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Time and Place in Reported Speech

When we report something, we may need to make changes to:

  • time (now, tomorrow)
  • place (here, this room)

If we report something around the same time, then we probably do not need to make any changes to time words . But if we report something at a different time, we need to change time words. Look at these example sentences:

  • He said: "It was hot yesterday ." → He said that it had been hot the day before .
  • He said: "We are going to swim tomorrow ." → He said they were going to swim the next day .

Here is a list of common time words, showing how you change them for reported speech:

Place words

If we are in the same place when we report something, then we do not need to make any changes to place words . But if we are in a different place when we report something, then we need to change the place words. Look at these example sentences:

  • He said: "It is cold in here ." → He said that it was cold in there .
  • He said: "How much is this book ?" → He asked how much the book was.

Here are some common place words, showing how you change them for reported speech:

Contributor: Josef Essberger

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Reported Speech Tenses

Reported speech tenses will change from that of the direct speech in most cases.

This is known as backshifting in reported speech , with the basic rule that a tense is shifted back to its past tense form.

This is because we are usually talking about something in the past. 

You can also watch a video of this lesson:

Backshifting in Reported Speech

Here are some examples of backshifting, with tenses going back from present to past:

Backshifting in Reported Speech

Reported Speech Tenses Change Chart

Below is a reported speech tense change chart with the rules for backshifting for each tense and for modal verbs.

You will see reported speech does not go back a tense if it is already in the past perfect (there is no further back it can go), and some modal verbs also do not change. 

If you are tested on this, though, these are the changes you need to make.

Reported Speech Chart for Tenses

Exceptions to the rules

This is a useful starting point. However, it is a simplification as we may not always decide or need to shift the tense back. 

For instance, if the circumstances we are reporting on  have not changed  since they were directly said, then the tense would not need to be changed. For example:

Direct Speech

  • I  am  happy 
  • (present simple)

Reported Speech

  • She said she is happy 

So if we want to convey that the situation is still true then we may keep the tense the same.

Alternatively, the tense could even forward shift. An example would be in relation to a film or book. In this case, the person may use the past tense to say that the film was good, but the present or past tense could be used when you convey that to someone else:

Direct Speech:

  • The film  was  really good!
  • (past simple)

Reported Speech:

  • He said that the film  was  very good!
  • (past simple) Or
  • He said that the film  is  very good!

As you can see, either reported speech tenses would be ok if you wanted to pass the information on to somebody else. The person said the film was good, and it is still good (it hasn't gone away).

So there are some general rules for reported speech tense changes but it can depend on the context. There may be no need to change it or you may be able to choose either tense.

Click the ' reported speech: practice forming indirect speech ' link below to practice changing tenses. 

More on Reported Speech:

This reported speech quiz gives you the chance to practice converting direct speech to reported speech, also known as indirect speech. This involves backshifting with the tenses.

Reported Speech Quiz - Practice forming indirect speech

This reported speech quiz gives you the chance to practice converting direct speech to reported speech, also known as indirect speech. This involves backshifting with the tenses.

Reported speech imperatives, also known as reported commands, follow a slightly different structure to normal indirect speech. We use imperatives to give orders, advice, or make requests.

Reported Speech Imperatives: Reporting commands in indirect speech

Reported speech imperatives, also known as reported commands, follow a slightly different structure to normal indirect speech. We use imperatives to give orders, advice, or make requests.

In these examples of direct and indirect speech you are given a sentence in direct speech which is then connected to indirect speech.

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

In these examples of direct and indirect speech you are given a sentence in direct speech which is then connected to indirect speech.

Direct and indirect speech are different because in direct speech the exact words said are spoken, but in indirect or reported speech, we are reporting what was said, usually using the past tense.

Direct and Indirect Speech: The differences explained

Direct and indirect speech are different because in direct speech the exact words said are spoken, but in indirect or reported speech, we are reporting what was said, usually using the past tense.

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Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions

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👉 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.

Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions Espresso English

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!

Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions Espresso English

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.

Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions Espresso English

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.

Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions Espresso English

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: Rules, Examples, Exceptions Espresso English

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:

Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions Espresso English

More Espresso English Lessons:

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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.

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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  • 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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What was the most memorable conversation you had yesterday? Who were you talking to and what did they say to you?

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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.

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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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Reported speech

Tense changes in reported speech

Indirect speech (reported speech) focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words.  In indirect speech, the structure of the reported clause depends on whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question or a command.

Normally, the tense in reported speech is one tense back in time from the tense in direct speech: She said, "I  am  tired." = She said that she  was  tired.

You do not need to change the tense if the reporting verb is in the present, or if the original statement was about something that is still true (but this is only for things which are general facts, and even then usually we like to change the tense) , e.g.

  • He says  he has missed  the train but  he'll catch  the next one.
  • We explained that  it is  very difficult to find our house.
  • Direct speech: The sky is blue.
  • Reported speech: She said (that) the sky  is/was  blue.

These modal verbs do not change in reported speech:  might, could, would, should, ought to :

  • We explained, "It  could  be difficult to find our house." = We explained that it  could  be difficult to find our house.
  • She said, "I  might  bring a friend to the party." = She said that she  might  bring a friend to the party.

Course Curriculum

  • Direct and indirect speech 15 mins
  • Tense changes in reported speech 20 mins
  • Changing time and place in reported speech 20 mins
  • Reported questions 20 mins
  • Reporting verbs 20 mins
  • Reporting orders and requests 15 mins
  • Reporting hopes, intentions and promises 20 mins

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  • B1-B2 grammar

Reported speech: reporting verbs

Reported speech: reporting verbs

Do you know how to tell someone what another person said using reporting verbs? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.

Look at these examples to see how reporting verbs are used.

direct speech: 'You should come, it's going to be a lot of fun,' she said. indirect speech: She persuaded me to come. direct speech: 'Wait here,' he said. indirect speech: He told us to wait there. direct speech: 'It wasn't me who finished the coffee,' he said. indirect speech: He denied finishing the coffee.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Reported speech 3 – reporting verbs: 1

Grammar explanation

When we tell someone what another person said, we often use the verbs say , tell or ask . These are called 'reporting verbs'. However, we can also use other reporting verbs. Many reporting verbs can be followed by another verb in either an infinitive or an -ing form. 

Reporting verb + infinitive

Verbs like advise , agree , challenge , claim , decide , demand , encourage , invite , offer , persuade , promise , refuse and remind can follow an infinitive pattern.

'Let's see. I'll have the risotto, please.' He decided to have the risotto. 'I'll do the report by Friday, for sure.' She promised to do the report by Friday. 'It's not a good idea to write your passwords down.' They advised us not to write our passwords down.

We can also use an infinitive to report imperatives, with a reporting verb like tell , order , instruct , direct or warn .

'Please wait for me in reception.' The guide told us to wait for her in reception. 'Don't go in there!' The police officer warned us not to go in there.

Reporting verb + -ing form

Verbs like admit , apologise for , complain about , deny , insist on , mention and suggest can follow an -ing form pattern.

'I broke the window.' She admitted breaking the window. 'I'm really sorry I didn't get back to you sooner.' He apologised for not getting back to me sooner. 'Let's take a break.' She suggested taking a break.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Reported speech 3 – reporting verbs: 2

Language level

Would you consider the following structure to be reported speech?

The original sentence went as follows:

- After the procedure the doctors confirmed it was the right thing to have done.

Why am I asking? As far as I know the top notch phrasing should go like this:

- After the procedure the doctors confirmed it HAD BEEN the right thing to have done.

I think so because at that time the doctors must have said something like:

- Doctors confirming after the procedure - It was the right thing to have done, Dominik.

Would you be so kind to comment on this one, please :)

  • Log in or register to post comments

Hello Dominik992,

The version that you propose is correct, and, as you mention, is what is taught as best practice in most grammars.

The other version is also fine, however. Especially in more informal speaking and writing, we often use a past simple form when a past perfect form doesn't add any additional or important meaning.

Best wishes, Kirk LearnEnglish team

Hello! I would like to know whether this two sentences are correct. I think they are both correct, but I am not sure.

"He apologized for letting me down." Or: "He apologized for having let me down"

Thank you in advance! GabDip

Hello GabDip,

Yes, both sentences are correct. There is a slight difference in meaning:

Sentence 1 ( for letting ) could be about a particular situation or it could be about his general habit of being unreliable.

Sentence 2 ( for having let ) describes an issue in the past which is not true any more.

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello, i have 2 questions, firstly is the same use advise with verb + object + infinitive that use it with + gerund, it changes the meaning or no? secondly, when we use warn + object + infinitive it has the same meaning that warn somebody against?

Hi facundo62,

For  advise , the meaning is the same with those two structures. For example:

  • I'd advise resting as much as you can.
  • I'd advise you to rest as much as you can.

However, the structure  advise  + - ing form is less commonly used than the advise + object + to + infinitive structure. 

About  warn , the two structures you mentioned do also have the same meaning. But just to be clear, it's  warn  + object + not + to  + infinitive that has that meaning. For example:

  • The doctor warned me not to eat too much.
  • The doctor warned me against eating too much.

I hope that helps.

LearnEnglish team

what is the diffrence beetween he suggested to ask andi for some ideas and he suggested asking andi for ideas

"He suggested to ask ..." is not grammatically correct. 

The verb "suggest" is followed by either:

  • an - ing  verb form -->  He suggested asking ...  OR
  • a  that  clause -->  He suggested  that we ask   ...

"Suggest" is not in the group of verbs that is followed by an infinitive ( to  + verb).

it helped alot thanks

Why can't we say "Katie suggested us going for a walk" but instead should say "KATIE SUGGESTED THAT WE GO FOR A WALK" whilst "The man warned us not to park in this street" is correct. It's unclear why "She suggested us" isn't correct but "The man warned us...." is.

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4.3 GRAMMAR: Reported Speech

back reported speech

There are two basic ways: direct speech and indirect speech. Direct speech is an exact account of what someone said or wrote. To include direct speech in your writing, enclose the words in “quotation marks.” Indirect speech is a restatement of what someone said or wrote. Indirect speech does not use the person’s exact words. You do not need to use quotation marks for indirect quotations.

Direct speech (quoting)

One way to report what a person said or wrote is to repeat their exact words. This is called direct speech. The person’s words are called a quotation.

To use direct speech, you must repeat the person’s words exactly. You use a verb of attribution and specific punctuation. Quotation marks show readers another person’s exact words. Often, you will want to identify who is speaking. You can do this at the beginning, middle, or end of the quote. Notice the use of commas and capitalized words.

Look at these examples:

  • “I’m no prophet. My job is making windows where there were once walls,” said philosopher Michel Foucault.
  • Michel Foucault said, “I’m no prophet. My job is making windows where there were once walls.”
  • “I’m no prophet,” said philosopher Michel Foucault. “My job is making windows where there were once walls.”

They all mean exactly the same thing. The difference between these three options is merely a matter of style. What is important, however, is the punctuation. Pay attention to quotation marks, commas, periods, and spaces.

Use single quotation marks to enclose a quote within a quote. For example: “He said, ‘The futurist told me to buy stock in plastics.'”

  • A quotation must be exactly the same as the original text.
  • A quotation must use “quotation marks” surrounding the exact text.
  • A quotation must give credit to the original author or speaker.
  • According to  Sports Illustrated , “Eliminating drug use from Olympic Sports would be no small challenge.”
  • “ Eliminating drug use from Olympic Sports would be no small challenge,” according to  Sports Illustrated .

Indirect speech (paraphrasing)

Another way to report what a person says is indirect speech. Here, you don’t need to use the other person’s exact words. In informal situations, you may change only a word or two (such as the verb tense). Other times, such as in formal academic research writing, you paraphrase, or say the same thing using different words or a different word order. When you paraphrase, you usually use a verb of attribution followed by a noun clause, often introduced by the relative pronoun  that . Here’s how you can paraphrase the example from above:

  • Philosopher Michel Foucault says he doesn’t see the future, but instead helps people find ways to put windows in walls.
  • Michel Foucault says he’s not a philosopher; rather, he helps people see beyond what is immediately in front of them.

The 4 Rs of paraphrasing

According to the Virtual Library, here are four steps to paraphrase:

  • Reword  the text by using synonyms or different parts of speech; change verb tense or change active verbs to passive and vice versa.
  • Rearrange  by moving words to make new sentences or reorganize the sentences in a passage.
  • Realize  that not all words or phrases can be changed; you won’t be able to replace names, dates, titles, or technical words.
  • Recheck  your work to make sure it carries the same meaning as the original; a paraphrase does not add or omit any information, and it does not include your personal opinion.

NOTE: In formal academic writing, we often use a reporting verb in the present simple tense. Example:  The author of this book suggests that the real reason for the wildfires was human carelessness.

Let’s look at another example:

Using quotation :  Many people believe they can get more done if they do several things at the same time. However, Steven Pinker disagrees. In his article “Mind Over Mass Media” in  The New York Times (2010), Pinker says, “Genuine multitasking, too, has been exposed as a myth, not just by laboratory studies but by the familiar sight of an S.U.V. undulating between lanes as the driver cuts deals on his cellphone” (A31). Pinker goes on to explain that there are better ways to be more effective and efficient …

Using paraphrase :  Many people believe they can get more done if they do several things at the same time. However, Steven Pinker disagrees. Pinker (2010) writes that people cannot really do more than one thing at a time; one can see this from scientific research projects and also from just watching a car moving unpredictably down the highway while the driver is talking on a cell phone (A31). Pinker goes on to explain that there are better ways to be more effective and efficient …

Note the three steps we took in making this paraphrase:

  • We defined the key term. (“Genuine multitasking” = “do more than one thing at a time”)
  • We used different vocabulary. (“laboratory studies” = “scientific research projects”; “an S.U.V. undulating between lanes” = “a car moving unpredictably down the highway”)
  • We used different grammar. (“has been exposed” = “one can see”; “by the familiar sight” = “from just watching”)
  • A paraphrase has the same meaning (all main ideas included; no new ideas added).
  • A paraphrase is different enough to be considered your own words (uses no more than a few words in a row from the original source; changes vocabulary and grammar as much as possible)
  • A paraphrase refers to (cites) the original source.

