REPORTED SPEECH EXPLANATION

In REPORTED STATEMENTS, the two more common reporting verbs are say and tell, but
other reporting verbs can be also used: announce, declare, answer, exclaim, protest, reply, swear...

In REPORTED QUESTIONS, the word order is subject + verb. There is no

question mark with reported questions.

If there is no question word (what / why/ when.........), in the direct question, if or

whether are used in the reported question.

In REPORTED COMMANDS the following construction is used:

subject + verb + object + infinitive with to

To report negative commands: subject + verb+ object + not + infinitive with to

SUGGESTIONS: Subject + suggested + -ing

+ that + subject + 1st column

Other reporting verbs can be used: advise, encourage, invite, persuade, remind, warn, order....

VERB CHANGES

TIME EXPRESSIONS AND OTHER CHANGES

Present simple- past simple

Past simple past perfect
Present perfect past perfect
Future conditional
Can could
May might
Must - had to
Shall should
Ago - before
Here there

this - that
these - those
now - then
next week the following week /the next week
today that day
tomorrow the following day /the day after
yesterday the previous day / the day before
last week the week before

1. Reporting yes / no questions. What did they say?

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

He said do you take me for a fool?

She said can you keep your voice down?
He said do you know how I am feeling?
She said do you think I care?
He said has there ever really been anything between them?
Can he be serious? he wondered.
I asked her have you made a decision?

2. Reporting instructions and requests. What did they say?

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

He said dont go
She said take your hands off me
He said leave me alone
He said please give me another chance
She said dont say that
She said get out of my way