Grammar Boost: Reported Speech

Mastering Indirect Speech for Flawless Digital Conversations

Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a bustling WhatsApp chat, trying to explain what your boss just told you on a call?

Or maybe you're wrapping up a phone conversation and need to quickly message a colleague about a decision that was made?

In today's fast-paced digital world, where communication flies back and forth across various platforms, effectively relaying information is an essential skill. It's not just about what you say, but how you say what someone else said.

This week, as we dive into the world of phone calls, messages, and virtual meetings, we're going to tackle a grammar point that is absolutely critical for smooth, natural, and accurate communication: Reported Speech (also known as Indirect Speech).

Forget memorising long lists of rules for a moment; think about the real-life situations where you need to summarise, explain, or pass on a message without quoting every single word.

Mastering reported speech will not only make your English sound more sophisticated but also significantly improve your ability to navigate the complexities of modern digital interactions. Let's explore how.

Reported speech is the grammatical structure we use to tell someone what another person said, without using their exact words. Instead of quoting directly, we "report" their message.

This is an incredibly common and useful skill in everyday conversations, and even more so in the often-concise and information-driven world of phone calls and messages.

Think about how often you need to summarise a conversation you just had, relay a message from a colleague, or explain a decision made in a previous discussion. Reported speech allows you to do this smoothly and naturally.

The Fundamentals of Reported Speech

When we change direct speech into reported speech, several grammatical shifts often occur: