Mowa zależna (Reported Speech)

Reported Speech — Complete Guide

Reported (indirect) speech is used to tell someone what another person said, without using their exact words.

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Tense Shift (Backshift) — przesunięcie czasowe:

When the reporting verb is in the past (said, told, asked), tenses shift back:

| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|--------------|-----------------|
| Present Simple → | Past Simple |
| "I like coffee." | She said she liked coffee. |
| Present Continuous → | Past Continuous |
| "I am studying." | He said he was studying. |
| Present Perfect → | Past Perfect |
| "I have finished." | She said she had finished. |
| Past Simple → | Past Perfect |
| "I went home." | He said he had gone home. |
| Past Continuous → | Past Perfect Continuous |
| "I was sleeping." | She said she had been sleeping. |
| Will → | Would |
| "I will help you." | He said he would help me. |
| Can → | Could |
| "I can swim." | She said she could swim. |
| May → | Might |
| "I may come." | He said he might come. |
| Must → | Had to |
| "I must go." | She said she had to go. |

No change needed (already past):

• Past Perfect stays Past Perfect
• Could, would, should, might, ought to — no change
• Must can stay must (when expressing deduction)

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Time and Place Expressions — Changes:

| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|--------------|-----------------|
| today | that day |
| tonight | that night |
| yesterday | the day before / the previous day |
| tomorrow | the next day / the following day |
| last week | the week before / the previous week |
| next year | the following year |
| ago | before / earlier |
| now | then / at that time |
| here | there |
| this | that |
| these | those |

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1. Reporting Statements:

Structure: Subject + said (that) / told someone (that) + clause

• Direct: "I am tired," she said.
• Reported: She said (that) she was tired.

• Direct: "We have finished the project," they told me.
• Reported: They told me (that) they had finished the project.

Say vs. Tell:

• say — not followed by a person: He said that...
• tell — followed by a person: He told me that...
• ✗ He said me... → ✓ He told me... or He said to me...

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2. Reporting Questions:

Yes/No questions: Subject + asked + if/whether + clause (normal word order)

• Direct: "Do you like pizza?" she asked.
• Reported: She asked if/whether I liked pizza.

• Direct: "Have you been to Paris?" he asked.
• Reported: He asked if I had been to Paris.

Wh-questions: Subject + asked + wh-word + clause (normal word order!)

• Direct: "Where do you live?" she asked.
• Reported: She asked where I lived.

• Direct: "What time does the train leave?" he asked.
• Reported: He asked what time the train left.

IMPORTANT: In reported questions, use NORMAL word order (subject before verb). Do NOT use do/does/did:

• ✗ She asked where did I live. → ✓ She asked where I lived.
• ✗ He asked do I like it. → ✓ He asked if I liked it.

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3. Reporting Commands, Requests, and Advice:

Structure: Subject + told/asked/advised/warned/ordered + object + (not) to + infinitive

| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|--------------|-----------------|
| "Open the window." | He told me to open the window. |
| "Don't touch that!" | She warned me not to touch that. |
| "Please help me." | She asked me to help her. |
| "You should study more." | He advised me to study more. |
| "Don't be late!" | She ordered them not to be late. |

Reporting verbs for commands/requests:

• tell, order, command (strong)
• ask, beg, request (polite)
• advise, recommend, suggest, warn, encourage, remind, invite

Special case — suggest:

• "Let's go to the cinema," she said. → She suggested going to the cinema. / She suggested that we (should) go to the cinema.

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4. Reporting with Other Verbs:

| Verb | Pattern | Example |
|------|---------|---------|
| promise | promise + to V | He promised to call me. |
| offer | offer + to V | She offered to help. |
| refuse | refuse + to V | He refused to answer. |
| agree | agree + to V | She agreed to come. |
| deny | deny + V-ing | He denied stealing the money. |
| admit | admit + V-ing | She admitted making a mistake. |
| apologize for | apologize for + V-ing | He apologized for being late. |
| accuse of | accuse sb of + V-ing | She accused him of lying. |
| congratulate on | congratulate sb on + V-ing | They congratulated her on passing. |

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No Backshift — kiedy NIE przesuwamy czasow:

You do NOT need to shift tenses when:

• The reporting verb is in present or present perfect: He says he is tired.
• The statement is still true: She said the Earth is round. (still true)
• Second/Third conditional stays the same: He said, "If I were rich, I would buy a yacht." → He said that if he were rich, he would buy a yacht.

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Najczestsze bledy (Common Mistakes):

• ✗ She asked where did I live. → ✓ She asked where I lived.
• ✗ He said me that... → ✓ He told me that...
• ✗ She asked do I like pizza. → ✓ She asked if I liked pizza.
• ✗ He told that he was tired. → ✓ He said that he was tired. (tell needs an object)