Grammar B2 - Reported Speech

Reported speech acts as the grammar for storytelling or gossip, allowing you to convey what someone else previously said to a new listener. When reporting speech, the process involves more than just repeating words; it requires adapting the original message to your current perspective.

Key mechanics of reported speech include:

• Backshifting: This process helps visualize that the original conversation occurred in the past. It involves shifting the verb one step further back into the past—for example, changing "I am tired" to "she said she was tired," or "I bought a car" to "she said she had bought a car".
• Adjusting Context: Because the time and the person speaking have changed, you must update pronouns and time references (such as changing "tomorrow" to "the next day") to ensure the report makes sense to your current listener.
• Reporting Questions: Questions turn into statements, meaning they lose their question mark and the verb moves toward the end of the sentence.
  • For direct questions, the structure flattens, such as changing "Where is the bank?" to "He asked where the bank was".
  • For yes-or-no questions, you must insert "if" or "whether" to connect the ideas, such as changing "Do you like coffee?" to "He asked if I liked coffee".