Use the following exercise to check your understanding. This exercise is for practice; it is not graded, and you may complete it as many times as you wish.

1.  Which of the options below describes this sentence best? The artist said the studio smelled like “paint and possibility.”

  • The sentence uses a quotation to explain what the artist said.
  • There is no paraphrase (because there are “quotation marks”), but there is also no direct speech because the quote is not a full sentence.
  • The sentence uses a quotation, but the whole sentence is incomplete and therefore only a fragment.
  • The sentence paraphrases what the artist said.

2. Paraphrasing, which is also called “indirect speech,” uses the exact same words as the original source.

3. Here is a sentence from an article by Mary Lynch:  The value of education is more than knowledge. How would I report this as indirect speech (paraphrase)?

  • The value of education is more than knowledge, believes Mary Lynch.
  • In Mary Lynch’s opinion, “The value of education is more than knowledge.”
  • Mary Lynch suggests that knowledge is not the only important thing about learning.
  • Mary Lynch says education and training are very important.

4. Here is a sentence from an article by Doug Drial: Oregon became a state on February 14, 1859. How would I report this as direct speech (quotation)?

  • Doug Drial writes Oregon as a state in 1859.
  • According to Doug Drial, February 14, 1859 was the date when Oregon became a state.
  • Doug Drial says Oregon became a state on February 14, 1859.
  • Doug Drial says, “Oregon became a state on February 14, 1859.”

5. In formal academic writing, we should …

  • use a variety of both direct and indirect speech
  • use only direct speech
  • always use only my own ideas and never support from outside sources
  • use only indirect speech

6. Which of the following are ways to help you paraphrase? (choose all that apply)

  • change only the punctuation
  • change the word forms
  • change the word order
  • use the other person’s exact words
  • use synonyms
  • use quotation marks
  • change the verb tense
  • use a metaphor or simile

7. In formal academic writing, you usually use the __________________ tense to report what others have said or written.

  • present perfect
  • simple future
  • simple present
  • simple past

8. A comma or period usually goes outside (after) the quotation mark.

9. Which of the following uses correct grammar?

  • My teacher said me to cite my outside sources of information.
  • My teacher told me to cite my outside sources of information.
  • My teacher says me to cite my outside sources of information.
  • My teacher tells to cite my outside sources of information.

10.  A quotation, which is also called “direct speech,” must use the speaker’s or writer’s exact words.

Some text has been adapted from “Quotation Marks | English 112: Exposition and Persuasion.” Courses.lumenlearning.com, courses.lumenlearning.com/ivytech-engl112/chapter/quotation-marks/ . Accessed 29 Dec. 2021.

Synthesis Copyright © 2022 by Timothy Krause is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Cambridge Dictionary

  • Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Reported speech: indirect speech

Indirect speech focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words. In indirect speech , the structure of the reported clause depends on whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question or a command.

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 .)

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?’ )

Questions: yes-no questions ( Are you feeling cold? )

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?’ )
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?

Questions: wh- questions

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.’ )

Verbs followed by a to -infinitive

Indirect speech: present simple reporting verb

We can use the reporting verb in the present simple in indirect speech if the original words are still true or relevant at the time of reporting, or if the report is of something someone often says or repeats:

Sheila says they’re closing the motorway tomorrow for repairs.
Henry tells me he’s thinking of getting married next year.
Rupert says dogs shouldn’t be allowed on the beach. (Rupert probably often repeats this statement.)

Newspaper headlines

We often use the present simple in newspaper headlines. It makes the reported speech more dramatic:

JUDGE TELLS REPORTER TO LEAVE COURTROOM
PRIME MINISTER SAYS FAMILIES ARE TOP PRIORITY IN TAX REFORM

Present simple ( I work )

Reported speech

Reported speech: direct speech

Indirect speech: past continuous reporting verb

In indirect speech, we can use the past continuous form of the reporting verb (usually say or tell ). This happens mostly in conversation, when the speaker wants to focus on the content of the report, usually because it is interesting news or important information, or because it is a new topic in the conversation:

Rory was telling me the big cinema in James Street is going to close down. Is that true?
Alex was saying that book sales have gone up a lot this year thanks to the Internet.

‘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.

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.

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

Modal verbs

Some, but not all, modal verbs ‘shift back’ in time and change in indirect speech.

We can use a perfect form with have + - ed form after modal verbs, especially where the report looks back to a hypothetical event in the past:

He said the noise might have been the postman delivering letters. (original statement: ‘The noise might be the postman delivering letters.’ )
He said he would have helped us if we’d needed a volunteer. (original statement: ‘I’ll help you if you need a volunteer’ or ‘I’d help you if you needed a volunteer.’ )

Used to and ought to do not change in indirect speech:

She said she used to live in Oxford. (original statement: ‘I used to live in Oxford.’ )
The guard warned us that we ought to leave immediately. (original statement: ‘You ought to leave immediately.’ )

No backshift

We don’t need to change the tense in indirect speech if what a person said is still true or relevant or has not happened yet. This often happens when someone talks about the future, or when someone uses the present simple, present continuous or present perfect in their original words:

He told me his brother works for an Italian company. (It is still true that his brother works for an Italian company.)
She said she ’s getting married next year. (For the speakers, the time at the moment of speaking is ‘this year’.)
He said he ’s finished painting the door. (He probably said it just a short time ago.)
She promised she ’ll help us. (The promise applies to the future.)

Indirect speech: changes to pronouns

Changes to personal pronouns in indirect reports depend on whether the person reporting the speech and the person(s) who said the original words are the same or different.

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

Indirect speech: typical errors.

The word order in indirect reports of wh- questions is the same as statement word order (subject + verb), not question word order:

She always asks me where [S] [V] I am going .
Not: She always asks me where am I going .

We don’t use a question mark when reporting wh- questions:

I asked him what he was doing.
Not: I asked him what he was doing?

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back reported speech

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The reported speech.

back reported speech

Reported speech

1. reported speech.

back reported speech

2. When do we use reported speech ?

When we want to express what someone has told us we have two options: direct speech or reported speech .

A sentence in reported speech will generally be introduced by a verb in the past. The most common are say and tell .

We use reported speech for three different types of sentences: statements, questions and requests or commands.

3. Reported speech  for statements

When we use reported speech , we take the verb tense of the original sentence as a reference and we move it one tense back. Now we will show a table with the original verb tense and its corresponding verb tense in reported speech .

1  Modals could, should, ought to, would and might  don't change when we turn them into  reported speech.

4. Reported speech  for questions

When we use reported speech to express a question we also move the verb tense of the original sentence one tense back as with the statements, but the sentence no longer has the structure of the question and takes the structure of a statement. The sentence in reported speech will be introduced by the verb ask .

A question can be preceded or not by a  question word (who, when...)

The particle  if can be replaced by the word whether .

Below there are a few examples in different verb tenses.

