The document provides information and examples about reported speech. It discusses: - Using reported speech to tell someone about a past conversation. - Changes that are made when moving from direct to reported speech, such as verb tense, pronouns, time/place expressions. - Different reporting verbs used to report statements, questions, suggestions, requests, orders, and advice. - Examples of how direct speech is changed to reported speech.

1. REPORTED SPEECH
Bachillerato

2. REPORTED SPEECH
We use it when we want to tell another person
about a conversation that took place in the past
(e.g telephone call, news or a story that someone
told us, etc.)

3. CHANGES FROM DIRECT TO REPORTED
SPEECH:
1) Verb Tense (a back shift)
2) Personal Pronouns, Possessives: change from first or
second person to third person, except when
the speaker is reporting his own words.
3) Demonstratives: This  That
These Those
4) Time & Place Expressions: Here There

4. ' I know quite a lot of
people here.’ Robert said.
Present
Simple
Simple
Past
He said that he ......................
quite a lot of people there
'John is feeling much
better ‘ Paul said.
Present
Continuous
Past
Continuous
He said that John ...............
............. much better
.......
' I enjoyed my holiday in
the States’ David said.
Simple
Past
Past
Perfect
He said that he ......................
his holiday in the States
'Jackie wasn´t feeling very
well ‘ The teacher said.
Past
Continuous
Past
Perf.Cont.
He said that Jackie……………
................................very well
' They‘ve seen the Eiffel
Tower ‘ John said.
Present
Perfect
Past
Perfect
He said that they …….........
.................. the Eiffel Tower
' I have been waiting for
ages ‘ My father said.
Present
Per. Cont.
Past Perf.
Cont.
He said that he ......................
…………...for ages
' Nobody had warned them
about the storm ‘ He said.
Past
Perfect
Past
Perfect
He said that
nobody .................... about
the storm
' She had been reading
all day ‘Brenda said.
Past Perf.
Cont.
Past Perf.
Cont.
She said that she
…………… ........................ all
day
Verb Tense Changes:
knew
was
feeling
had enjoyed
had
been feeling
had
seen
had been
waiting
had warned
had
been reading

5. ' I will be here with you.'
Robert promised me.
Future
Simple
Conditional Robert promised that
he ...............................
there with me
'John is going to study
French '
Paul said.
Be going
to
Was/Were
going to
Paul said that
John ......................................
..........French
MODAL VERBS:
' We can start the lesson'
David said.
Can Could
David said that
we ............................... start
the lesson
' They may come home '
My husband said.
May Might My husband said that
they .........................
come home
' You must be quiet in
class ‘ The teacher told us.
Must Had to The teacher told us that
we ..................... be quiet in
class.
would be
was going to study
could
might
had to

6. Changes in Time and Place
expressions:
Time Place
Now
Ago
Then
Before
Here there
Today that day This town/
garden...
That town/
garden ...
Tomorrow the following day
OR the day after
These
cities/ ...
Those
cities/ ...
Yesterday the previous day
OR the day before
Last week/
month/ ...
the previous week/
month ... OR the
week before
Next week /
month/ ...
The following
week / month OR
the week/ month

7. Statements are Affirmative or Negative Sentences.
We use a Reporting Verb + That (it can be omitted) + Subject +
verb in Previous tense + ...
Ex: “The students are tired”- said the teacher
The teacher said (that) the students were tired.
Ex: “It’s the funniest show I’ve ever seen” -Joan told me.
Joan told me (that) it was the funniest show she had ever
seen.
Reporting
Statements:
Reporting
verb
Subject Verb in
previous
tense

8. A) YES / NO QUESTIONS:
Reporting Verb + If or whether + Subject + Verb +...
*Order of Reported Question:
Subject + Verb - as in Statements
No question mark
Ex: “Are you working these days?” he said.
He asked if/whether I was working those days.
Ex: “Did you speak to John last night?” she asked
She wanted to know if I had spoken to John, the
night before.
Reporting Questions:

