at these examples to see how we can tell someone what another person asked.

direct speech: 'Do you work from home?' he said. indirect speech: He asked me if I worked from home. direct speech: 'Who did you see?' she asked. indirect speech: She asked me who I'd seen. direct speech: 'Could you write that down for me?' she asked. indirect speech: She asked me to write it down.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar B1-B2: Reported speech 2: 1

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

A reported question is when we tell someone what another person asked. To do this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech.

direct speech: 'Do you like working in sales?' he asked. 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 ).

We also often make changes to the tenses and other words in the same way as for reported statements (e.g. have done → had done , today → that day ). You can learn about these changes on the Reported speech 1 – statements page.

Yes / no questions

In yes / no questions, we use if or whether to report the question. If is more common.

'Are you going to the Helsinki conference?' He asked me if I was going to the Helsinki conference. 'Have you finished the project yet?' She asked us whether we'd finished the project yet.

Questions with a question word

In what , where , why , who , when or how questions, we use the question word to report the question.

'What time does the train leave?' He asked me what time the train left. 'Where did he go?' She asked where he went.

Reporting verbs

The most common reporting verb for questions is ask , but we can also use verbs like enquire , want to know or wonder .

'Did you bring your passports?' She wanted to know if they'd brought their passports. 'When could you get this done by?' He wondered when we could get it done by.

Offers, requests and suggestions

If the question is making an offer, request or suggestion, we can use a specific verb pattern instead, for example offer + infinitive, ask + infinitive or suggest + ing.

'Would you like me to help you?' He offered to help me. 'Can you hold this for me, please?' She asked me to hold it. 'Why don't we check with Joel?' She suggested checking with Joel.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar B1-B2: Reported speech 2: 2

Language level

Hello, dear teachers and team!

Could you please help me with the following: 

• She asked me "Does the Earth turn around the Sun?"

  Does it have to be: "She asked me if the Earth TURNED around the Sun" ? 

Do we have to change the question into the past form here as well? 

2. She asked: "Was coffee originally green"?

Is "She asked me if the coffee HAD BEEN originally  green" correct option? Can I leave WAS in an inderect speech here? 

3. Is "She asked me if I knew if the Sun IS a star" or  "She asked me if I knew if the Sun WAS / HAD BEEN a star" (if any)  correct?  

I'm very very grateful for your precious help and thank you very much for your answering this post in advance!!! 

• Log in or register to post comments

Hello howtosay_.

1. She asked me "Does the Earth turn around the Sun?"  Does it have to be: "She asked me if the Earth TURNED around the Sun" ?

No, you can use the present here as well. The verb for this context would be 'go' rather than 'turn':

She asked me if the earth goes around the sun.

She asked me if the earth went around the sun.

Do we have to change the question into the past form here as well? 2. She asked: "Was coffee originally green"? Is "She asked me if the coffee HAD BEEN originally  green" correct option? Can I leave WAS in an inderect speech here?

You can use either 'had been' or 'was' here. The adverb 'originally' removes any ambiguity.

3. Is "She asked me if I knew if the Sun IS a star" or  "She asked me if I knew if the Sun WAS / HAD BEEN a star" (if any)  correct?

You can use 'is' or 'was' here but not 'had been' as that would suggest the sun is not a star any more.

The LearnEnglish Team

She offered me to encourage studying English. She asked us if we could give her a hand.

He said, "I wished she had gone."

How to change this sentence into indirect speech?

Hello bhutuljee,

'He said that he wished she had gone.'

Best wishes, Kirk LearnEnglish team

He said, "I wish she went."

How to change the above sentence into indirect speech?

Hi bhutuljee,

It would be: "He said that he wished she had gone."

LearnEnglish team

He said , "She wished John would succeed."

This is the third sentence you've asked us to transform in this way. While we try to offer as much help as we can, we are not a service for giving answers to questions which may be from tests or homework so we do limit these kinds of answers. Perhaps having read the information on the page above you can try to transform the sentence yourself and we will tell you if you have done it correctly or not.

Hi, I hope my comment finds you well and fine. 1- reported question of "where did he go?"

Isn't it: She asked where he had gone?

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/b1-b2-grammar/reported-…

2- how can I report poilte questions with( can I, May I) For example: She asked me" Can I borrow some money?"

Your reply will be highly appreciated.

