reported speech rules and practice

1

Use an
Introductory Verb

2

3

Change
here to there
now to then

Change Tenses
(go backwards in time)


1

Introductory
Verb
She told me
(that…)

He said
(that…)

They explained
(that..)

We informed her

(that..)

I pointed out
(that…)

She added
(that..)

He claimed
(that..)

She whispered
(that..)

They thought
(that..)

etc


2

Change Tenses
(go backwards in time)

Present
Simple or Continuous
Present Perfect
Simple or Continuous

Past
Simple or Continuous
Past Perfect
Simple or Continuous

Past
Simple or Continuous

Past Perfect
Simple or Continuous

Future Simple (will + inf.)

would + inf.


Remember to change these

can
will
am, is, are
have, has, had
was, were

could
would
was, were
had
had been

DO NOT change these

V-ing
past participle
to + infinitive
bare infinitive


Change time and place

this, these
here
now
today
this evening
tonight

that, those, the
there
then
that day
that evening
that night


Change time and place

yesterday the previous day
the day before

last week the previous week
the week before
tomorrow the next day
the following day
next year the following year


I love reading books, especially when they
have such an exciting plot as this one.

a

Aunt Molly said ____________________
she loved reading books
especially when ____________
they had such an
exciting plot as ____________.
that one

b

that loved read
that she loves reading
she loved reading

c

this one
that one
the one

they have
they had
we had


We could have a look at this photo album.
It’s got all the photos Lucy took on her
holiday.

Brian said __________________
a look at
we could have
______
photo album and explained
the
____________
all the photos Lucy had taken
that it had
_________ on her holiday.

a
c

they could had
we could have
that they can have
it has
they had got
that it had

b

the
this
these

d

taked
had taken
has taken


Mary used dad’s credit card to buy clothes
and I don’t think dad will be very happy.

a
c

Ellie informed her mum that Mary
________________________
credit card
had used their dad’s
_________
clothes and ________________
to buy
she didn’t think
he ______________
very happy.

would be
had used their dad’s
used dad’s
had been used the dad’s
she didn’t thought
she didn’t think
she hadn’t thought

b
d

to buy
to bought
bought
was
would be
would was


I’m getting good at driving. Actually, I think
I’m going to be an excellent driver!

Tina claimed that __________________
she was getting
good at _____________
and that , actually,
driving
______________
_____________________
she thought

she was going to be
an excellent driver.

a

b drove

driving

Tina got
she was getting
that she had been getting

c

she’s thinking
I thought
she thought

d

driven
she ‘s going to was
she was going to be
I’m going to being


We didn’t do our history class today so we
had a free period.

Mona explained that __________________
they hadn’t done
________
histrory class ___________
, so
that day
their
__________________
a free period.
they ‘d had

a
c

b

they didn’t do
they didn’t
they hadn’t done
that day
the day before
the next day

their
our
theirs

d

they had

they’d had
they would have