Series ID: EDKS-BASIC-ZH-0054 · Lesson No.054 · B1-Direction Reported Speech
Reported Speech for Everyday Information | 日常转述
Anna said she was tired. David told me the meeting had changed. Mei asked if I could help.
Anna 说她累了。David 告诉我会议有变化。Mei 问我能不能帮忙。
Reported speech lets you pass information from one person to another without repeating every exact word.
日常转述的真正任务不是做“时态机械变换题”，而是准确地把别人说过、问过或要求过的信息传给另一个人。
Chinese Edition Hub · 中文版入口 · ← Lesson No.053 · Present Perfect Continuous
The reporting map | 转述路线
- direct vs reported speech
- say vs tell
- reporting statements
- backshift when appropriate
- reported yes/no questions
- reported WH-questions
- statement word order
- asked/told + object + to
- time/place word changes
- pronoun reference
- reporting current truths carefully
- Mandarin 说/告诉/问 transfer
1. Direct speech | 直接引语
Anna said, “I’m tired.”
These are Anna’s exact words.
2. Reported speech | 间接转述
Anna said she was tired.
The meaning is reported without quoting the exact sentence.
3. Say | say
- Anna said she was tired.
- He said the train was late.
Usually say + clause.
4. Tell | tell
- Anna told me she was tired.
- He told us the train was late.
Usually tell + person + clause.
5. Say vs tell | say / tell 区别
- He said me… ✗
- He told me… ✓
- He said that… ✓
6. Reporting a present statement | 转述现在陈述
Direct:
“I am busy.”
Reported later:
She said she was busy.
7. Backshift | 时态后移
When the reporting verb is past and we look back on the original speech, English often shifts the tense back:
- am/is → was
- are → were
- work → worked
- am working → was working
- will → would
- can → could
8. Present simple → past simple | 一般现在 → 一般过去
Direct: “I work from home.”
Reported: She said she worked from home.
9. Present continuous → past continuous | 现在进行 → 过去进行
Direct: “I’m waiting for the bus.”
Reported: He said he was waiting for the bus.
10. Will → would | will → would
Direct: “I’ll call you later.”
Reported: She said she would call me later.
11. Can → could | can → could
Direct: “I can help.”
Reported: He said he could help.
12. Past simple may shift to past perfect | 一般过去可后移为过去完成
Direct: “I finished the report.”
Reported: She said she had finished the report.
At B1, recognise this pattern. In some contexts speakers keep simple past when the timeline is already clear.
13. Backshift is not mechanical | 后移不是机械规则
If the information is still true, current or being reported immediately, English may keep the original tense.
Direct: “The shop opens at nine.”
Later, still true: He said the shop opens at nine.
14. Current truth | 仍然真实的信息
- The teacher said water boils at 100°C under standard conditions.
There is no need to make a still-valid general fact sound past.
15. Pronouns change by viewpoint | 代词按视角变化
Direct: Anna said, “I will call you.”
Reported by Mei: Anna said she would call me.
I/you are not transformed mechanically; identify who each pronoun refers to.
16. Time words may change | 时间词可能变化
| today | that day |
| tomorrow | the next day |
| yesterday | the day before |
| now | then |
Change them only if the reporting context requires it.
17. “Today” can stay today | today 不一定要变
If you report the speech on the same day, today may still be correct.
18. Place words may change | 地点词可能变化
- here → there
- this → that
Again, only if the viewpoint/location changes.
19. Reporting a yes/no question | 转述一般疑问句
Direct: “Are you free?”
Reported: She asked if I was free.
20. If / whether | if / whether
- She asked if I was free.
- She asked whether I was free.
Both can report many yes/no questions.
21. No question word order | 转述问句不用问句语序
- She asked if was I free. ✗
- She asked if I was free. ✓
22. No do/does/did in reported question | 转述问句去掉 do/does/did
Direct: “Where do you live?”
Reported: He asked where I lived.
23. Reported WH-question | 转述特殊问句
Direct: “What time does the meeting start?”
Reported: She asked what time the meeting started.
24. Where question | where
Direct: “Where are you going?”
Reported: He asked where I was going.
25. Why question | why
Direct: “Why are you late?”
Reported: She asked why I was late.
26. When question | when
Direct: “When will you arrive?”
Reported: He asked when I would arrive.
27. Ask someone to do something | ask + object + to
Direct: “Please send the file.”
Reported: She asked me to send the file.
28. Tell someone to do something | tell + object + to
Direct: “Wait here.”
Reported: He told me to wait there.
29. Negative command | 否定指令
Direct: “Don’t open the file.”
Reported: She told me not to open the file.
30. Ask vs tell for requests/commands | ask / tell
- asked me to… → request
- told me to… → instruction/command
31. Report information accurately | 转述要保留准确内容
Do not change numbers, names, deadlines or conditions while simplifying grammar.