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• English Grammar
• Reported Speech

Reported Speech - Definition, Rules and Usage with Examples

Reported speech or indirect speech is the form of speech used to convey what was said by someone at some point of time. This article will help you with all that you need to know about reported speech, its meaning, definition, how and when to use them along with examples. Furthermore, try out the practice questions given to check how far you have understood the topic.

Table of Contents

Definition of reported speech, rules to be followed when using reported speech, table 1 – change of pronouns, table 2 – change of adverbs of place and adverbs of time, table 3 – change of tense, table 4 – change of modal verbs, tips to practise reported speech, examples of reported speech, check your understanding of reported speech, frequently asked questions on reported speech in english, what is reported speech.

Reported speech is the form in which one can convey a message said by oneself or someone else, mostly in the past. It can also be said to be the third person view of what someone has said. In this form of speech, you need not use quotation marks as you are not quoting the exact words spoken by the speaker, but just conveying the message.

Now, take a look at the following dictionary definitions for a clearer idea of what it is.

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.” According to the Cambridge Dictionary, reported speech is defined as “the act of reporting something that was said, but not using exactly the same words.” The Macmillan Dictionary defines reported speech as “the words that you use to report what someone else has said.”

Reported speech is a little different from direct speech . As it has been discussed already, reported speech is used to tell what someone said and does not use the exact words of the speaker. Take a look at the following rules so that you can make use of reported speech effectively.

• The first thing you have to keep in mind is that you need not use any quotation marks as you are not using the exact words of the speaker.
• You can use the following formula to construct a sentence in the reported speech.
• You can use verbs like said, asked, requested, ordered, complained, exclaimed, screamed, told, etc. If you are just reporting a declarative sentence , you can use verbs like told, said, etc. followed by ‘that’ and end the sentence with a full stop . When you are reporting interrogative sentences, you can use the verbs – enquired, inquired, asked, etc. and remove the question mark . In case you are reporting imperative sentences , you can use verbs like requested, commanded, pleaded, ordered, etc. If you are reporting exclamatory sentences , you can use the verb exclaimed and remove the exclamation mark . Remember that the structure of the sentences also changes accordingly.
• Furthermore, keep in mind that the sentence structure , tense , pronouns , modal verbs , some specific adverbs of place and adverbs of time change when a sentence is transformed into indirect/reported speech.

Transforming Direct Speech into Reported Speech

As discussed earlier, when transforming a sentence from direct speech into reported speech, you will have to change the pronouns, tense and adverbs of time and place used by the speaker. Let us look at the following tables to see how they work.

Here are some tips you can follow to become a pro in using reported speech.

• Select a play, a drama or a short story with dialogues and try transforming the sentences in direct speech into reported speech.
• Write about an incident or speak about a day in your life using reported speech.
• Develop a story by following prompts or on your own using reported speech.

Given below are a few examples to show you how reported speech can be written. Check them out.

• Santana said that she would be auditioning for the lead role in Funny Girl.
• Blaine requested us to help him with the algebraic equations.
• Karishma asked me if I knew where her car keys were.
• The judges announced that the Warblers were the winners of the annual acapella competition.
• Binsha assured that she would reach Bangalore by 8 p.m.
• Kumar said that he had gone to the doctor the previous day.
• Lakshmi asked Teena if she would accompany her to the railway station.
• Jibin told me that he would help me out after lunch.
• The police ordered everyone to leave from the bus stop immediately.
• Rahul said that he was drawing a caricature.

Transform the following sentences into reported speech by making the necessary changes.

1. Rachel said, “I have an interview tomorrow.”

2. Mahesh said, “What is he doing?”

3. Sherly said, “My daughter is playing the lead role in the skit.”

4. Dinesh said, “It is a wonderful movie!”

5. Suresh said, “My son is getting married next month.”

6. Preetha said, “Can you please help me with the invitations?”

7. Anna said, “I look forward to meeting you.”

8. The teacher said, “Make sure you complete the homework before tomorrow.”

9. Sylvester said, “I am not going to cry anymore.”

10. Jade said, “My sister is moving to Los Angeles.”

Now, find out if you have answered all of them correctly.