9. B) WH- QUESTIONS:
Reporting Verb + Question Word (s) + Subject +
Verb
(The Word Order is again the same as in Statements)
Ex: “Where did you go last summer?”.
He asked me where I had gone the previous
summer.
Ex: “How long were you waiting for us?”
She wanted to know how long I had been waiting for
them.
Reporting
Questions:

10. Reporting
Verbs:1) Verb + “that clause”: Add, admit, agree, announce,
claim, complain, declare, deny, explain, insist, mention,
predict, promise, recommend, reply, reveal, say, state,
suggest…
Ex: “We took the wrong way” she said She explained
that they had taken the wrong way.
2) Verb + Indirect Object + (not) to infinitive: Advise, ask,
encourage, invite, order, persuade, remind, tell, warn…
Ex: “Would you like to come to my party?” she said.
She invited me to go to her party.
Ex: “Don’t do that” He told me not to do that.

11. 3) Verb + to infinitive: agree, decide, offer, promise,
refuse, threaten…
Ex: “I’ll do it” she said. She offered to do it.
4) Verb + (preposition) + verb(-ing): accuse, admit,
apologise, deny, recommend, suggest …
Ex: “Let’s go to the theatre” She suggested
going to the theatre.
Ex: “I’m sorry I’m late” He apologised for being
late
Reporting
Verbs:

12. The Imperative changes into To Infinitive:
Ex: He said to us: “Stay here” He told us to stay there
In the negative:
He said: “Don’t mention that”
He told me not to mention that.
REPORTING COMMANDS (=
ORDERS)

13. We normally use suggest + gerund (-ING)
OR suggest that + Clause
OR suggest that + SHOULD clause
•Let’s, why don’t we, shall we, why not… are omitted:
“Let’s go to the theatre”
“Why don’t we go to the theatre?”
“Shall we go to the theatre?”
She suggested going to the theatre
She suggested that we go to the theatre
She suggested that we should go to the theatre
NEGATIVE SUGGESTIONS:
“Let’s not argue again,” he said.
He suggested not arguing again
He suggested that they don't argue again.
He suggested that we shouldn't argue again.
REPORTING
SUGGESTIONS:

14. We use these Reporting Verbs:
beg, ask, demand, request + (not) to
(The word “please” is omitted)
“Can I go out tonight, mum, please?” The boy begged.
The boy begged to go out that night.
“John, don’t open the window, please” I said
I asked /requested/begged John not to open the window.
“Can I use your phone?” I asked my neighbour
I asked my neighbour to use her phone OR (as a question)
I asked my neighbour if I could use her phone
REPORTING
REQUESTS

15. Reported Speech Exercises
1.“Who lives next door?”, he asked us.
He asked us who lived next door.
2. “Get your coats!”, the mother ordered the children.
The mother ordered the children to get their coats.
3.“Shall we go out for a drink tonight?”, David suggested.
David suggested going out for a drink that night.
4. “I have nothing to show you”, he said to me.
He said to me he had nothing to show me.
5. “I’ll come with you as soon as I am ready”, she said to me.
She said to me that she would come with me as soon as she
was ready.
6. “We moved into our new flat yesterday”, they said.
They said that they had moved into their new flat the day
before.
7. How long have you been waiting for the bus here?, he
asked us.
He asked us how long we had been waiting for the bus
there.

16. Reported Speech Exercises
8. “What are you going to study?”, he asked her.
He asked her what she was going to study.
9. “What is your new house like?”, he asked them.
He asked them what their new house was like.
10.“Close all the windows!”, she told us.
She told us to close all the windows.
11.“Put down this gun. It’s loaded!”, she told him.
She told him to put down that gun BECAUSE it was
loaded.
12. “How big are the classes?”, he asked me.
He asked me how big the classes were.
13.“I’m going fishing with my father tomorrow morning”,
he said.
He said he was going fishing with his father the following
morning.