5. Reported speech  for requests and commands

When we use reported speech to express a request, the verb of the sentence in reported speech will be in infinitive preceded by the particle to , and will be introduced by the verb ask . The verb tell is used for commands. If the sentence is negative, we will place the particle not in front of the to .

6. Comments

There are a few things to keep in mind when using reported speech :

back reported speech

7. Reported speech  with  reporting verbs

To introduce a sentence in reported speech , not only are the verbs ask , tell and say used, but other verbs can also be used ( reporting verbs ) and the way of building the sentence will vary according to them.

Below we show the different structures with some of the most common reporting verbs :

Some of these  reporting verbs  such as: decide, deny, suggest, insist, recommend ... can also be followed by the particle  that  and a sentence.

  • Reported Speech

Reported Speech: Whenever you are quoting someone else’s words , you use two kinds of speeches – Direct or Indirect speech . In this chapter, we will learn all about Direct and Indirect speech and how to convert one into another.

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Reported speech- how does it work.

Reported speech

Whenever you report a speech there’s a reporting verb used like “say” or “tell”. For example:

Direct speech: I love to play football .

Reported speech: She said that she loves to play football. (Note 1 : Assume a gender if not mentioned already. Note 2: Using “that” is optional. This sentence could also have been written as “She said she loves to play football.”)

The tense doesn’t have to be changed in this case of reported speech. But of the reporting verb is in the past tense , we do change the tense of the sentence.

Browse more Topics under Transformation Sentences

  • Active and Passive Voice
  • Parts of Speech
  • Types of Sentences

Reported speech- Play of the tenses:

Learn more about  Parts of Speech here in detail

This is a summary table that will be crystal clear to you as you read further. Just come back to this table after this section and use this as a summary table:

Some word transitions from direct to reported speech that will come in handy:

  • Will becomes would
  • Can becomes could
  • would stays would
  • should stays should
  • must stays must or had to(matter of choice)
  • shall becomes should

Exception : A present tense in direct speech may not become a past tense in the reported speech if it’s a fact or something generic we are talking about in the sentence. For example-

Direct speech: The sun rises from the East.

Reported speech: She said that the sun rises/rose from the East.

Reported speech- Handling questions:

What happens when the sentence we are trying to report was actually a question? That’s something we are going to deal with in this section. Reported questions- It’s quite interesting. let’s get into it:

Well the good news is that the tense change you learnt above stays the same in reported speech for questions. The only difference is that when you report a question, you no more report it in the form of a question but in the form of a statement. For example:

Direct speech: Where do you want to eat?

Reported speech: She asked me where I wanted to eat.

Notice how the question mark is gone from the reported speech. The reported speech is a statement now. Keep that in mind as you read further.

Remember the tense change? Let’s apply that to a few questions now.

Now these are questions that have wordy answers to them. What about the questions that has yes/no answers to them? In these type of questions just add “if” before asking the question. For example:

  • Direct speech: Would you like to eat some cupcakes?
  • Reported speech: He asked me if i would like to eat some cupcakes.
  • Direct speech: Have you ever seen the Van Gogh paintings?
  • Reported speech: She asked me if I had ever seen the Van Gogh paintings.
  • Direct speech: Are you eating your vegetables?
  • Reported speech: She asked if I was eating my vegetables.

Reported speech- Reported requests:

Well not all questions require answers. Some questions are polite requests. Remember? Could you please try to remember? And then there are request statements. Let’s see how do we convert these into reported speech.

Reported request = ask me + to + verb or requested me + to +verb

Just add this rule to your reported speech and you have what is called a reported request.

Reported speech- Reported orders:

Well, not everyone is going to be polite. Sometimes, we get orders. Now how will you report them? Unlike the request, the reporting verb isn’t ask but told or tell. Also, when in orders, sometimes subjects are omitted but while reporting we have to revive the subjects. Let’s see a few examples:

  • Direct speech: Sit down!
  • Reported speech: She told  me to sit down.
  • Direct speech: don’t worry!
  • Reported speech: She told me not to worry.

Reported speech- Time transitions:

With that, you have everything it takes to understand reported speech. you are all se to change the direct to reported speech. Go ahead and try a few examples. All the best!

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Transformation of Sentences

  • Active and Passive voice

37 responses to “Active and Passive voice”

Simple but very nice explanation and helpfull too.

What is the voice change of ” I have endeavoured to understand the fundamental truths.”

ENDEAVOUR HAS BEEN MADE BY ME TO UNDERSTAND THE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH.

The fundamental truths have been endeavoured to be understood by me

The fundamental truths to understand had been endeavoured by him

The fundamental truths have endeavoured to be understood by me

The fundamental truths has been understood endeavoured to by me

How to change the voice for the following sentence – the books will be received by tomorrow

By whom? We need a subject. If the subject was for example “The library”, then the sentence in active voice would read “The library will receive the books by tomorrow”.

You will receive the books by tomorrow.

Tomorrow you will receive the book

You will receive the books (by) tomorrow.

Someone will receive the books by tomorrow

Tomorrow will be receive the books

HE WILL RECEIVE THE BOOKS BY TOMORROW.

By tomorrow the books will be received.

By tomorrow, you will receive the books

Tomorrow received the book

Change this “take right and turn left” into passive voice

Let the right be taken amd left be turned

‘amd’ is “and” 😅

You are advised to take right and turn left

Very helpful information thanks

Very well explained all basics that can lead to gain further knowledge very easily

What is in this box change into passive

what is the voice change of,” some people think nuclear is the best, because it doesnt add to global warming “….

Brilliant stuff!! – Rishabh

A kite was made by Ravi . What is the active form of this statement???

how to change into passive this sentence “when they were shifting the patient to the I.C.U.,he died

change into passive voice this sentence “when they were shifting the patient to I.C.U.,he died .

May you tell us tense conversion in voice.

Sentences without action like…. Jim is a doctor . Is it active or passive and if any how would you decide without having a main verb ?

It is named after the name of its principal tree ‘sundari'(passive)

how can ocean be object 🙄???

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North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson's Past Remark About Women Voting Was Stripped of Its Context

This rumor was misleadingly promoted by both the democratic national committee and president joe biden's reelection campaign., jordan liles, published march 6, 2024.

On March 5, 2024 – also known as Super Tuesday in U.S. politics – North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson won the Republican primary for the state's race for governor.

Rumors were shared in the aftermath of Robinson's victory, as often happens in election years when politicians or aspiring politicians are running for office. One of those rumors was even shared by the reelection campaign for U.S. President Joe Biden.

Here's how it went down: On March 6, the @DNCWarRoom account on X – an official rapid response account for the Democratic National Committee – posted ( archived ), "Mark Robinson, GOP candidate for North Carolina Governor: I absolutely want to go back to the America where women couldn't vote."

The post from @DNCWarRoom included a brief, 21-second video clip overlaid with text that said it was captured in 2020. At the time, Robinson was running  to become lieutenant governor.

Mark Robinson, GOP candidate for North Carolina Governor: I absolutely want to go back to the America where women couldn't vote pic.twitter.com/Mh99n0goWO — DNC War Room (@DNCWarRoom) March 6, 2024

In the brief clip on X, Robinson said, "This idiotic guy was on stage with Candace Owens a few days ago and asked her, 'What America are we going back to to make America great again? The one where women couldn't vote or Black people were swinging from cheap trees?' I would say to him if I was standing in front of him, 'I absolutely want to go back to the America where women couldn't vote.'" No further context was provided.