1. Rachel said that she had an interview the next day.

2. Mahesh asked what he was doing.

3. Sherly said that her daughter was playing the lead role in the skit.

4. Dinesh exclaimed that it was a wonderful movie.

5. Suresh said that his son was getting married the following month.

6. Preetha asked if I could help her with the invitations.

7. Anna said that she looked forward to meeting me.

8. The teacher told us to make sure we completed the homework before the next day.

9. Sylvester said that he was not going to cry anymore.

10. Jade said that his sister was moving to Los Angeles.

What is reported speech?

What is the 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.” According to the Cambridge Dictionary, reported speech is defined as “the act of reporting something that was said, but not using exactly the same words.” The Macmillan Dictionary defines reported speech as “the words that you use to report what someone else has said.”

What is the formula of reported speech?

You can use the following formula to construct a sentence in the reported speech. Subject said that (report whatever the speaker said)

Give some examples of reported speech.

Given below are a few examples to show you how reported speech can be written.

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Mowy zależnej ( Reported/Indirect Speech ) używamy, kiedy chcemy przekazać czyjąś wypowiedź bez cytowania tego, co ktoś powiedział, ale przekazując treść tej wypowiedzi. W języku angielskim mowy zależnej używamy bardzo często, więc opanowanie tego materiału jest istotnym krokiem w nauce języka.

Porównajmy zestawy zdań w mowie niezależnej i zależnej:

Zauważmy, że w zdaniach w prawej kolumnie zmienił się czas ! To bardzo ważna uwaga, ponieważ w mowie zależnej mamy do czynienia z tzw. następstwem czasów . W języku polskim nie spotkamy się z czymś takim, więc szczególnie ważne jest zrozumienie tego zjawiska. W największym skrócie, stosowanie następstwa czasów polega na COFNIĘCIU czasu użytego w zdaniu podrzędnym. Jako że taka definicja niewiele pewnie tłumaczy, przeanalizujemy to dokładnie w kolejnej zakładce.

Ćwiczenia online:

• Mowa zależna: wstęp
• Mowa zależna: następstwo czasów
• Mowa zależna: zaimki, czas i miejsce
• Mowa zależna: tworzenie pytań
• Mowa zależna: reporting verbs
• Mowa zależna: przykłady
• Strona bierna
• Mowa zależna
• Okresy warunkowe
• Subjunctive / Wish

Pozdrawiam Pania Majee

Opis sugeruje cofnięcie czasu tylko w zdaniu podrzędnym. A co ze zdaniem w czasie nadrzęnym? Pierwsze ćwiczenie sugeruje, że czas też powinien zostać cofnięty, ale tutaj nie ma o tym słowa.

Dzięki super stronka

Również uważam, że strona jest SUPER!! Dziękuję, że ją stworzyliście.

Niby jak jest tu napisane to proste, ale jak już ma się samemu coś zrobić, zmienić zdania to katastrofa!

Żeby to tylko tyle było i takie łatwe... xD

są ćwiczenia do mozwy zależnej?

Super strona korzystam z niej od roku! Mój angielski wyraźnie się polepszył ;)

Kto pomoże mi z pracą domową z reporter spech..?

.."COFNIĘCIU czasu".. w zd. podrzędnym , ale tylko do pewnego momentu - zobacz przykłady dalej !

Dość ogólnikowo. Ale może być.

jesli to tylko tyle ,to nic trudnego do zrozumienia:-)

Jak na: Reported speech

Reported speech používáme, když chceme zaznamenat, že někdo něco řekl. Dochází ke změně času, příslovce času a místa a zájmen . Podstatné je nastudovat tyhle tabulk y a pamatovat si, v jaký čas se určité časy mění, stejně tak jak se mění příslovce:

Čeština je v mnoha ohledech jiná než angličtina a tohle je přesný příklad. V češtině je běžné, že říkáme například: „Já nepůjdu domů,“ řekla Marie. ——- Marie řekla, že nepůjde domů. Ale v angličtině bychom řekli: „I won’t go home,“ said Mary. ——– Mary said that she wouldn’t go home.

POZOR! Tato slovesa neměníme: could, would, should, might, ought to, used to . Znamená to, že když máme třeba větu: „I couldn’t do it.“ Tak reported speech bude: He said that he couldn’t do that. Takže sloveso zůstává ve stejném čase a jediné, co se mění jsou zájmena.

Když ve větě použijeme says místo said, musíme dodržet časovou souslednost. Amy: „I’ve missed the bus so I’ll be a bit late.“ – Amy says she has missed the bus so she’ll be a bit late.