17. Reported Speech Exercises
14. “They should put traffic lights here. It’s a dangerous
crossroads”, he said.
He said they should put traffic lights there because it was a
dangerous crossroads.
15. “I will also work during the summer”, she explained.
She explained that she would also work during the summer.
16. “I’m watching a romantic film on TV with my girlfriend now”,
he says.
He said he was watching a romantic film on TV with his girlfriend
then.
17. “A lot of gold is mined in South Africa”, the diplomat said.
The diplomat said that a lot of gold was mined in South Africa.
18. “I had a bad cold last week”, the worker said.
The worker said he/she had had a bad cold the previous
week/the week before.

18. Reported Speech Exercises
19. “Would you like to come to my wedding?”, he asked
me. (invitation)
He invited me to go to his wedding.
20. “I’ll drive you home in a minute.” She offered
She offered to drive me home in a minute.
21. "You ought to see a doctor about your eyes," Sally said
to her mother. (advice)
Sally advised her mother to see a doctor about her eyes.
22. "What about going to the opera?", she suggested.
She suggested going to the opera/ She suggested that we
go to the opera.
23."I’m sorry I spilt coffee on this tablecloth," said Greg
(apology)
Greg apologized for having spilt coffee on that tablecloth.

19. Reported Speech Exercises
24.“Let’s go for a coffee!”, she said. She suggested ...
She suggested going for a coffee./ She suggested that we
go for a coffee.
25. How does she know my name? she asked.
She asked how she knew her name.
26. “Close these windows now!” the manager said. (order)
The manager ordered to close those windows then.
27.“I’ll cook the supper” she said (offer)
She offered to cook the supper.
28. “Where are you going tomorrow?, Anne asked him.
Anne asked him where he was going the following day.
29. “Don’t eat any sweets!”, the doctor told us.
The doctor told us not to eat any sweets.

20. Reported Speech Exercises
30.“Don’t argue with me!”, the teacher said to the boy.
The teacher told the boy not to argue with her/him.
31.“Don’t take the dog into the children’s bedroom!”, she
ordered.
She ordered not to take the dog into the children’s bedroom.
32.“Put the toys away in this cupboard!”, he told the children.
He told the children to put the toys away in that cupboard.
33.“I live in a big house with my girlfriend”, Paul said.
Paul said that he lived in a big house with his girlfriend.
34.“We’re watching TV with our friends now”, they declared.
They declared that they were watching TV with their friends
then.
35.“I’ve invited you to my wedding party”, Sarah said to me.
(invitation)
Sarah invited me to her wedding party.

21. Reported Speech Exercises
36. “I saw Paul with my sister at the party last night”, Susan
said to me.
Susan said to me that she had seen Paul with her sister at
the party the night before/the previous night.
37.“I’m going to play tennis with my father tomorrow
morning”, he said.
He said that he was going to play tennis with his father the
following morning.
38. “I´m sorry I broke the chair”, she apologized..
He apologized for having broken the chair.
39. “I will send the letters tomorrow”, the secretary offered.
The secretary offered to send the letters the following day.
40. “What time does the plane leave?”, she asked me.
She asked me what time the plane left.

22. Reported Speech Exercises
41. “Did you see the robbers yesterday?”, the policeman asked
me.
The policeman asked me if I had seen the robbers the day
before.
42. “This book is mine.” She explained.
She explained that that book was hers.
43. “Why don’t you fit new locks on the door?”, he suggested.
He suggested fitting new locks on the door./ He suggested
that I fit new locks on the door.
44. Sam, would you mind opening the window, please? It’s too
hot.”, I asked. (request)
I asked Sam to open the window because it was too hot.
45. “If I were you, I’d stop taking tranquillizers”, he said to me.
(advice)
He advised me to stop taking tranquillizers.

23. Reported Speech Exercises
46. “Please, stop shouting! I can’t concentrate on my
work”, he asked his daughter.
He asked his daughter to stop shouting because he
couldn’t concentrate on his work.