Grammar: Reported Sppech

1. REPORTED SPEECH
direct statement: He said, “I love her so much“.
indirect statement: He said that he loved her so much.
REPORTING VERBS:
say, mention, claim, asked, add, tell, admire, admit, consider, promise, ….
RULES TO FOLLOW
TENSES:
PRESENT TENSE  PAST TENSE
He said, “I love her so much”. He said that he loved her so much.
PAST TENSE  PAST PERFECT TENSE
He said, “I loved her so much”. He said that he had loved her so much.
PRESENT PERFECT  PAST PERFECT TENSE
He said, “I have loved her so much”. He said that he had loved her so much.
WILL FUTURE  WOULD
He said, “I will love her so much”. He said that he would love her so much.
IMPERATIVE  INFINITIVE
He said, “Love me!” He told her to love him.
TIME/SPACE EXPRESSIONS:
YESTERDAY  THE DAY BEFORE
TODAY  THAT DAY
LAST WEEK/MONTH/…  THE WEEK/MONTH/… BEFORE
THE PREVIOUS WEEK/MONTH/…

2. TOMORROW  THE NEXT DAY
NEXT MONTH/YEAR/…  THE FOLLOWING MONTH/YEAR/…
THIS/THESE  THAT/THOSE
HERE  THERE
NOW  THEN/AT THAT MOMENT
QUESTIONS:
WH/HOW – Questions  WH/HOW – word remains
He asked me, “Why do you love me?”
He asked me why I loved him.
He asked me, “How much do I love me?”
He asked me how much I loved him.
YES/NO - Questions  IF/WHETHER
He asked me, “Do you love me?”
He asked me if I loved him.
He asked me whether I loved him.
1) Write what Sarah said, making the necessary changes:
SHE SAID THAT….
a) “I’m living in New York.”
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b) “My mother isn’t very well.”
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c) “Jane and Paul are going to visit Italy next month.”
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d) “My brother had an accident.”
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3. e) “I haven’t seen Diana last night.”
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f) “Jack and Jill were waiting for the bus.”
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g) “I don’t drink coffee anymore.”
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h) “Tom can speak Japanese.”
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i) “I will go to Anna’s birthday party.”
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j) “My purse was stolen this morning.”
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k) “Kate took my keys.”
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l) “My husband has just finished reading this interesting book.”
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m) “Daniel didn’t buy the tickets for the theatre yesterday.”
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2) Choose the correct word:
a) She said / told us to stand up.
b) Mr Jones said / told the manager he was leaving.
c) Everybody said / told the concert had been terrible.
d) I didn’t say / tell Meg that I was coming today.
e) The Prime Minister said / told that things would get better soon.
f) Alice said / told she was sick.
g) Nancy didn’t say / tell us anything.

4. h) You said / told me you were working tonight.
3) Transform into DIRECT Speech:
a) He said that she would leave at six.
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b) He said that Peter often went fishing.
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c) Mary asked if she could come back later.
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d) I said that I had just seen Mark.
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e) Alan told me that Angela was watching TV.
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f) They said that the cat had been sleeping on the sofa.
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g) I said that we were late.
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h) She asked what the boys were doing.
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4) Questions: Put them into Reported Speech:
HE ASKED …
a) “How old are you?”
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b) “Are you married?”
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c) “Do you live nearby?”

5. ____________________________________________________________________________
d) “Where have you worked before?”
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e) “Can you speak German or French?”
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f) “Do you have a driving license?”
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g) “How much money do you want?”
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h) “When can you start?”
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REPORTED SPEECH – Solutions
1) Write what Sarah said, making the necessary changes
a) She said that she was living in NY at the moment.
b) …her mother was not very well.
c) …Jago and Paul were going to visit Italy the following month.
d) …her brother had had an accident.
e) … she had not seen Diana the night before.
f) … Jack and Jill had been waiting for the bus.
g) … she did not drink coffee anymore.
h) … Tom could speak Japanese.
i) … she would go to Anna’s birthday party.
j) … her purse had been stolen that morning.
k) … Kate had taken her keys.
l) …her husband had just finished reading that interesting book.

6. m) …Daniel had not bought any tickets for the theatre the day before.
2) Choose the correct word
a) told b) told c) said d) tell e) said f) said g) tell h) told
3) Write in the DIRECT SPEECH!...  COMMA!!!
a) He said, “She will leave at six.”
b) He said, “Peter often goes fishing.”
c) Mary asked, “Can I come back later?”
d) I said, “I’ve just seen Mark.”
e) Alan told me/said, “Angela is watching TV.”
f) They said, “The cat has been sleeping on the sofa.”
g) I said, “We are late.”
h) She asked, “What are the boys doing?”
4) Questions: Put them into Reported Speech
a) He asked how old I was.
b) He asked if/whether I was married.
c) He asked if/whether I lived nearby.
d) He asked where I had worked before.
e) He asked if/whether I could speak German or French.
f) He asked if/whether I had a driving license.
g) He asked how much money I wanted.
h) He asked when I could start.

7. m) …Daniel had not bought any tickets for the theatre the day before.
2) Choose the correct word
a) told b) told c) said d) tell e) said f) said g) tell h) told
3) Write in the DIRECT SPEECH!...  COMMA!!!
a) He said, “She will leave at six.”
b) He said, “Peter often goes fishing.”
c) Mary asked, “Can I come back later?”
d) I said, “I’ve just seen Mark.”
e) Alan told me/said, “Angela is watching TV.”
f) They said, “The cat has been sleeping on the sofa.”
g) I said, “We are late.”
h) She asked, “What are the boys doing?”
4) Questions: Put them into Reported Speech
a) He asked how old I was.
b) He asked if/whether I was married.
c) He asked if/whether I lived nearby.
d) He asked where I had worked before.
e) He asked if/whether I could speak German or French.
f) He asked if/whether I had a driving license.
g) He asked how much money I wanted.
h) He asked when I could start.