Learn how to speak

1. I-Definition :
•The reported speech means saying or
repeating what others have said.
Example:
D.S:‘I have a meeting tomorrow.’, my friend said
R (I) S: My friend said that he had a meeting the
following day.

2. The direct speech The indirect/reported speech
1-“I am happy”, he said He said (that) he was happy.
2-“We saw a long documentary
yesterday”, she said
She said (that) they had
seen a long documentary the
day before.
3-“Are you ok?”, she asked. She asked me if / whether I
was ok.
Examples:

3. 4-“When will you travel?”, he
wanted to know.
He wanted to know when I
would travel.
5-“How did you know the way to
my house?”, I asked my friend.
I asked my friend how he had
known the way to my house.
6-“You must do the work now”, the
boss said.
The boss told / ordered me to
do the work then

4. II-Tense Change:
•When we change to the reported speech we have to respect the
following changes:
The direct speech The indirect (reported)speech
The simple present
(am-is-are)
The simple past
(was-were)
The present progressive
(am-is-are eating)
The past progressive
(was-were eating)
The simple past
(went)
The past perfect simple
(had gone)
The past progressive
(was-were eating)
The past perfect progressive
(had been eating)

5. The present perfect simple
(has-have eaten)
The past perfect simple
(had eaten)
The present perfect progressive
(has-have been eating)
The past perfect progressive
(had been eating)
The past perfect simple /
progressive
(had eaten/been eating)
No change
(had eaten/been eating)
Will, shall, may, can and must
(have to)
Would, should, might, could
and had to
Would, should (ought to), might,
could, and had to
No change

6. Practice exercise:
Put these sentences in the reported speech:
1-"I have a toothache."
He said that………………………………………………
2-"I will open the window."
He said that….……………………………………………
3-"She has gone on holiday."
He said that……………………………………………….
4-"Go away!", he said to me.
He told......………………………………………………...

7. 5-"Where is my hat?", he asked me.
He………………………………………………………...
6-"We're going to the cinema."
He said that……………………………………………...
7- “You have to do your best", he said to us.
He said that……………………………………………...
8-"Who will you tell?", he asked me.
He………………………………………………………...

8. The direct speech The indirect/reported
speech
Today / this day That day
Yesterday The day before / the
previous day
The day before yesterday Two days before
Tomorrow The next / following day
The day after tomorrow In two days’ time
B-Adverbs of time change:

9. Next day, week,
month…etc
The following day, week,
month…etc
Last day, week,
month…etc
The previous day, week,
month…etc
A day, week, month…etc
ago
A day, week, month…etc
before
Now Then

10. The direct speech The indirect/reported
speech
This That
These Those
Here there
We They
You I
We also change the followings:

11. III-Reporting sentences:
A-Reporting statements:
Rule (1): subject + verb (said/ told) + that + subject +
verb (in a past tense)
1-“We came late last week”, she said
She said (that) they had come late the previous week.
2-“I will visit you next Monday”, he told me.
He told me (that) he would visit me the following
Monday.
3-“I was absent; I had some problems”, my friend said.
My friend said (that) he had been absent because he had
had some problems.

12. III-Reporting sentences:
B-Reporting questions:
a-Yes/No questions
Rule (2): subject + verb (asked...) object + if/whether
+subject + verb (in a past tense)
1-“Can you come tonight?”, she said
She asked me if I could come that night.
2-“Are you leaving now?”, he told me.
He asked me whether I was leaving then.
3-“Do you have a lighter?”, my friend said.
My friend wanted to know if I had a lighter.

13. III-Reporting sentences:
b-WH-questions.
Rule (3): Subject + verb (asked...) +Wh-word+ subject
+ verb (in a past tense)
1-“What are you doing here?”, she said
She asked what I was doing there.
2-“Where will you travel?”, he told me.
He asked me where I would travel.
3-“Why has she refused my offer?”, my friend said.
My friend asked why she had refused his offer.

14. III-Reporting sentences:
C-Reporting advice, request, command...etc:
Rule (4): Subject + verb (told, ordered, requested...)
+object+ infinitive with to.
1-“You must come in time.”, she said
She ordered me to come in time.
2-“You should learn English”, he told me.
He advised me to learn English.
3-“Can you tell me the time?”, my friend said.
My friend asked me to tell him the time.

15. I-Report the following sentences:
1-“I don’t care”, she said.
She said……………………………………………...........
2-“Have you seen my wallet”, I asked my brother.
I asked……………………………………………………
3-“I was at the supermarket yesterday”, he told his
father.
He told his father……………………………………........
4-“Could you pass me the cup”, my friend asked.
My friend asked………………………………………….
5-“Have you seen the match?”, he asked.
He asked……………………………………………..........

16. 6-“You must do it now”, my mother told me
My mother told me………………………………………
7-“Why are you so sad?”, the teacher wanted to know.
The teacher wanted………………………………………
8-“Don’t be late”, he told her.
He told…………………………………………………….
9-“When will you take your lunch?”, he asked her.
He asked her……………………………………………...
10-“You’d better reduce eating chocolate”, the doctor
told me.
The doctor………………………………………………...

17. 11-“What have you been doing in my room?”, my
sister asked me.
My sister asked me.………………………………………
12-“You must be in time”, the boss told him.
The boss..…………………………………………………
13-“Who stole the bank?”, the policeman asked the
suspect.
The policeman wanted to know…….………………….
14-“We had been doing much work last week”, she
said.
She said...............................................................................

18. 15-“The president opened the new bank two days
ago”, he said.
He said…………………………………………………...
16-“I didn’t meet the director”, she said.
She said..………………………………………………..
17-“Could you help me repair my car?”, my father
asked me.
My father asked me……………………………………
18-“What was the film about?”, I asked my friend.
I asked my friend………………………………………
19-“Why don’t you listen to your father?”, the mother
asked her son.

19. The mother asked her son……………………………….
20-“What shall I do to improve my English?”, the
student asked the teacher.
The student asked the teacher.…………………………..
21-“please, please help me!”, she said.
She begged.……………………………………………….
22-“You should exercise regularly”, I told her.
I advised…………………………………………………..
23-“Are you going with us tomorrow?”, he asked me.
He asked me...……………………………………………
24-“How did she find her son?”, I asked him.
I asked him……………………………………………….