The @BidenHQ account on X – a rapid response account for Biden's reelection campaign – then reposted the @DNCWarRoom post.

The truth was that this brief clip of Robinson posted to X was misleading in that it was missing context. His full remarks reveal that he was not against women having the right to vote but rather was making a larger point about the role that he believed  Republicans played in the passage of the 19th Amendment .

Hours before the @DNCWarRoom post was posted,  HuffPost.com  published the headline, "Mark Robinson: 'I Absolutely Want To Go Back To The America Where Women Couldn't Vote.'" The article was accompanied by a post  ( archived ) on X that was reposted by @HuffPost. It came from the story's author – senior politics reporter Jennifer Bendery – and read, "NEW: Newly unearthed video of N.C. GOP gubernatorial nominee Mark Robinson in 2020: 'I absolutely want to go back to the America where women couldn't vote.'"

NEW: Newly unearthed video of N.C. GOP gubernatorial nominee Mark Robinson in 2020: "I absolutely want to go back to the America where women couldn't vote." https://t.co/dAlCe2DhPL — Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) March 6, 2024

Bendery's post included an embed of a link to the article and a subheading beneath the headline that provided some context. The post did not feature the 21-second video that was promoted by the DNC and Biden campaign. As of this writing, Bendery's post had received multiple draft Community Notes from users who attempted to either add context to Robinson's words or to add that no note was needed.

The context regarding Robinson's thoughts was available within the HuffPost.com article, which was also shared without context by other prominent users on X. The article featured a longer, unlisted video from YouTube that showed Robinson making more of his remarks. That longer video included him talking about his Christian beliefs, his support of then-U.S. President Donald Trump and also the context that was not featured by the X accounts for the DNC or Biden campaign. The clip was purportedly recorded on March 1, 2020, at an event hosted by the Republican Women of Pitt County in North Carolina.

Transcribed below are Robinson's extended remarks ( bolded ) that explain exactly what it was that he was attempting to convey to the gathered crowd:

This idiotic guy was on stage with Candace Owens a few days ago and asked her, 'What America are we going back to to make America great again? The one where women couldn't vote or Black people were swinging from cheap trees?' I would say to him if I was standing in front of him, 'I absolutely want to go back to the America where women couldn't vote.'  Do you know why? Because in those days, we had people who fought for real social change and they were called Republicans. And they are the reason why women can vote today.

The remarks begin at the 3:25 mark in the YouTube video ( archived page ) below:

Snopes reached out to the DNC, the Biden campaign and Bendery for comment regarding this matter. This story will be updated if one or more relevant responses are received.

Bendery, Jennifer. "Mark Robinson: 'I Absolutely Want To Go Back To The America Where Women Couldn't Vote.'" HuffPost.com , 6 Mar. 2024, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/north-carolina-gop-mark-robinson-women-vote_n_65e7d899e4b0f9d26cacc002.

"Mark K. Robinson (North Carolina Lieutenant Governor)." Ballotpedia , https://ballotpedia.org/Mark_K._Robinson_(North_Carolina_lieutenant_governor).

"Mark Robinson at Republican Women Gop Pitt County 3/1/2020." YouTube , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJONwEJwyxs.

"Nineteenth Amendment." Constitution Annotated , https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-19/.

Robertson, Gary D. "Heated North Carolina Governor's Race Ahead with Democrat Josh Stein vs. Republican Mark Robinson." The Associated Press , 5 Mar. 2024, https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-election-primary-governor-b9fb5ebb3f541480705bbbdca3529db9.

"The New York Times: The Passage of the 19th Amendment." University of Houston , Digital History, https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtid=3&psid=3610.

By Jordan Liles

Jordan Liles is a Senior Reporter who has been with Snopes since 2016.

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Did Katie Britt mislead Americans with a story about trafficking in her State of the Union response?

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WASHINGTON – Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., detailed a harrowing account of child sexual assault as part of the GOP rebuttal to President Joe Biden's State of the Union address last week.

But the anecdote – told amid criticism of Biden's border policies – took place in Mexico while former Republican President George W. Bush was in office.

Britt said she traveled to the Del Rio sector of Texas, where she heard from a woman who was sex trafficked by cartels beginning at the age of 12.

"We wouldn’t be OK with this happening in a third-world country. This is the United States of America, and it’s past time we start acting like it," Britt said during her speech Thursday night. "President Biden’s border crisis is a disgrace."

Britt's use of an anecdote that happened in a different decade and country sparked questions from some political observers, who accused her of misleading viewers as she hit back at the president. Here's what you need to know.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

How has Katie Britt responded?

Britt's office confirmed to the Associated Press over the weekend that she was referring to anti-trafficking activist Karla Jacinto's story and said people are still victims of "disgusting, brutal trafficking by the cartels." Her office did not respond to a request for comment from USA TODAY.

On Sunday, "Fox News Sunday" host Shannon Bream  asked Britt whether she meant "to give the impression that this horrible story happened on President Biden's watch?"

Britt said no and that it was clear from her remarks she was referring to an event that took place years ago: "I didn’t say a teenager. I didn’t say a young woman. A grown woman, a  woman , when she was trafficked when she was 12."

She again criticized Biden's immigration policies, including a pause on border wall construction and deportations. (Border wall construction resumed last fall, and Biden's attempt to temporarily pause deportations was stopped by a judge .)

Britt said she cited Jacinto's story to raise awareness of sex trafficking.

"We have to tell those stories, and the liberal media needs to pay attention to it, because there are victims all the way coming to the border, there are victims at the border and then there are victims all throughout our country," she said during the Fox interview.

Who was Katie Britt talking about in her speech?

Jacinto, the woman Britt was referring to, testified to Congress in 2015 about her experiences. She said she was trafficked in Guadalajara and Mexico City between 2004 and 2008, far from the southern border with the United States. Independent journalist Jonathan Katz first detailed the discrepancy in a TikTok video .

Jacinto told CNN on Sunday that politicians in both the United States and Mexico have used her story for political purposes.

"I hardly ever cooperate with politicians, because it seems to me that they only want an image," she said, adding that she would like all politicians to "be empathetic with the issue of human trafficking."

"People who are really trafficked and abused, as (Britt) mentioned. And I think (Britt) should first take into account what really happens before telling a story of that magnitude," Jacinto said.

Britt, 42, is the youngest Republican woman ever to be elected to the Senate. Immigration policy has been a central focus of her first term, and she serves as the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee's Homeland Security Subcommittee .

Reactions to Katie Britt's response

The Alabama lawmaker's rebuttal to Biden's State of the Union was widely panned for her theatrical delivery, including a depiction by Scarlett Johansson during the latest "Saturday Night Live" cold open . Others took issue with her placement in a kitchen, despite her prestigious position as a United States senator.

