51413 reported speech 5 pages

REPORTED SPEECH
USE: We use the Reported Speech to transfer someone else’s words.
FORM: In order to form the Reported Speech, we use an introductory
verb (usually the verb ‘said’) and we ‘take’ the main verb of the sentence
back in time! More specifically:
•
•

If we have a Present tense we turn it into a Past one (e.g. Present Simple
becomes Past Simple).
If we have a Past tense, we turn it into a Past Perfect one (e.g. Past
Simple becomes Past Perfect Simple).
BUT, we can’t change the Past Perfect Simple or the Past Perfect
Continuous!
DIRECT SPEECH

REPORTED SPEECH

Present Simple
He said, “I eat pizza”.

Past Simple
He said (that) he ate pizza.

Present Continuous
He said, “I am eating pizza”.

Past Continuous
He said (that) he was eating
pizza.
Past Perfect Simple

He said (that) he had eaten
pizza.
Past Perfect Continuous
He said (that) he had been eating
pizza.
Past Perfect Simple
He said (that) he had eaten
pizza.
Past Perfect Continuous
He said (that) he had been eating
pizza.

Past Simple
He said, “I ate pizza”.
Past Continuous
He said, “I was eating pizza”.
Present Perfect Simple
He said, “I have eaten pizza”.
Present Perfect Continuous
He said, “I have been eating
pizza”.


However, when there are modal verbs in a sentence, things
are a lot easier!

DIRECT SPEECH

INDIRECT SPEECH

Will
She said, “I will leave.”

Would
She said (that) she would leave.

Can
They said, “We can win the
game”.

Could
They said (that) they could win the
game.

May
He said, “They may be late”.

Might
He said (that) they might be late.

Must
She said, “You must wash your
hands”.

Had to (obligation)
She said that I had to wash my
hands.

He said, “You mustn’t smoke
here”.

Must (prohibition)
He said (that) we mustn’t smoke
here.
Need
Needed/Had to
They said, “We need to go”.
They said (that) they needed/had to
go.
Needn’t/Don’t have to
Didn’t have to (present)
She said, “You needn’t/don’t have She said (that) I didn’t have to wait.
to wait”.
Wouldn’t have to (future)
She said, “You needn’t/don’t have She said (that) I wouldn’t have to
to come tonight”.
go that night.


BUT you cannot change would, could, might should and ought to.
OTHER TYPES OF REPORTED SPEECH

REPORTED
SPEECH

DIRECT SPEECH
QUESTIONS
(Reported questions
have the form of
affirmative

sentences)

He said/asked,
“When is the
party?”(with
question word)
He said/asked, “Did
you enjoy your
meal?”

He asked when the
party was.

COMMANDS

He said, “Sit down!”

He told me/ordered
me to sit down.

REQUESTS

He said, “Could you
turn the lights off?”

He asked me to turn
the lights off.

She said, “You should
stop smoking”.

She advised me to stop
smoking.

ADVICE

He asked me if I had
enjoyed my meal.

WORDS THAT CHANGE
DIRECT SPEECH
now
today
yesterday
the day before yesterday
tomorrow
the day after tomorrow
this
last
next
ago
here
Come

INDIRECT SPEECH
then
that day
the day before
two days before
the next/following day

in two days’ time
that
the previous/ …. before
the following
…. before
there
go


EXERCISES
Turn the statements into Reported Speech.
“I am flying to London tomorrow”, Mary said.
…………………………………………………………………………..
2. “What did you do last night?” she asked.
……………………………………………………………………………
3. “I would have called you if I knew you were home”, Tom said.
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………
4. “There is nothing to worry about”, he replied.
……………………………………………………………………………
5. “Have you ever been to France?” the boy asked her.
……………………………………………………………………………
…………..
6. “You should really see a doctor” she said.
……………………………………………………………………..
7. “Is there anything else I can do?” he asked.
……………………………………………………………………..
8. “I had just arrived, when I heard the news” Paul said.
……………………………………………………………………………
……………

9. She said, “Everything will be OK”.
……………………………………………………….
10. “Sit down!” he said.
………………………………….
1.

Turn the statements into the Direct speech.
1.
2.
3.
4.

5.

He asked if we had gone there last month.
………………………………………………………………………
She advised me to eat more fruit every day.
………………………………………………………………………….
She asked me to help her.
…………………………………………..
They said they had already visited the Big Ben.
……………………………………………………………………………
…
He told his wife that he had bought a new shirt.


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……
6. Tim said that he was having breakfast when I called him.
……………………………………………………………………………

……………………
7. He told me that he would work overtime that week.
……………………………………………………………………………
…………..
8. She said that she loved the weather that day.
……………………………………………………………………………..
9. The man asked her to go there.
…………………………………………………….
10. Mother said that she had been cooking for two hours that day.
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………

Change the following dialogue into Reported Speech.
“Lilly, what are you doing awake at this hour?” Frank asked.
“I have been studying for 4 hours Frank…” she said.
“Do you have to do another one of these difficult projects?” Frank asked.
“The truth is that I didn’t do my last one and now I have two of them to
finish until tomorrow.” she replied.
“You should always do your projects on time Lilly” he said.
“You are right Tom. I am so tired now that I have learned my lesson” she
said. “I will be more consistent from now on!” she added.
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