A
B
B
C
QUOTED SPEECH
REPORTED SPEECH
QUOTED SPEECH
REPORTED SPEECH
She said, “I watch TV every day.”
She said, “I am watching TV.”
She said, “I have watched TV.”
She said, “I watched TV.”
She said, “I will watch TV.”
She said, “I am going to watch TV.”
She said, “I can watch TV.”
She said, “I may watch TV.”
She said, “I might watch TV.”
She said, “I must watch TV.”
She said, “I have to watch TV.”
She said, “I should watch TV.”
She said, “I ought to watch TV.”
She said, “Watch TV.”
She said that she watched TV every day.
She said she was watching TV.
She said she had watched TV.
She said she had watched TV.
She said she would watch TV.
She said was going to watch TV.
She said could watch TV.
She said she might watch TV.
She said she might watch TV.
She said she had to watch TV.
She said she had to watch TV.
She said she should watch TV.
She said she ought to watch TV.
She said, “Do you watch TV?”
She asked (me) if I watched TV.
She told me to watch TV.
*
* In reported speech, an imperative sentence is changed to an infinitive. We use TELL instead of SAY
as the reporting verb. Notice that unlike SAY, tell is immediately followed by a pronoun/noun object.
Example
He told me not to talk.
Put the sentences into reported speech.
1. He said, "I'm looking forward to my holidays."
He said (that) _________________________________________________________________
2. She said, "We had a day away at the beach."
She said (that) ________________________________________________________________
3. He said, "My mum took us to an alligator farm."
He said (that) _________________________________________________________________
4. She said, "There is a big pool with lots of alligators."
She said (that) ________________________________________________________________
5. She said, "I don't like alligator meat."
She said (that) ________________________________________________________________
6. He said, "We have never seen such a beautiful view."
He said (that) _________________________________________________________________
7. She said, "My dad works in town."
She said (that) ________________________________________________________________
8. They told us, "We spend our holidays on a farm every year."
They told us (that) _____________________________________________________________
9. She said, "We went for a picnic."
She said (that) ________________________________________________________________
10. He said, "My brother came home late."
He said (that) _________________________________________________________________
OPTIONAL EXERCISES:
Change the following sentences into direct speech:
1. She told me not to open the door. ____________________________________________
2. The teacher told us to open our books. ________________________________________
3. Dana told Peter to walk the dog. _____________________________________________
4. Mark said he was leaving at noon. ___________________________________________
5. The thief denied stealing the money. _________________________________________
6. Jane asked me if I had her English book. _____________________________________
7. The kids reminded the teacher to check the homework. __________________________
8. My father encouraged me to apply for a scholarship. ____________________________
9. He decided to buy the red Ferrari. ___________________________________________
10. She promised to help us.___________________________________________________
Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)
If we report what another person has said, we usually do not use the speaker’s exact words (direct speech), but
reported (indirect) speech. Therefore, you need to learn how to transform direct speech into reported speech. The
structure is a little different depending on whether you want to transform a statement, question or request.
STATEMENTS (sentences): when transforming statements, check whether you have to change:
▪
pronouns
▪
place and time expressions
▪
present tense verbs (3rd person singular)
▪
tenses (backshift)
tenses (backshift) Type
Example
direct speech
“I speak English.”
reported speech (no backshift)
He says that he speaks English.
reported speech (backshift)
He said that he spoke English.
QUESTIONS: when transforming questions, check whether you have to change:
▪
pronouns
▪
place and time expressions
▪
present tense verbs (3rd person singular)
▪
tenses (backshift)
Also note that you have to: transform the question into an indirect question and use the interrogative or if / whether
Type
with interrogative
without interrogative
Example
direct speech
“Why don’t you speak English?”
reported speech
He asked me why I didn’t speak English.
direct speech
“Do you speak English?”
reported speech
He asked me whether / if I spoke English.
REQUESTS (asking for something): when transforming questions, check whether you have to change: pronouns, place
and time expressions
Type
Example
direct speech
“Carol, speak English “.
reported speech
He told Carol to speak English.
VERB CHANGES ACCORDING TO THE DIFFERENT TENSES
Direct speech
Reported speech
present simple
past simple
I am happy
He said he was happy
I sleep
He said he slept
present continuos
past continuos
I am feeling happy
He said he was feeling happy
I am sleeping
He said he was sleeping
past simple
past perfect
I was happy
He said he had been happy
I slept
He said he had slept
present perfect
past perfect
I have been happy
He said he had been happy
I have slept
He said he had slept
present perfect continuos
I have been feeling happy
I have been sleeping
past perfect continuos
He said he had been feeling
happy
He said he had been sleeping
future
simple conditional
I will be happy
He said he would be happy
I will sleep
He said he would sleep
future perfect
I will have been happy
I will have sleep
simple conditional perfect
He said he would have been
happy
He said he would have slept
CHANGES IN MODAL VERBS
Direct speech
Reported speech
CAN
COULD
I can sleep
He said he could sleep
MAY
MIGHT
I may sleep
He said he might sleep
WILL
WOULD
I will sleep
He said he would sleep
MUST
I must sleep
HAD TO
He said he had to sleep
CHANGES IN TIME AND PLACE EXPRESSIONS:
now
at that moment, then
tonight
that night
today
that day
last night
the night before
this morning
that morning
this week
that week
next week
the following week
next year
the year after
here
there