"Senator Katie Britt is a very impressive person," wrote conservative commentator Alyssa Farah Griffin  on X , formerly Twitter. “I do not understand the decision to put her in a KITCHEN for one of the most important speeches she’s ever given."

However, former President Donald Trump, who endorsed Britt for Senate in 2022, wrote on Truth Social that she was "a GREAT contrast to an Angry, and obviously very Disturbed, 'President.'"

Trump allies praised the speech as a message aimed at female voters as the presidential election heats up.

Katie Britt’s kitchen-table rebuttal to State of the Union baffles GOP

Sitting in front of a kitchen done in shades of beige, with a couple of family photos, a faucet and a fruit bowl visible in the background, Sen. Katie Boyd Britt (R-Ala.) delivered the Republican Party’s rebuttal to President Biden’s State of the Union address Thursday night.

The kitchen was among several elements of her speech that drew criticism ranging from baffled to mocking — not just from Democrats, but from Republicans who said the setting undermined Britt’s stature as a senator and questioned her halting, theatrical delivery. The speech swiftly began drawing jokes and parodies .

“Senator Katie Britt is a very impressive person,” conservative commentator Alyssa Farah Griffin wrote on X . “I do not understand the decision to put her in a *KITCHEN* for one of the most important speeches she’s ever given.”

“This speech is not what we need,” said Charlie Kirk, founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA. “Joe Biden just declared war on the American right and Katie Britt is talking like she’s hosting a cooking show.”

Britt, a 42-year-old freshman senator with longtime experience on Capitol Hill, was chosen to deliver the rebuttal as a figure representative of the next generation of congressional Republicans. She also focused on immigration, crime and the economy and sought to remind viewers of Biden’s age.

A senator from Alabama and a mother, she was also a clear choice for delivering the message to viewers that Republicans support IVF — days after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos should be considered children, a move that sparked a national backlash for its threat to in vitro fertilization procedures. In her speech, Britt did not defend the ruling but instead tried to reassure viewers that Republicans support IVF, without noting that dozens of GOP lawmakers have backed a bill that would define life as beginning “at conception” without protections for IVF.

But with her performance, during which her dramatic tones and pauses appeared to differ from her usual way of speaking, she joined the ranks of speakers whose State of the Union responses have gone down in history as missteps. In 2009, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal was panned for his response to President Barack Obama’s speech. And in 2013, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) memorably sipped bottled water during his rebuttal.

“Not sure whose genius idea it was to put a U.S. Senator in the kitchen to deliver the response to the [State of the Union],” Republican pollster Christine Matthews said in a social media post Friday morning.

Matthews noted that, in panels she has conducted over the past decade with women swing voters, ads featuring women speaking about health care in the kitchen “just sets women voters off.”

“Instead of the relatable look they were going for here — given the rollback of reproductive rights and the IVF fiasco — it sends the message that Republicans are literally trying to send women back to the kitchen,” Matthews added.

A spokesman for Britt did not immediately respond to a request from The Washington Post. Some members of Britt’s party praised her performance, including Donald Trump , the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, who applauded her on Truth Social, writing, “Great job Katie!”

“Katie Britt was a GREAT contrast to an Angry, and obviously very Disturbed, ‘President,’” Trump wrote .

This was the third consecutive year that Republicans chose a woman to give the rebuttal, and showing viewers a young White mother at home appeared to be a clear strategy targeting female voters. An ally of Britt’s sent talking points to conservatives suggesting reactions to the speech before it occurred, the New York Times reported , in a memo that suggested that Britt “came off like America’s mom — she gets it.”

In his post, Trump made sure to point out that Britt “was compassionate and caring, especially concerning Women and Women’s Issues.” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) highlighted Britt’s address as “speaking directly to parents and families across the nation.”

Many concluded that the tactic had not worked. Griffin, speaking on CNN, said it was “confusing” to women watching.

“Women can be both wives and mothers and also stateswomen,” Griffin said. “So to put her in a kitchen, not in front of a podium or in the Senate chamber, where she was elected after winning a hard-fought race, I think fell very flat.”

Perspective: A lot of moms can’t see themselves in Katie Britt’s kitchen

Meanwhile, Democrats called out GOP stances on reproductive rights and other women’s issues, which Britt defended in her speech. Many pointed out Thursday the irony of Britt decrying the reported sexual assault and trafficking of a woman whose story she told in the speech, while having endorsed Trump, who was found by a jury to have sexually abused and raped writer E. Jean Carroll.

“Sen Katie Britt says sexual assault is the worst thing that can happen to a woman while encouraging Americans to vote for a convicted sexual predator,” Shannon Watts, founder of the gun-control group Moms Demand Action, wrote on X .

Democrats also noted that, under Alabama’s abortion ban — one of the strictest in the country, with no exceptions for rape or incest — a rape victim would be forced to carry their rapist’s baby to term.

And while Britt was highly critical of the Biden administration’s immigration policies, Democrats pointed out that she was among the Republican senators who helped negotiate a bipartisan border security deal — but then ultimately voted against it after Trump signaled to congressional Republicans that no immigration policy should pass during the election year.

Meanwhile, some Republicans worried that the speech hadn’t had its intended effect in reaching female voters, particularly in suburban swing districts.

Allie Beth Stuckey, host of the Christian conservative podcast “Relatable,” praised the kitchen setting but called the speech “a real missed opportunity.” She noted on X that Britt was in the difficult spot of needing to seem relatable, likable, and “happy, but not too happy … upset, but not too emotional.”

“But the delivery was parody-level terrible,” Stuckey said , “and I promise that didn’t sway any of those suburban moms we’re trying to reach.”

Mariana Alfaro contributed to this report.

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Biden admonishes the Supreme Court for overturning Roe v. Wade

In his third State of the Union address Thursday, Joe Biden did what was once unthinkable: directly challenge Supreme Court justices about one of their opinions, addressing them personally. 

Biden brought up the conservative majority’s landmark reversal of Roe v. Wade. He had begun to read an excerpt of the decision when he began a brief aside, looking right at the justices sitting in the front row.

“With all due respect, justices, women are not without ... electoral or political power," he said.

Then, in what appeared to be an ad-libbed moment, he added, "You’re about to realize just how much …” before Democrats in the chamber jumped to their feet and cheered. 

The justices, dressed in their traditional black robes, sat expressionless but looking forward as the applause and reaction thundered around them. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was among those sitting beside the group, stood to applaud.

politics political law

It rare to see any interaction between a president and the Supreme Court justices, but in 2010, conservative Justice Samuel Alito appeared to mouth "not true" or "simply not true" when President Barack Obama criticized the court's ruling in Citizens United, removing corporate campaign spending limits.

Alito has not attended a State of the Union address since then.

Biden hit on several themes related to women's reproductive rights, including an Alabama Supreme Court decision that has caused mass confusion in the state over in vitro fertilization.

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Natasha Korecki is a senior national political reporter for NBC News.

