Reported Speech

For example:
1. Jim said "I like beer".
2. Jim said he liked beer.
Sentence 1 is direct speech, the words in quotes (".....") are
the exact words the person said. Sentence 2 is reported
speech, this is how you tell somebody about a conversation
after it happened.

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When reporting speech the tenses
of the direct speech usually
change:
Direct speech Reported speech

simple present simple past

"Bill doesn't like cats" She said Bill didn't like
cats.

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present continuous past continuous
"Are you listening to He asked me if I was
the radio?" listening to the radio.

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present perfect past perfect
"I've finished my She said she'd
homework" finished her
homework.

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simple past past perfect
"I played golf" He said he'd
played golf.

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 will would

"It'll rain She told me it

tomorrow" would rain the
day after.

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said, told and asked are common
reporting verbs.
• We use asked to report questions;
I asked him what time the train left.
• told is used with an object;
Fred told Jill he felt tired (Jill is the object)
• said is usually used without an object;
Shani said she was going to work.
• If we use said with an object we must include to;
Ian said to Mary that he'd been to London (we
usually use told).

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 Change of tenses
from to
Peter: "I work in the garden." Peter said that he worked in the garden.
Peter: "I worked in the garden."
Peter said that he had worked in the
Peter: "I have worked in the garden."
garden.
Peter: "I had worked in the garden."
Peter said that he would work in the
Peter: "I will work in the garden."
garden.
Peter said that he could work in the
Peter: "I can work in the garden."
garden.
Peter said that he might work in the
Peter: "I may work in the garden."
garden.
Peter: "I would work in the garden." Peter: "I would work in the garden."
(could, might, should, ought to) (could, might, should, ought to)
Continuous forms
Peter said that he was working in the
Peter: "I'm working in the garden."
garden.
Peter: "I was working in the garden."
Peter: "I have been working in the
Peter said that he had been working in
garden."
the garden.
Peter: "I had been working inLalithe
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garden."
• We use if / whether when reporting
questions that have no question word
[yes/no questions]:
"Where do you live?" ->
She asked me where I lived.
"Have you got a car" ->
He asked me if I'd got a car.
He asked me whether I'd got a car.

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• Sometimes we need to change words like here
and yesterday if they have different meanings at
the time and place of reporting:

"How long have you worked here?" ->

He asked me how long I'd worked there (if
reported in a different place).

"I arrived yesterday" ->

He said he'd arrived the day before (if
reported on a different day).

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Changing of expressions of time

this (evening) that (evening)

today/this
that day
day
these (days) those (days)
now then
(a week) ago (a week) before
the weekend before / the previous
last weekend
weekend
here there
next (week) the following (week)
tomorrow the next/following day

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Activity 1

Report the following:

1. "Will you help me with my homework?", Mary asked
Bill.
2. "How long have you been studying here?", Tim asked
Sarah. Conversation in school, reported in the pub.
3. Tom said "I went to England 10 years ago".
4. Harris said "I'm getting married tomorrow" Reported 3
days after the conversation.
5. Simon said "I like photography and collecting stamps".
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Reported commands
The formation is mostly: form of to tell + to + infinitive.

Affirmative Negative
commands commands

Father: "Do your Teacher. "Don't talk

homework." to your neighbour."

The teacher told me

Father told me to do
not to talk to my
my homework.
neighbour.
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There are many other verbs we can use apart from said,
told and asked, eg boasted, invited, accused, complained,
apologised, begged, advised, denied, offered, ordered,
suggested.

• Michelle to Bob: "Please come to my

birthday party".
Michelle invited Bob to her birthday
party.
• Peter to his father: "Please, please, please
let me borrow the car, dad".
Peter begged his father to lend him the
car.
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Porter to hotel guest: "Shall I carry your cases to your
room?".
The porter offered to carry the guest's cases
to her room.

Customer to waiter: "This steak's tough and the

vegetables are cold".
The customer complained to the waiter that his
steak was tough and the vegetables were cold.

Mary to her teacher: "I didn't break the window".

Mary denied breaking the window.

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Policeman to suspect: "I believe you murdered your
wife"
The policeman accused the suspect of murdering
his wife.
Policeman to motorist: "Get out of your car".
The policeman ordered the motorist to get out of
his car.
Jimmy to his mother: "Mummy, I'm sorry I broke your
vase".
Jimmy apologised to his mother for breaking her
vase.

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 Activity 2
Report these questions using a wh-, if- or whether-clause, as
appropriate. Make any necessary changes to verb tense,
pronouns, etc.
1'How much will they pay you?'
She asked me how much they would, pay me.
2'Will you be coming back later?' She asked me...
3'When do you expect to finish the book?' She asked me...
4'When are you leaving?' She asked me...
5'Where did you get the computer from?' She asked me...
6'Why didn't you tell me earlier?' She asked me...
7'How do you get to Northfield?' She asked me...