SAID TO ME X TOLD THEM – pamatovat! // SAID TO ME THAT X SAID TO ME … – můžeme nebo nemusíme použít that

V rámci reported speech nemusíme užívat jenom slovesa said a told, ale taky answered, replied, asked, reminded, persuaded, informed, suggested nebo mentioned. Vždycky si řekněte v češtině, co vlastně ten člověk tou větou, co říká dělá a použijte vhodné sloveso. Například, když nám někdo přikazuje ať něco uděláme, použijeme he said to us that … . Když nás někdo prosí, abychom byli opatrní, použijeme sloveso asked.

Když jsou v otázce slova jako who, what, where, why, tak v reported speech jsou taky uvedeny:

„How do you feel?“ – James asked Richard how he felt.

„What’s the weather like?“ – Catherine asked Peter what the weather was like.

WORD ORDER (slovosled):

• ve větách s how, what, who, which, where, why je dodržovaná souslednost jako v normální oznamovací větě
• HE ASKED HOW + PODMĚT + SLOVESO: how he felt / how did he felt / how did he feel

IF / WHETHER – stejná funkce, opět jako v oznamovací větě

„Can you hear me?“- Rachel asked Jim if / whether he could hear her.

PŘÍKAZY – COMMANDS

“Put it here!“ – He told me to put it there.

“Don´t forget!” – He told me not to forget it.

– podstatné je vždy dát not před to , protože negujeme celou část to forget it

– za not to nebo to bude vždy infinitiv

https://cz.pinterest.com/pin/831969731134137670/ , https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/393572454920373663/visual-search/ , https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/332422016241046002/?autologin=true

Jak na: in/formal letter

Bucket list, you may also like, jak na: conditionals, jak na: tenses, leave a comment cancel reply.

Pro přidávání komentářů se musíte nejdříve přihlásit .

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• Změny mezi přímou a nepřímou řeči
• Posuny časů
• Převody různých druhů vět do nepřímé řeči

Nepřímá řeč vzniká, když chceme někomu říci něco, co jsme slyšeli nebo někdo jiný řekl nám . K uvedení nepřímé řeči často používáme slovesa jako například: tell (říci), say (říci), mention (zmínit), remark (poznamenat) apod.

Pokud nám tedy někdo řekne I am in the kitchen now. Jsem teď v kuchyni., my tuto zprávu přetlumočíme jako He said that he was in the kitchen then. Řekl, že je teď v kuchyni. Jak jste si mohli všimnout během změny přímé řeči na nepřímou došlo k několika změnám. Na ně se spolu s dalšími pravidly podíváme v následujícím výkladu.

2 Změny mezi přímou a nepřímou řeči

Když převádíme nepřímou řeč na přímou, musíme mít na paměti několik zásad. V prvé řadě se při tomto převodu posouvají časy .

To znamená, že věta I will come at 6. – Přijdu v 6. by v nepřímé řeči zněla He told me that he would come at 6. – Řekl mi, že přijde v 6.

Na všechny postupy posunu časů se podíváme v tabulkách níže.

3 Posuny časů

Je důležité si všimnout, že pokud posunujeme časy, český překlad to většinou neovlivňuje. To nás často svádí k chybám. Anglický posun How are you? – She asked me how I was. bychom přeložili jako Jak se máš? – Zeptala se mě, jak se mám?. Díky tomuto faktu, ale často špatně převádíme, respektive nepřevádíme časy, z čehož může vzniknout chyba jako například She asked me how I am. Čeština jednoduše nedává takový důraz na sled dějů jako angličtina.

Posun přítomného času

Posun minulého času, posun budoucího času, posun modálních sloves, změny v příslovečných určeních.

Pokud změníme čas, nevyhnutelně se nám tím musí změnit i příslovečná určení . Když totiž řekneme například “příští týden”, v době, kdy o tom budeme mluvit už “příští týden” nebude mít stejný význam. S ilustrací těchto posunů nám pomůže následující tabulka:

Lze i neposouvat

Pokud je daná skutečnost z přímé řeči stále pravdivá , převod časů je pouze dobrovolný. Ukažme si příklad:

The house is on that hill. (Ten dům je na tamtom kopci.) Dům na tom kopci pořád stojí a zřejmě i dál stát bude.

