REPORTED SPEECH

Main points:
-When you are reporting what someone said, you use your own words in a report
structure, rather than repeating their exact words. Example:
Jimmy: The bus is late

Jimmy said the bus was late.

-When you report something you usually talk about something which happened in
the past, so you have to go one time back:
Direct Speech

Reported Speech

SIMPLE PRESENT
Susan: I watch TV every day
day

SIMPLE PAST
Susan said she watched TV every

PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
Susan: I am watching TV every day

PAST PROGRESSIVE
Susan said she was watching TV
every day

PRESENT PERFECT
Susan: Ive watched TV every day

PAST PERFECT
Susan said she had watched TV
every day

SIMPLE PAST
Susan: I watched TV every day

PAST PERFECT
Susan said she had watched TV
every day

PAST PROGRESSIVE
PAST PROGRESSIVE PERFECT
Susan: I was watching TV every day Susan said she had been
watching TV every day
PAST PERFECT
Susan: I had watched TV every day

PAST PERFECT
Susan said she had watched TV
every day

FUTURE (WILL)
Susan: I will watch TV every day

WOULD
Susan said she would watch TV
every day

FUTURE (going to)

PAST PROGRESSIVE

Susan: Im going to watch TV every

day

Susan said she was going to

watch TV every day.

Modal verbs
When using modal verbs you have to follow these changes:
Direct Speech

Reported Speech

CAN
Susan: I can watch TV every day

COULD
Susan said she could watch TV
every day

MAY
Susan: I may watch TV every day

MIGHT
Susan said she might watch TV
every day

MUST
Susan I must watch TV every day

HAD TO
Susan said she had to watch TV
every day

Questions
We dont use do, does or did in questions:
Direct Speech
What do you want?
What does she want?

Reported Speech
She asked me what I wanted
She asked me what she wanted

EXERCISES:
1.-

Unscramble the sentences:

a) the / late / was / she / bus / said / that
____________________________________________________________
b) told / me / they / he / could / pass / exam / the / that

___________________________________________________________
_
c) said / teacher / that / the / I / might / give / speech / good / a
___________________________________________________________
_
2.Choose the correct reporting verb and finish the sentence for each
statement
TOLD

SAID

OFFERED

ORDERED WARNED

a) That road is very dangerous

His mother
___________________________________________________
b) Liverpool won the match last night
The journalist ________________________________________________
c) Ill take you to the cinema
Bill
_________________________________________________________
d) I can come and look after the children
Jane
________________________________________________________
e) Students, the lesson starts at six oclock in the evening
The teacher
__________________________________________________
f) I must do it without any help
Gloria ______________________________________________________
g) The minister of education may come because she graduated from this
school
The reporter _________________________________________________
h) Yesterday there was a fire in New Hotel
The radio reporter
_____________________________________________
i) Students, the homework is for tomorrow

The teacher
__________________________________________________
j) Give me the exam, Mr. Roberts
The headmaster
______________________________________________
k) That coffee is very hot so be careful
My mother
___________________________________________________
3.-

Match the report with the actual words used.

-They said they had to go ________

a) You cant leave yet. Its only 11

oclock

-He said he would help if he could ______ b) Well, Ill do whatever I can for you
-She promised she would visit us _______

c)

If I were you I would get in

touch
with the manager
-He suggested that we should write
to the boss ________
-They insisted we should stay a bit
longer ________
-They complained that they were too
busy ________
-She mentioned that she had met
you ________
-I explained that they should send
a letter _________

d) I bumped into your brother in

London yesterday
e) Its no good just telephoning. Put
something in writing
f) Ill certainly come and see you some
time
g) We have far too much work at the
moment
h) Im afraid its time for us to leave

4.-

Report these phrases:

a)

Im hungry
_______________________________________________________________
b)
Where does Tom live?
_______________________________________________________________
c)

You played really well

_______________________________________________________________

d)

Are you French?

_______________________________________________________________

e)

We dont like homework?

_______________________________________________________________
_

f)

How much did you spend?

_______________________________________________________________
_

g)

I must work everyday

_______________________________________________________________
_

h)

Are they friends?

_______________________________________________________________
_

i)

We may travel to Europe

_______________________________________________________________
_

j)

Im going to the mall now

_______________________________________________________________
_