English Quotations

" is used as an opening quotation mark

" is also used as a closing quotation mark

Converting direct speech follows a pattern in English which may differ to reported speech in other languages. This pattern concerns statements (there are different rules for imperatives and questions):

Tense Changes

Direct Speech & Reported Speech

"I am from England" & He said he was from England

"I am going to Italy" & He said he was going to Italy

"I have read it" & He said he had read it.

Note that when converting from Direct speech to Indirect speech you usually have to move the tense backwards:

Tense Changes


Direct Speech & Reported Speech

Present Simple & Past Simple

Present Perfect & Past Perfect

Past Simple & Past Perfect or Past Simple

Will + Infinitive & Would + Infinitive

Be + Going to & Was/Were + Going to





Note that when converting from Direct speech to Indirect speech you usually have to move the tense backwards:

Tense Changes


Direct Speech & Reported Speech

Present Simple & Past Simple

Present Perfect & Past Perfect

Past Simple & Past Perfect or Past Simple

Will + Infinitive & Would + Infinitive

Be + Going to & Was/Were + Going to

Similarly there are some changes to be made to other words in the sentence. Because we are reporting what someone said in the past we must use other words to talk about the past, e.g. 'today' becomes 'that day', 'here' becomes 'there', 'next week' becomes 'the following week' and 'last week' becomes 'the previous week'. There are other similar changes too.

Examples

"I am here" & Reported Speech

"I am from England" & He said he was there

"I will return next week" & He said he would return the following week

"I have worked here since last week" & He said he had worked there since the previous week