Reported Speech

Reported speech
 We use reported speech to repeat what one person said to another
person.
 When we report we change the idea to PAST.
 “I like going to the cinema”
 Reported speech:
 She said she LIKED going to the cinema.
• We have some common reported verbs…

say tell mention

said told mentioned
• It is important to change: pronouns, time expressions and prepositions (if applicable)
 Reported speech examples
 John: “I want to go the party.”
 John said he WANTED to go to the party.
 Maria: “Laura is my mother.”
 Maria told us that Laura was her mother.
 Louis: “I will travel to Europe ”
 Louis mentioned he would travel to Europe.
 Claudia: “I didn’t eat pizza yesterday”
 Claudia said she hadn’t eaten pizza the day before.
Reported speech chart
 Reported speech exercise
People made these statements. Report them, using said.
a. “Mary works in a bank”, Jane said.
___________________________________________________________________________________________

b. “I’m staying with some friends”, Jim said.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

c. “I’ve never been to Russia”, Mike said.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

d. “Tom can’t use a computer”, Ella said.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

e. “Everybody must try to do their best”, Jill said.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

f. “I’ll stay at home on Sunday”, Bill said.

____________________________________________________________________________________________
 Reported speech exercise
People made these statements. Report them, using said.
a. “Mary works in a bank”, Jane said.
___________________________________________________________________________________________

b. “I’m staying with some friends”, Jim said.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

c. “I’ve never been to Russia”, Mike said.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

d. “Tom can’t use a computer”, Ella said.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

e. “Everybody must try to do their best”, Jill said.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

f. “I’ll stay at home on Sunday”, Bill said.

____________________________________________________________________________________________
 Reported speech exercise
People made these statements. Report them, using said.
a. “Mary works in a bank”, Jane said.
Jane said (that) Mary worked in a bank.
b. “I’m staying with some friends”, Jim said.
Jim said (that) he was staying with some friends.
c. “I’ve never been to Russia”, Mike said.
Mike said (that) he had never been to Russia.
d. “Tom can’t use a computer”, Ella said.
Ella said (that) Tom couldn’t use a computer.
e. “Everybody must try to do their best”, Jill said.
Jill said everybody had to try to do their best.
f. “I’ll stay at home on Sunday”, Bill said.
Bill said he would stay at home on Sunday.
Reported questions

 We use reported questions to repeat what one person asked to another person.
 When we report we change the idea to PAST and the subject and verb
change, too.
 “Can you open the window?” The teacher asked
 Reported speech:
 The teacher asked (me) if I could open the window.

• To report questions we use ASK (asked) and we can include the indirect object or not.

• It is important to change: pronouns, time expressions and prepositions (if applicable)

 Reported questions
 There are two types of reported questions:
Yes / No Wh- question word
Questions starting with modals or verb Questions starting with a question
to be. word.
“Can I go to the party?” Laura asked “Where is the bathroom?” The visitor
asked
Use “if / whether” + subject + verb Use the question word + subject + verb

Laura asked if she could go to the The visitor asked where the bathroom
party. was.
We don’t use question mark any more We don’t use question mark any more
because is no longer a question. because is no longer a question.

Yes / No Wh- question word

“Are you coming to class tomorrow?” Dan
asked
Dan asked (me) if I was coming to class
tomorrow
“Should I go out with him?” Karla asked
“When did you celebrate your birthday?”
Dan asked
Dan asked (me) when I had celebrated my
birthday
“How much is the ticket?” Susie asked
 Reported questions
1. "Where is my umbrella?" She asked.
She asked ____________________________________________________
2. "How are you?" Martin asked us.
Martin asked us ________________________________________________
3. He asked, "Do I have to do it?“
He asked _____________________________________________________
4. "Where have you been?" the mother asked her daughter.
The mother asked her daughter ___________________________________
5. "Which dress do you like best?" she asked her boyfriend.
She asked her boyfriend _________________________________________
6. "What are they doing?" she asked.
She wanted to know ____________________________________________
7. "Are you going to the cinema?" she asked me.
She wanted to know ____________________________________________
8. The teacher asked, "Who speaks English?
"The teacher wanted to know ____________________________________
9. "How do you know that?" she asked me.
She asked me _________________________________________________
 Reported questions
1. "Where is my umbrella?" She asked.
She asked where her umbrella was.
2. "How are you?" Martin asked us.
Martin asked us how we were.
3. He asked, "Do I have to do it?“
He asked if he had to do it.
4. "Where have you been?" the mother asked her daughter.
The mother asked her daughter where she had been.
5. "Which dress do you like best?" she asked her boyfriend.
She asked her boyfriend which dress he liked best.
6. "What are they doing?" she asked.
She wanted to know what they were doing.
7. "Are you going to the cinema?" she asked me.
She wanted to know if I was going to the cinema.
8. The teacher asked, "Who speaks English?
"The teacher wanted to know who spoke English.
9. "How do you know that?" she asked me.
She asked me how I knew that.
 Reported commands
 Requests and commands are formed using the "to-infinitive" in statements and "not + to-
infinitive" in negative statements. If we report somebody's commands, we use the verb told. If
it's a request, the word used in the main clause is usually asked.

Commands
 Go to bed!  He told me to go to bed.
 Don't go to bed!  He told me not to go to bed.

Requests
 Could you buy some eggs?  She asked me to buy some eggs
 Don't buy any eggs please.  She asked me not to buy any eggs.
 Reported commands: Exercise

1. Andrew: "Clean the blue bike!"

Andrew told me .

2. Jessica: "Write a text message!"

Jessica told me .

3. Nelly: "Help Peter's sister!"

Nelly told me .

4. Fred: "Wash your hands!"

Fred told me .

5. Anna: "Open the window!"

Anna told me .