• Uvedeme do nepřímé řeči jako: They said that the house is on that hill. (Řekli, že ten dům je na tamtom kopci.)
• Časy ale můžeme i posunout: They said that the house was on that hill. (Řekli, že ten dům je na tamtom kopci.)

4 Převody různých druhů vět do nepřímé řeči

Nyní se podíváme, jak liší převod různých druhů vět z přímé řeči do řeči nepřímé.

1. Oznamovací věty

Jako první si ukážeme, jak do nepřímé řeči převést oznamovací věty. Jako modelovou větu použijeme:

Pokud Petr bude to, co jsme mu řekli, někomu vyprávět, udělá to následovně:

1. Nejdříve je potřeba použít správné zájmeno , tudíž až o nás Petr bude mluvit, nepoužije zájmeno we – my, ale they – oni. První úprava by tedy vypadala takto Petr by řekl:

• They told me that they will arrive next week.

2. To ale pořád není správně a zůstávají nám tam ještě dvě nutné úpravy, které musíme opravit. Jak jsme se dozvěděli v tabulkách výše, v nepřímé řeči dochází k posunu časů . A protože čas budoucí will se mění na would, bude nepřímá řeč vypadat následovně:

• They told me that they would arrive next week.

3. Nyní už jsme skoro u konce, zbývá ale ještě poslední krok. Tím je změna příslovečných určení , aby správně odpovídala času (viz tabulky výše). Next week se nám tedy změní na the following week. Finální podoba věty v nepřímé řeči tedy bude:

• They told me that they would arrive the following week .

2. Rozkazovací věty

Nyní budeme Petrovi něco rozkazovat. Například použijeme vzorovou větu:

Petr při přeříkávání bude postupovat takto:

1. jako první opět změní osobní zájmena z we/us – my/nás na they/them – oni/je:

• They told me to bring them the keys.

2. další a zároveň poslední krok jsme si již načrtli v kroku předchozím. Pokud někomu říkáme/rozkazujeme, aby něco udělal, používáme vazbu tell + osoba + to + sloveso :

3. Tázací věty

V posledním příkladu se Petra na něco zeptáme. Mohli bychom se třeba zeptat:

Až Petr bude někomu vyprávět, na co že jsme se ho to ptali, bude postupovat následovně:

1. Již tradičně změní osobní zájmena , tak aby odpovídala tomu, co říká: we – my na they – oni, you – ty na me/I – mě/já:

They asked me do you like strawberry ice-cream?

2. Pokud by to ale Petr takto ponechal dopustil by se hrubé chyby. Dalším krokem „vyprávění“ otázek je totiž nutná změna věty tázací na větu oznamovací :

They asked me if I like strawberry ice-cream. (Zeptali se mě, jestli mám rád jahodovou zmrzlinu.)

3. Posledním úkonem, který musí Petr udělat – protože se opět jedná o standartní oznamovací větu – je posun časů . Jak si již jistě pamatujete, přítomný čas se posouvá do času minulého. To znamená:

They asked me if I liked strawberry ice-cream.

Pro ilustraci si ještě ukážeme verzi s jiným posunem časů. Například na otázce:

Postup bude opět totožný: 1. změna zájmen: She asked me did he find a job?

2. změna tázací věty na oznamovací: She asked me if he found a job?

3. posun časů (minulý; předminulý): She asked me if he had found a job?

Nejhledanější gramatika

Hodiny v angličtině, datum anglicky – jak ho psát a číst, anglická gramatika – přehledně pro jednotlivé jazykové úrovně, frázová slovesa (phrasal verbs), předpřítomný čas prostý (present perfect simple), nepravidelná slovesa v angličtině (past tense irregular verbs), anglická abeceda s výslovností, spojky (conjunctions).

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Mowa zależna (Reported speech)

Mowy zależnej używamy, gdy chcemy zrelacjonować wypowiedź kogoś innego. Za pomocą mowy zależnej przekazujemy treść wypowiedzi danej osoby jednocześnie nie cytując jej bezpośrednio, np.

‘Do you like strawberries?’ she asked. (cytat)

She asked if I liked strawberries. (mowa zależna)

W mowie zależnej występuje tzw. następstwo czasów , co oznacza, że relacjonowaną wypowiedź musimy odnieść do czasu, w którym została ona wypowiedziana. W praktyce oznacza to, że ”cofamy” czas w zdaniu relacjonowanym, jak w poniższych przykładach:

1. Mowa niezależna:  Olga said: ‘ I am very sad.’ (Cytujemy to, co Olga powiedziała w czasie teraźniejszym Present simple.)