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8 'Are meals included in the price, or not?' She asked
me...
9 'What do you want?' She asked me...
10 'Are you happy in your new job?' She asked
me...
11 'What did you think of the performance yesterday?'
She asked me...
12 'Have you ever eaten snails?' She asked me...

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Activity 3
Report these sentences using one of these verbs and a
to-infinitive. Use each verb once only.
agree encourage invite order promise
refuse volunteer warn
1 You can't borrow the car!
He refused, to lend, me the cat.
2 You really should continue the course. He...
3 I'll phone you soon. He...
4 Okay, I'll come with you. He...
5 Stop the car! He...
6 Would you like to go out for dinner? He...
7 I'll work late at the weekend. He...
8 Don't go out without an umbrella. He...
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Activity 4 Choose a pair of verbs to complete the reports of what was
said. Make the verb negative in the reporting clause (as in 1) or
the reported clause, whichever is more likely.
predict / would expect / lend believe / could
explain / be want / wait complain / could
1 'I bet Peter won't be on time.'
-> She predicted that Peter wouldn’t be on time.
2 'You can't jump across the river.'
-» She ............... that I................ jump across the river.
3 'I can't see the stage clearly.'
-» She ............... that she ............... see the stage clearly.
4 'I'd rather you didn't wait for me.'
-» He said he ............... me ............... for him.
5 'It's not possible to see Mr Charles today.'
-» He ............... that it............... possible to see Mr Charles that
day.
6 'Alan probably won't lend us his car.'
-» They ............... Alan ............... them his car.

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Activity 5 Change the sentences into reported speech. Choose the
most appropriate verb from the list, using each verb once only,
and choose an appropriate tense for the verb in the that-clause. If
more than one answer is possible, give them both.
alleged announced boasted confessed
confirmed moaned protested
1 'I knew nothing about the weapons.' —>
She protested that she knew / had known nothing about the
weapons.
2 'Oh, I'm too hot!'-> She...
3. I’ve found my keys!' —> She...
4 'I easily beat everyone else in the race.' —» She...
5 'The police forced me to confess.' —» She...
6 'It's true, we're losing.' —» She...
7.'I must say that at first I was confused by the question.' —»
She...
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Activity 6 Complete the sentences to report what
was said. Use appropriate verb tenses and make
other changes you think are necessary. The
original statements were all made last week.
1 'John left here an hour ago.' —>
She told me that John had left (or left) there an
hour before, (or previously).
2 'Jim's arriving at our house tomorrow.' —> She
told me...
3 Tarn visited us yesterday.' —> She told, me...
4 'I was late for work this morning.' —> She told
me...
5 'I like your coat. I'm looking for one like that
myself.' —>She told me...
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Activity 7 Complete these sentences with either said or told.
1 He ............... that the grass needed cutting.
2 We've finally ............... Don's parents that we're getting married.
3 My brother ............... to me that she thought I was looking
unwell.
4 Ann ............... me that you're moving to Canada.
5 When David came back, he ............... us all about his holiday.
6 On the news, they ............... that there had been a big
earthquake in Indonesia.
7 Mr. Picker ............... to the press that he was selling his
company, but I don't believe him.
8 My mother ............... me about the time she worked in a
chocolate factory.
9 They ............... to us that they were going to be a little late.

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Reporting statements with an -ing clause
With the verbs admit, deny, mention, and
report we can report a statement using an
-ing clause:
• He denied hearing the police warnings,
(or He denied that he (had) heard...)
• Toni mentioned meeting Emma at a
conference in Spain, (or Toni mentioned
that she (had) met Emma...)
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Activity 8
Report what was said using the most likely
verb and an -ing clause. Use each verb
once only. (D)
admitted denied mentioned
reported
1 'I didn't take the money.' -* He...
2 'I saw Megan in town.* —* He...
3 'Yes, I lied to the police.' —» He...
4 'I saw bright flashing lights in the sky.' —>
He...
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Activity 9 Complete the sentences to report what was said using one
of the verbs below and a to-infinitive clause. You may need to
use a verb more than once. If necessary, add an appropriate
object after the verb. (A & B)
ask demand invite remind threaten
volunteer warn
1 'Would you like to come on a picnic with us?' —>
He invited, me/us to come, on a, picnic with them.
2 'If you don't give me a pay rise, I'll resign.' —> He...
3 'Can I borrow your pencil?' -» He...
4 'I must know your decision soon.' -» He...
5 'Don't forget to go to the supermarket after work.' —» He...
6 'Can you give me a lift to the station?' —» He...
7 'Stay away from me!' —> He...
8 'If you can't find anyone else, I'll drive you to the airport.' -»
He...
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