This document provides information about reported speech, including why and how it is used, the changes that are required when moving from direct to reported speech, and examples of how to use reported speech to report statements, questions, requests and other speech. Specifically, it discusses changing verb tenses, pronouns, time expressions and other elements when using reported speech. It also provides exercises for the reader to practice converting examples of direct speech into the corresponding reported speech statements or questions.

1. REPORTED
SPEECH
B 1

2. WHY DO WE USE IT ?
•To tell people what other people have said.
•To repeat information that somebody didn’t
hear or didn’t quite understand.
•2

3. 3

4. HOW DO WE USE IT ?
• When we report something which is always true
or what someone is saying or thinking now, we
use indirect speech after says, thinks, hopes, etc.,
without changing the verb tense.
•4

5. •5
He says he
loves rock
music

6. They have said
they are flying
to Ibiza
6

7. Grandpa - How are you,Tim?
Tim - I am fine.
Grandpa -What did you say?
Tim - I said I am fine.
Grandpa -What did he say, dear?
Grandma - He said he is fine.
7

8. CHANGES
• When we want to report what someone said to us in
the past, then we need to introduce some changes
involving…
–Verb tenses
–Pronouns
–Time expressions
–Demonstratives
–Adverbs of place
•8

9. 9
 Statements are usually reported with a past
tense verb (said, told…)
 The form of the verb that follows
“moves back” in time.
CHANGES IN VERB TENSES

10. CHANGES IN VERB TENSES
10
I’m the king
of the world!
The verb moves
back in time, so…

11. CHANGES IN VERB TENSES
11
The verb moves
back in time, so…
The verb moves
back in time, so…
He said he
was the king
of the world

12. •
Direct speech Indirect speech
Present Simple
Present Continuous
Present Perfect
Past Simple
be going to
Past Simple
Let’s go back in time: work out
the verb transformation.

13. •
Direct speech Indirect speech
Present Simple
Present Continuous
Present Perfect
Past Simple
be going to
Past Simple
Past Continuous
“I like travelling.”  She said (that) she liked
travelling.
“I’m leaving tomorrow.”  He told her (that) he
was leaving the next day.

14. •
Direct speech Indirect speech
Present Simple
Present Continuous
Present Perfect
Past Simple
be going to
Past Simple
Past Continuous
Past Perfect
“I’ve forgotten my keys”  He said (that) he had
forgotten his keys.

15. •
Direct speech Indirect speech
Present Simple
Present Continuous
Present Perfect
Past Simple
be going to
Past Simple
Past Continuous
Past Perfect
Past perfect or Past Simple
“I passed the exam”  She told me (that) she had
passed the exam.

16. •
Direct speech Indirect speech
Present Simple
Present Continuous
Present Perfect
Past Simple
be going to
Past Simple
Past Continuous
Past Perfect
Past perfect or Past Simple
Was / were going to
“I’m going on the trip of my life!”  She said (that)
she was going on the trip of her life.

17. CHANGES IN VERB TENSES
What about modal verbs?
Some modal verbs also change when used in
reported speech.These are:
can
must
will
may
17

18. CHANGES IN VERB TENSES
What about modal verbs?
Some modal verbs also change when used in
reported speech.These are:
can could
must had to
will would
may might
18

19. CHANGES IN VERB TENSES
What about modal verbs?
However other modal verbs don’t need to
change, like:
should
could
might
would
19

20. OTHER CHANGES
20
“I’ll always love you.” He said (that) he would
always love me.
“I’ve broken my leg” She said (that) she had
broken her leg.
“I met my girlfriend’s
family.”
He told us that he had
met his girlfriend’s
family.”

21. OTHER CHANGES…
Personal and possessive
pronouns and adjectives
I I / he / she
we they
me me / him / her
us them
you him / her / us / them
my my/ / his / her
our their
your his / her / our / their
mine mine / his / hers
ours theirs
yours his / hers / ours / theirs

22. OTHER CHANGES…
•22
now
today / tonight
yesterday
tomorrow
last year
next
then
that day / that night
the day before
the following day
the year before
Time expressions
the following

23. OTHER CHANGES…
•23
this
here
that
there
Demonstratives
and adverbs of
place

24. He said (that)
he would see
her the
following month
24
I’ll see you next
month
He said…

25. He said (that) he
had lost his keys
25
I’ve lost my keys!
He said…

26. 26

27. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING
REPORTED SPEECH
1. “I can’t remember which exit it is”.
She said (that) she couldn’t remember which exit it
was.
27

28. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING
REPORTED SPEECH
1. “I can’t remember which exit it is”.
28

29. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING
REPORTED SPEECH
2. “I can’t find my mobile”. He said…
29

30. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING
REPORTED SPEECH
2. “I can’t find my mobile”. He said…
He said (that) he couldn’t find his mobile.
30

31. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING
REPORTED SPEECH
3. “We probably won’t get the message”.They
said…
31

32. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING
REPORTED SPEECH
3. “We probably won’t get the message”.They
said…
They said (that) they probably wouldn’t get the
message.
32

33. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING
REPORTED SPEECH
4. “I’ve finished my exams!” She said…
33

34. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING
REPORTED SPEECH
4. “I’ve finished my exams!” She said…
She said (that) she’d finished her exams.
34

35. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING
REPORTED SPEECH
5. “The film will be on tomorrow.” They told us…
35

36. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING
REPORTED SPEECH
5. “The film will be on tomorrow.” They told us…
They told us (that) the film would be on the next
day / the following day.
36

37. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING
REPORTED SPEECH
6. “I can’t stay here very long.” He told
me…
37

38. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING
REPORTED SPEECH
6. “I can’t stay here very long.” He told
me…
He told me (that) he couldn’t stay there
very long.
38

39. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING
REPORTED SPEECH
7. “I must leave at 6.30.” She said…
39

40. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING
REPORTED SPEECH
7. “I must leave at 6.30.” She said…
She said (that) she had to leave at 6.30.
40

41. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING
REPORTED SPEECH
8. “We’ve never forgotten our visit.”They
told me…
41

42. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING
REPORTED SPEECH
8. “We’ve never forgotten our visit.”They
told me…
They told me (that) they’d never forgotten
their visit.
42

43. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING
REPORTED SPEECH
9. “I saw a man hiding in the bushes.” He
said…
43

44. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING
REPORTED SPEECH
9. “I saw a man hiding in the bushes.” He
said…
He said (that) he saw / had seen a man
hiding in the bushes
44

45. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING
REPORTED SPEECH
10.“I don’t really want to see him.” she told
me…
45

46. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING
REPORTED SPEECH
10.“I don’t really want to see him.” she told
me…
She told me (that) she didn’t really want to
see him.
46

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47

48. REPORTING
QUESTIONS
48

49. REPORTING QUESTIONS
•When we report a question everything changes
as in reported statements.
49
Reported questions are not
“real” questions with question
marks, so we don’t use do /
did.
The order of the subject and
the verb is like in affirmative
sentences.

50. REPORTING QUESTIONS
 We can report questions with verbs like ask, wonder,
and want to know.
He asked me…
She wanted to know…
We were wondering…

51. REPORTING QUESTIONS
Yes/no questions vs Wh- questions
In WH-questions we keep the question word.
They asked me how old I was.
 In Yes/No questions we add if or whether.
They also wanted to know if I was married or
whether I had a boyfriend.

52. They wanted to
know where the
zoo was.
52
Where is
the zoo?
They asked…

53. She asked if /
whether the
London train
stopped there.
53
He asked…
Does the
London train
stop here?

54. 63

55. My computer
asked me to wait
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66
My computer …

56. The authorities
recommend
not to use your
mobile phone
while driving
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67
The authorities
recommend…

57. WE’RE ALMOST
DONE!
N O W L E T ’ S C O M P L E T E S E N T E N C E S 4 , 6 , 1 0 F RO M
T H E L A S T A C T I V I T Y.
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68

58. • “Please fill in the application form.”
• He told me…
He told me to fill in the application form.
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69

59. • “Make sure you buy enough food.”
• She told us…
She told us to make sure we bought enough food.
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70

60. • “Don’t forget to bring your laptops.”
• They told us…
They told us not to forget to bring our laptops.
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71

61. agree decide offer promise refuse threaten
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75

He threatened to kill us

62. agree decide offer promise refuse threaten
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76
He offered to help
“Shall I help you?”, he said

63. VERB + PERSON + TO +
INFINITIVE
ask invite advise encourage remind
warn tell convince persuade beg
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77

64. ask invite advise encourage remind
warn tell convince persuade beg
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78
“If I were you, I wouldn’t
have any more piercings”,
she said
She advised him not to
have any more piercings

65. ask invite advise encourage remind
warn tell convince persuade beg
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79
“Be careful and don’t drink too
much at the party”, my mum
told me
She warned me not to
drink too much

66. ask invite advise encourage remind
warn tell convince persuade beg
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80
“Come on! You can play the
piano!”, his parents have
always told him.
His parents have always
encouraged him to play the
piano