2. Mowa zależna: Olga said (that) she was very sad. (Present simple —> Past simple)

W drugim zdaniu, w mowie zależnej, cofamy czas z teraźniejszego (Present simple) na czas przeszły (Past simple).

Czasy w mowie zależnej zmieniają się w następujący sposób:

Present simple → Past simple:

‘ I don’t watch TV.’ → He said (that) he didn’t watch TV.

Present Continuous → Past Continuous:

‘I’ m writing a novel.’ → He said (that) he was writing a novel.

Present Perfect → Past Perfect:

We have never argued . → They said (that) they had never argued .

Present Perfect Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous:

We have been waiting for hours. → They said (that) they had been waiting for hours.

Past Simple → Past Perfect:

‘ I was very rich.’ → She said (that) she had been very rich.

Past Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous:

‘We were living in Spain.’ → They said (that) they had been living in Spain.

Future Simple → Future in the Past (Would):

‘I will be in London on Sunday.’ → He said (that) he would be in London on Sunday.

Future Continuous → Future Continuous in the Past (Would be + ing):

‘I will be using the computer next week.’ → She said (that) she would be using the computer the following week.

Poniższe czasowniki modalne w mowie zależnej zmieniamy na następujące:

will → would

‘I will paint a portrait one day.’ → She said (that) she would paint a portrait one day.

can → could

‘I can do it.’ → He said (that) he could do it.

may → might

‘I may be back later.’ → He said (that) he might be back later.

must (obligation) → had to

‘I must go.’ → He said (that) he had to go.

UWAGA:   Czasowniki would, could, might, need, should, ought to pozostają bez zmian !

‘I would buy the car if I had the money.’ → He said (that) he would buy the car if he had the money.

W mowie zależnej zmianie ulegają także określenia czasu:

• tomorrow → the next day/the following day
• yesterday → the day before/the previous day
• now → then/that day/at the moment
• today → that day
• tonight → that night
• next week → the next week/the week after/the following week
• last month → the month before
• this morning → that morning
• ago → before
• before → earlier

‘I will clean my room tomorrow .’ → He said (that) he would clean his room the next day .

W wyniku relacjonowania wypowiedzi danej osoby, zmieniają się też zaimki osobowe (I, you, etc), przymiotniki dzierżawcze (my, our, etc) oraz zaimki wskazujące (this, these), np.

I can’t tell you my secret. → She said (that) she couldn’t tell me her secret.

‘ I will give you my old computer.’ → He said (that) he would give me his old computer.

‘ I can’t climb this mountain.’ → He said (that) he couldn’t climb that mountain.

Występuje też zmiana określenia miejsca :

‘I saw you here three years ago.’ → He said (that) he had seen me there three years before.

Tworzenie pytań w mowie zależnej:

• nie stosujemy inwersji, ponieważ pytania w mowie zależnej mają taki sam szyk, jak zdanie oznajmujące (ponieważ relacjonujemy pytanie, a nie zadajemy je),
• podobnie jak w przypadku relacjonowania zdań oznajmujących nadal obowiązuje zasada następstwa czasów,
• jeśli relacjonujemy tzw. yes-no questions, w zdaniu pojawia się if lub rzadziej whether , np.

‘Shall I open it?’ → He asked if he should open it.

‘Do you love me?’ → She asked whether I loved her.

• jeśli w relacjonujemy tzw. wh-questions, czyli pytania rozpoczynające się jednym z następujących słów: who, what, when, where, why, how , wówczas słowo to musi zostać uwzględnione w  zdaniu w mowie zależnej, np.

‘ What is this?’ → He asked us what that was.

‘ When are your parents going to England?’ → He asked me when my parents were going to England.

W mowie zależnej możemy relacjonować:

• zdania oznajmujące (statements) , np.

He admitted that he knew the answer.

• pytania (questions) , np.

My mother asked me where I went.

• sugestie (suggestions) , np.

He suggested (that) I should have my room repainted.

• polecenia (commands) , np.

She warned him not to do it.

• propozycje (offers) , np.

They offered to help me.

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