Reported Speech

Simply put, reported speech is when you express what someone has said. The most commonly used structure when reporting is a verb like say followed by a noun clause.

  • She says (that) she will arrive at 9:30 tomorrow morning.
  • Everyone who I talk to says (that) this place has the best Mexican food in the city.
  • My guidance counsellor said (that) I need to think more seriously about my classes.

Here are some other common reporting verbs. (In Grammar 10-3, you will look at some more verbs and their specific uses for reported speech.)

  • answer
  • agree
  • admit
  • complain
  • explain
  • promise
  • reply
  • repeat
  • shout
  • state
  • whisper
  • yell
  • The man whispered (that) he was going to leave work early.
  • Arthur promised (that) he would work harder to communicate with his team members. 
  • Everyone agreed (that) raising kids seemed to be getting harder and harder.

Backshifting


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