KNOWLEDGE BASICS

I. Indirect speech: reporting statements

Indirect reports of statements consist of a reporting clause and a that-clause. We often omit that, especially in informal situations:

The pilot commented that the weather had been extremely bad as the plane came in to land. (The pilot’s words were: ‘The weather was extremely bad as the plane came in to land.’)

I told my wife I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday. (that-clause without that) (or I told my wife that I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday.)

II. Indirect speech: reporting questions

Reporting yes-no questions and alternative questions

Indirect reports of yes-no questions and questions with or consist of a reporting clause and a reported clause introduced by if or whether. If is more common than whether. The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:

She asked if [S] [V]I was Scottish. (original yes-no question: ‘Are you Scottish?’)

The waiter asked whether [S]we [V]wanted a table near the window. (original yes-no question: ‘Do you want a table near the window?)

He asked me if [S] [V]I had come by train or by bus. (original alternative question: ‘Did you come by train or by bus?’)

Reporting wh-questions

Indirect reports of wh-questions consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a wh-word (who, what, when, where, why, how). We don’t use a question mark:

He asked me what I wanted.

Not: He asked me what I wanted?

The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:

She wanted to know who [S]we [V]had invited to the party.

Not: … who had we invited …

Who, whom and what

In indirect questions with who, whom and what, the wh-word may be the subject or the object of the reported clause:

I asked them who came to meet them at the airport. (who is the subject of came; original question: ‘Who came to meet you at the airport?’)

He wondered what the repairs would cost. (what is the object of cost; original question: ‘What will the repairs cost?’)

The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:

She asked us what [S]we [V]were doing. (original question: ‘What are you doing?’)

Not: She asked us what were we doing?

When, where, why and how

We also use statement word order (subject + verb) with when, where, why and how:

I asked her when [S]it [V]had happened (original question: ‘When did it happen?’).

Not: I asked her when had it happened?

I asked her where [S]the bus station [V]was. (original question: ‘Where is the bus station?’)

Not: I asked her where was the bus station?

The teacher asked them how [S]they [V]wanted to do the activity. (original question: ‘How do you want to do the activity?’)

Not: The teacher asked them how did they want to do the activity?

Indirect speech: reporting commands

Indirect reports of commands consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a to-infinitive:

The General ordered the troops to advance. (original command: ‘Advance!’)

The chairperson told him to sit down and to stop interrupting. (original command: ‘Sit down and stop interrupting!’)

We also use a to-infinitive clause in indirect reports with other verbs that mean wanting or getting people to do something, for example, advise, encourage, warn:

They advised me to wait till the following day. (original statement: ‘You should wait till the following day.’)

The guard warned us not to enter the area. (original statement: ‘You must not enter the area.’)

III. Backshift

‘Backshift’ refers to the changes we make to the original verbs in indirect speech because time has passed between the moment of speaking and the time of the report.

Compare

In these examples, the present (am) has become the past (was), the future (will) has become the future-in-the-past (would) and the past (happened) has become the past perfect (had happened). The tenses have ‘shifted’ or ‘moved back’ in time.

Backshift changes

The past perfect does not shift back; it stays the same:

Indirect speech: changes to adverbs and demonstratives

We often change demonstratives (this, that) and adverbs of time and place (now, here, today, etc.) because indirect speech happens at a later time than the original speech, and perhaps in a different place.

Typical changes to demonstratives, adverbs and adverbial expressions