32. Report only what was said | 不要加自己没听到的内容
Reported speech should not turn uncertain memory into a confident claim.
33. Useful reporting verbs | 常用转述动词
- said
- told
- asked
- explained
- mentioned — recognition
34. Explain that… | explain
- She explained that the system was down.
Not usually explained me; say explained it to me.
35. Mention that… | mention
- He mentioned that the deadline had changed.
36. Everyday work example | 工作转述
David said the client was delayed and told us to start without them.
37. School example | 学习转述
The teacher said the assignment was due Friday and asked us to upload it before six.
38. Social example | 社交转述
Anna said she couldn’t come tonight but asked if we were free tomorrow.
39. Phone message | 电话留言转述
Mei called. She said she would be late and asked you to call her back.
40. Reporting uncertainty | 转述不确定信息
- He said he thought the meeting was at four.
- She wasn’t sure, but she said the train might be delayed.
Keep uncertainty in the report.
41. Mandarin transfer: 说 / 告诉 / 问 | say/tell/ask
- 他说…… → He said…
- 他告诉我…… → He told me…
- 他问我…… → He asked me…
42. Mandarin transfer: reported questions | 中文转述问句
English changes question word order into statement word order:
- 他问我住在哪里。 → He asked where I lived.
43. Mandarin transfer: pronouns need viewpoint check | 代词视角
Do not translate 我/你 mechanically; ask who is speaking and who is reporting.
44. Reading practice A | 阅读 A
Anna called Mei and said, “I’m running late. I’ll arrive at about seven. Please order without me.” Later, Mei told David that Anna was running late, that she would arrive at about seven and that she had asked them to order without her.
- What tense changes can you see?
- Which pronouns changed?
- What request was reported?
45. Reading practice B | 阅读 B
Teacher: “Have you finished the assignment?”
Student later: “The teacher asked if I had finished the assignment.”
Notice if and statement word order.
46. Reading practice C | 阅读 C
Manager: “Where did you save the file?”
Mei: “My manager asked where I had saved the file.”
At B1, recognise past perfect as a common backshift from a past event.
47. Speaking practice: message relay | 信息接力
Person A gives three pieces of information. Person B reports them to Person C without reading the original sentence.
48. Writing practice: direct → reported | 改写
Transform five statements, three questions and two requests.
49. Error clinic | 常见错误
| Error | Better English |
|---|---|
| He said me he was tired. ✗ | He told me he was tired. / He said he was tired. ✓ |
| She asked where did I live. ✗ | She asked where I lived. ✓ |
| He told that… ✗ | He said that… / He told me that… ✓ |
| She asked me send it. ✗ | She asked me to send it. ✓ |
50. First weak link diagnosis | 第一个卡点诊断
- I mix say/tell → verb pattern problem.
- I keep question word order → reported-question problem.
- I change every tense mechanically → context problem.
- I lose who I/you refers to → viewpoint problem.
- I forget request structure → ask/tell + object + to.
51. Retrieval lab | 提取练习
- 她说她累了。 → ______
- 他告诉我会议改了。 → ______
- 她问我有没有空。 → ______
- 他问我住在哪里。 → ______
- 她让我发文件。 → ______
- 他叫我不要等。 → ______
Suggested answers: She said she was tired. / He told me the meeting had changed. / She asked if I was free. / He asked where I lived. / She asked me to send the file. / He told me not to wait.
52. Seven-day training cycle | 七天训练
| Day 1 | say/tell | 转述动词 |
| Day 2 | statement backshift | 陈述 |
| Day 3 | yes/no questions | if/whether |
| Day 4 | WH-questions | 语序 |
| Day 5 | requests/commands | ask/tell + to |
| Day 6 | pronouns/time words | 视角 |
| Day 7 | message relay | 综合 |
53. Self-test | 自测
Use say/tell correctly; report five statements; report three yes/no questions; report three WH-questions; report two requests; report one negative command; explain when tense/time words do not need to change; relay a short message accurately.
54. For parents and teachers | 给家长和老师
Teach reported speech through message relay and practical information transfer, not only transformation worksheets.
Make learners track speaker, listener and reporter explicitly.
For Mandarin speakers, emphasise statement word order in reported questions and the different patterns of say/tell/ask.
55. Final real-world challenge | 最终真实任务
- Report five statements.
- Use say and tell correctly.
- Report yes/no and WH-questions.
- Use ask/tell + object + to.
- Handle pronoun changes.
- Handle time/place changes only when needed.
- Preserve uncertainty.
- Relay a phone message.
- Write a short reported conversation.
- Complete a three-person information relay with no loss of key facts.
Next: Lesson No.055 | 下一课
The next lesson changes focus from who did the action to what happened: the passive voice for notices, processes, services, products and everyday information.
Lesson No.055 · Passive Voice in Everyday English · 日常英语被动语态
Reference floor: British Council B1 Intermediate · British Council B1–B2 Grammar.
