Download Reported Speech

Reported Speech
Reported Statements
When someone says a sentence, for example "I'm going to the cinema
tonight". Later, it probably be told by someone else. Verbs ' like 'say' or 'tell'
are used.
It is used Said follow by a personal pronoun and (that)
It is used Told follow by an object pronoun or noun and (that)
Occasionally, we don't need to change the present tense into the past if the
information in direct speech is still true (but this is only for things which are
general facts, and even then usually we like to change the tense):
Direct speech: I like ice cream
Reported speech: She says she likes ice cream or She said she liked ice
cream.
Tense
Present simple
Present
continuous
past simple
Direct Speech
Reported Speech
I like ice cream”
She said (that) she liked ice cream.
I am living in London”
She said she was living in London.
I bought a car”
She said she had bought a car OR She said
she bought a car.
Past continuous I was walking along the street”
She said she had been walking along the
street.
Present perfect I haven't seen Julie”
She said she hadn't seen Julie.
Past perfect
Present perfect
Continuous
Past perfect
Continuous
I had taken English lessons
She said she had taken English lessons
before”
before.
I haven't been working”
She said she hadn't been working.
I hadn't been thinking on him”
I hadn't been thinking on him
Will
I'll see you later”
She said she would see me later.
Would* I would help, but..”
She said she would help but...
Can
She said she could speak perfect English.
I can speak perfect English”
Could* I could swim when I was four”
She said she could swim when she was four.
Shall
She said she would come later.
I shall come later”
Should* I should call my mother”
She said she should call her mother
Might* "I might be late"
She said she might be late
Must
She said she must study at the weekend OR
She said she had to study at the weekend
"I must study at the weekend"
* doesn't change
Practice online
 Reported statement
 http://www.redcamelot.com/camelot/exercises/SEPT26/Grammar/Reported%2
0Speech/Level%201.a.htm
 http://www.kico4u.de/english/uebungen/reportedspeech/statements.htm
 http://a4esl.org/q/h/9901/tm-reported1.html
 Reported wh questions and commands
 http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/reported_speech/questions.htm
 http://www.e-grammar.org/reported-speech/test2-exercise2/
 http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/reported_speech/commands.htm
Reported Questions
WH questions
The tense changes and the question word is kept. The fact is
that, once the question is told to someone else, it isn't a
question any more it changes to a normal positive sentence.
Direct Question
Reported Question
Where do you live?
She asked me where the Post Office
was.
She asked me what I was doing.
She asked me who that fantastic
man had been.
She asked me where I lived.
Where is Julie?"
She asked me where Julie was.
Where is the Post Office, please?”
What are you doing?”
Who was that fantastic man?”
'YES / NO' question
Words like 'if' or 'whether' are used.
Direct speech: "Do you like chocolate?"
Reported speech: No problem? Here are a few more
examples:
Direct Question
Reported Question
Do you love me?”
He asked me if/whether I loved
him.
asked me if/whether I had
Have you ever been to Mexico?” She
ever been to Mexico.
Are you living here?”
She asked me if/whether I was
living here.
Do you like chocolate?
She asked me if/whether I liked
chocolate
Reported Requests
There's more! What if someone asks you to do
something (in a polite way)? For example:
Direct speech: "Close the window, please"
Or: "Could you close the window please?"
Or: "Would you mind closing the window please?"
All of these requests mean the same thing, so we don't
need to report every word when we tell another
person about it. We simply use 'ask me + to + infinitive':
Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.
To report a negative request, use 'not':
Direct speech: "Please don't be late."
Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.
Direct Request
Reported Request
”
Please help me”
.
She asked me to help her.
”
Please don't smoke”
.
She asked me not to smoke.
”ould you bring my book
C
tonight?”
She asked me to bring her
book that night.
”ould you pass the milk,
C
please?”
She asked me to pass the
milk.
” ould you mind coming early She asked me to come early
W
tomorrow?”
the next day.
Reported Orders
And finally, how about if someone doesn't ask so politely? We can call this an 'order' in English,
when someone tells you very directly to do something. For example:
•Direct speech: "Sit down!"
In fact, we make this into reported speech in the same way as a request. We just use 'tell'
instead of 'ask':
•Reported speech: She told me to sit down.
Direct Order
Reported Order
Go to bed!”
”
He told the child to go to bed.
Don't worry!”
”
He told her not to worry.
Be on time!”
”
He told me to be on time.
Don't smoke!”
”
He told us not to smoke.
Time Expressions with Reported Speech
time expressions are also changed from direct to reported speech, however
it isn't always done, and it depends on when the direct speech is heard and
when the reported speech is said. So, there's no easy conversion. It must
be thought about when the direct speech was said.
now
then / at that time
today
yesterday / that day / Tuesday /
the 27th of June
yesterday
the day before yesterday / the
day before / Wednesday / the
5th of December
last night
the night before, Thursday night
last week
the week before / the previous
week
today / the next day / the
following day / Friday
tomorrow
ACTIVITY
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COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING REPORTED SPEECH.
1) John: "Mandy is at home."
John said that .
2) Max: "Frank often reads a book."
Max told me that .
3) Susan: "I'm not watching TV."
Susan said to me that .
4) Simon: "David was ill."
Simon said that .
5) Peggy: "The girls helped in the house."
Peggy told me that .
 6) Richard: "I am going to ride a skateboard."
 Richard said to me that .
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 7) Stephen and Claire: "We haven’t cleaned the windows."
 Stephen and Claire told me that .
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 8) Charles: "I didn't have time to do my homework."
 Charles said that .
 9) Mrs Jones: "My mother will be 50 years old."
 Mrs Jones told me that .
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 10) Jean: "The boss must sign the letter."
 Jean said that .
 11) “What were you doing when I saw you?”
 She asked me
 12) “How was the journey?”
 She asked me
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 13) “How often do you go to the cinema?”
 She asked me
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 14) “Do you live in London?”
 She asked me
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 15) “Did he arrive on time?”
 She asked me
 16) “Have you been to Paris?”
 She asked me
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 17) “Can you help me?”
 She asked me
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 18)“Are you working tonight?”
 She asked me
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 19) “Will you come later?”
 She asked me
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 20) “Do you like coffee?”
 She asked me