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Fact Focus: Claims Biden administration is secretly flying migrants into the country are unfounded

FILE - President Joe Biden walks out of the White House to board Marine One on the South Lawn in Washington, Jan. 12, 2024. In his victory speech Tuesday, March 5, 2024 former president Donald Trump echoed false statements that the Biden administration has secretly flown hundreds of thousands of foreigners to the United States. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

FILE - President Joe Biden walks out of the White House to board Marine One on the South Lawn in Washington, Jan. 12, 2024. In his victory speech Tuesday, March 5, 2024 former president Donald Trump echoed false statements that the Biden administration has secretly flown hundreds of thousands of foreigners to the United States. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

FILE - Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a primary election night party at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds in Columbia, S.C., Feb. 24, 2024. In a victory speech on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, former President Trump elevated false information that had gone viral on social media, claiming the Biden administration secretly flew hundreds of thousands of migrants into the United States. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

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SAN DIEGO (AP) — In his Super Tuesday victory speech, former President Donald Trump elevated false information that had gone viral on social media, claiming the Biden administration secretly flew hundreds of thousands of migrants into the United States.

Many post sharing the claim referred to a report by the Center for Immigration Studies, a group that advocates for immigration restrictions. It said the administration refused to list individual airports where people arrived under a Biden “parole” program that allows Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans to stay in the U.S. for two years.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection each month publishes the number of migrants admitted under the program by nationality. This information is available on its website and in press releases. It does not list arriving airports.

Trump said during his speech, “Today it was announced that 325,000 people were flown in from parts unknown - migrants were flown in airplane, not going through borders ... It was unbelievable. I said that must be a mistake. They flew 325,000 migrants. Flew them in over the borders and into our country.”

But migrants are not being flown into the U.S. randomly. Under a Biden policy in effect since January 2023, up to 30,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela can enter the country monthly if they apply online with a financial sponsor and arrive at a specified airport, paying their own way. Biden exercised his “parole” authority, which, under a 1952 law, allows him to admit people “only on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.”

FILE - In this courtroom sketch, retired three-star Venezuelan army general Cliver Antonio Alcala Cordones, right, appears in federal court, Jan, 18, 2024, in New York. The formidable opponent of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro who twice tried to mount coups against the socialist leader spoke to The Associated Press as a Manhattan federal judge decides whether to punish him with a long prison sentence. It's the first time Alcalá has spoken since surrendering in 2020. (Elizabeth Williams via AP, File)

Here’s a closer look. CLAIM: The Biden administration has secretly flown more than 300,000 unvetted migrants into the country.

THE FACTS: An article published on Monday by the Center for Immigration Studies examined a major example of how Biden has exercised his parole authority for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans.

Each month, U.S. Customs and Border Protection discloses how many people from these four countries were allowed to enter the country. On Jan. 26, the agency reported 327,000 were vetted and authorized for travel. There were more than 67,000 Cubans, 126,000 Haitians, 53,000 Nicaraguans and 81,000 Venezuelans.

The Center for Immigration Studies article says CBP approved flights that brought 320,000 to the United States last year. The author, Todd Bensman, learned they came to 43 airports but the government refused to divulge which ones, citing an exemption under the Freedom of Information Act for law enforcement-sensitive information.

Bensman said Wednesday that he doesn’t consider the program secretive, but finds it “enigmatic” and lacking in transparency.”

The migrants are not coming in from “parts unknown,” as Trump charged. CBP vets each one for eligibility and publishes the number of airport arrivals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

Social media posts, including one by Elon Musk’s, charge that the administration is doing this to bring in voters.

But people admitted into the country under parole have no path to citizenship. They can obtain work permits for a limited time but voters must be U.S. citizens.

Biden has exercised parole authority far more than any of his predecessors, which Trump calls “an outrageous abuse” that he will end if returned to the White House. Biden has granted entry — by land or air — to at least 1 million people using parole, not just the 327,000 who flew from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua or Venezuela though December.

Angelo Fernández Hernández, a White House spokesperson, said Wednesday that reports of secretly flying people into the country were “categorically false” and that Cubans, Haitian, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans were “thoroughly screened.”

The Trump campaign and Musk representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.

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Trump’s State of the Union Response: Social Media Glitches and Mocking Filters

Outages on Donald Trump’s platform, Truth Social, interrupted the barrage of derogatory posts that served as his retort to President Biden’s remarks.

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Former President Donald J. Trump with outstretched arms. He is wearing a blue suit and standing in front of American flags.

By Anjali Huynh

  • March 8, 2024

Former President Donald J. Trump promised Americans a “play-by-play” of President Biden’s State of the Union address on Thursday night.

That, Mr. Trump declared before the event began, would happen on “Truth Social, the real voice of America,” praising the social media platform in which he has a financial stake that would be his bully pulpit for the night.

But shortly after, that voice sputtered.

Truth Social began experiencing outages toward the beginning of Mr. Biden’s remarks, with more than 3,000 reported outages on the site by 9:30 p.m., according to Down Detector , a website that tracks user reports of web disruptions. The outages paused the barrage of derogatory posts that made up Mr. Trump’s response to Mr. Biden’s remarks, which included an unusual video that deployed Snapchat filters to mocking effect.

Mr. Biden took numerous shots at Mr. Trump, the expected Republican nominee, on Thursday night, referring to him only as his “predecessor” in an effort to highlight the stakes of the election and draw a contrast for viewers between his vision for the country and the one depicted by his all-but-certain opponent.

Mr. Biden, referencing the “American story,” spoke about how his “lifetime has taught me to embrace freedom and democracy.” Then, alluding to Mr. Trump, Mr. Biden said, “Now some other people my age see a different story — the American story of resentment, revenge and retribution. That’s not me.” (Mr. Trump, whose remarks often depict a dark future for America, recently referred to the United States as a “third-world country.”)

After the event ended, Mr. Trump’s accounts on Truth Social and Instagram featured a video in which Snapchat-like filters toggled over what appeared to be Mr. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the 2023 State of the Union.

One segment showed Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris with googly eyes and wide, menacing smiles while he discussed the Buy American Act; another gave them cowboy hats and braided hair as Mr. Biden talked about insulin caps.

Mr. Trump had assistance with his social media Thursday night and did not make the posts himself, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Throughout the night, Mr. Trump denounced Mr. Biden for taking his time greeting guests before making his way to the dais (“This is the longest walk in Presidential History”); his demeanor (“He is so angry and crazy!”); his appearance (“His hair is much better in the front than on the back!”); and his occasional cough (“Don’t shake his hand, he’s been coughing into it the entire night.”).

“This is like a shouting match, every line is being shouted,” Mr. Trump, a man often prone to making irate speeches and social media posts, wrote at one point, using all caps.

Like Mr. Trump, conservative commentators — after months of attempting to portray Mr. Biden as enfeebled and diminished — complained that Mr. Biden was overly animated.

The Biden campaign had a simple response to Mr. Trump’s response operation.

“Sad,” said Ammar Moussa, a spokesman for the Biden campaign, alongside an screenshot of Truth Social not loading.

Mr. Trump, later on Thursday night, put out a video in which he told viewers that “Crooked Joe Biden is on the run from his record, and lying like crazy to try and escape accountability for the horrific devastation he and his party have created.”

His accounts then resumed their more typical activity, posting a video fabricated from a clip of Mr. Biden eating an ice cream cone. In the video, Mr. Biden was positioned as if strolling along a flooded street while a garbage bin, decorated with an American flag, floated by in flames.

Maggie Haberman contributed reporting.

Anjali Huynh , a member of the 2023-24 Times Fellowship class based in New York, covers national politics, the 2024 presidential campaign and other elections. More about Anjali Huynh

Our Coverage of the State of the Union

In a raucous state of the union address, president biden sought to reassure americans that at 81, he is ready for a second term..

Biden’s Performance: The president was feisty   and displayed a newly found solemnity and blunt combativeness . Republicans jeered  from their seats. And Democrats enthusiastically cheered their presidential nominee, even as a few aired their grievances about the war in Gaza .

A Contrast With Trump: In his speech, Biden launched a series of fiery attacks  against former President Donald Trump, a competitor whom he did not mention by name but made clear was a dire threat to American democracy  and to  stability in the world .

Middle East Crisis: During the State of the Union, the president announced the construction of a port to deliver aid to Gaza. That decision, as well as the  authorization of aid airdrops  on the territory, raised uncomfortable questions  about America’s role in the war.

Seeking a Tricky Balance: As he spoke to Congress, Biden tried to demonstrate that he could be tough on the border without demonizing immigrants .

A Rare Mention: Biden briefly referenced a topic  that he has often been reluctant to embrace: marijuana. His words could signal a move toward promoting the efforts he has made to liberalize cannabis policy.

Style Choices: Democratic women in suffragist white , Marjorie Taylor Greene in MAGA red. The sartorial statement-making on the congressional floor was clear .

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  4. Reported Speech: Important Grammar Rules and Examples • 7ESL

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  5. How to Use Reported Speech in English

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  6. Reported Speech: Important Grammar Rules and Examples • 7ESL

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  4. REPORTED SPEECH IN ENGLISH |Indirect speech

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COMMENTS

  1. Backshift in Reported Speech

    Backshift in Reported Speech. He said: "I feel sad." He said that he felt sad. he was hungry. John's original words: "I am hungry." We sometimes change the tense of the reported clause by moving it back one tense. For example, present simple goes back one tense to past simple. We call this change " backshift ".

  2. Reported Speech

    Every time we use reported speech in English, we are talking about something said by someone else in the past. Thinking about it brings me back to high school, when reported speech was the main form of language! Learn all about the definition, rules, and examples of reported speech as I go over everything.

  3. Reported Speech

    Time Expressions with Reported Speech Sometimes when we change direct speech into reported speech we have to change time expressions too. We don't always have to do this, however. It depends on when we heard the direct speech and when we say the reported speech. For example: It's Monday. Julie says "I'm leaving today".

  4. Time and Place in Reported Speech

    Time and Place in Reported Speech. She said, "I saw Mary yesterday." She said she had seen Mary the day before. He said: "My mother is here." He said that his mother was there. Don't confuse time with tense. "Tense" is the grammatical form of the verb that in the reported clause we sometimes shift back (backshift).

  5. Reported speech

    Reported speech - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary

  6. Reported Speech Tenses Chart: How to convert tenses

    Reported speech tenses will change from that of the direct speech in most cases. This is known as backshifting in reported speech, with the basic rule that a tense is shifted back to its past tense form. This is because we are usually talking about something in the past. You can also watch a video of this lesson:

  7. Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions

    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 ...

  8. Reported speech: statements

    To do this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech. direct speech: 'I work in a bank,' said Daniel. indirect speech: Daniel said that he worked in a bank. In indirect speech, we often use a tense which is 'further back' in the past (e.g. worked) than the tense originally used (e.g. work). This is called 'backshift'.

  9. Reported speech

    Reported speech (summary): When Mary complained that she was tired out after walking so far, Peter said they could stop for a picnic. ... --> We can use a perfect form with have + -ed form after modal verbs, especially where the report looks back to a hypothetical event in the past: He said the noise might have been the postman delivering ...

  10. Reported Speech: Important Grammar Rules and Examples • 7ESL

    Pin. No Change in Verb Tenses in Reported Speech. There is no change in verb tenses in Indirect Speech when:. The introductory verb is in the Present, Present Perfect or Future.; If the reported sentence deals with a fact or general truth.; The reported sentence contains a time clause.; The verb of the sentence is in the unreal past (the second or the third conditional).

  11. Reported Speech in English Grammar

    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.

  12. Reported speech: backshifting

    Reported speech: backshifting. July 16, 2012 -. Present tenses in the direct speech will become past tenses in the indirect speech. This change in tense is often called backshifting. Study the following sentences. Susie said, 'I am buying a new car.' (Direct speech)

  13. Reported speech

    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.

  14. 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. Q2.

  15. Tense changes in reported speech

    In indirect speech, the structure of the reported clause depends on whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question or a command. Normally, the tense in reported speech is one tense back in time from the tense in direct speech: She said, "I am tired." = She said that she was tired. Phrase in Direct Speech. Equivalent in Reported Speech.

  16. Reported speech: reporting verbs

    direct speech: 'You should come, it's going to be a lot of fun,' she said. indirect speech: She persuaded me to come. direct speech: 'Wait here,' he said. indirect speech: He told us to wait there. direct speech: 'It wasn't me who finished the coffee,' he said. indirect speech: He denied finishing the coffee. Try this exercise to test your grammar.

  17. 4.3 GRAMMAR: Reported Speech

    The 4 Rs of paraphrasing. According to the Virtual Library, here are four steps to paraphrase: Reword the text by using synonyms or different parts of speech; change verb tense or change active verbs to passive and vice versa. Rearrange by moving words to make new sentences or reorganize the sentences in a passage.

  18. Tense Changes When Using Reported Speech

    Normally, the tense in reported speech is one tense back in time from the tense in direct speech: She said, "I am tired." = She said that she was tired.

  19. Reported speech: indirect speech

    Reported speech: indirect speech - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary

  20. Indirect speech

    What is indirect speech or reported speech? When we tell people what another person said or thought, we often use reported speech or indirect speech. To do that, we need to change verb tenses (present, past, etc.) and pronouns (I, you, my, your, etc.) if the time and speaker are different.For example, present tenses become past, I becomes he or she, and my becomes his or her, etc.

  21. The Reported speech

    4. Reported speech for questions. When we use reported speech to express a question we also move the verb tense of the original sentence one tense back as with the statements, but the sentence no longer has the structure of the question and takes the structure of a statement. The sentence in reported speech will be introduced by the verb ask.. A question can be preceded or not by a question ...

  22. Reported Speech: Direct and Indirect speech

    Whenever you report a speech there's a reporting verb used like "say" or "tell". For example: Direct speech: I love to play football. Reported speech: She said that she loves to play football. (Note 1 : Assume a gender if not mentioned already. Note 2: Using "that" is optional.

  23. Do tenses in a time clause never back-shift in reported speech?

    She said she would call John back as soon as she had spoken to Maria. backshifting the tense in the time clause from the present to the past perfect. So, in summary, it is not true to say that tenses in time clauses never back-shift in reported speech. It depends on how the reporter wishes to convey the current validity of what was said to him ...

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