REPORTED SPEECH
We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she
says' and then the sentence:
Direct speech: I like ice cream.
Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.
We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I' to 'she',
for example. We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your'.
But, if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported
speech:
Direct speech: I like ice cream.
Reported speech: She said (that) she liked ice cream.
Tense Direct Speech Reported Speech
present simple I like ice cream She said (that) she liked ice cream.
present
I am living in London She said (that) she was living in London.
continuous
She said (that) she had bought a car OR She said (that)
past simple I bought a car
she bought a car.
past I was walking along the
She said (that) she had been walking along the street.
continuous street
present perfect I haven't seen Julie She said (that) she hadn't seen Julie.
I had taken English
past perfect* She said (that) she had taken English lessons before.
lessons before
will I'll see you later She said (that) she would see me later.
would* I would help, but..” She said (that) she would help but...
I can speak perfect
can She said (that) she could speak perfect English.
English
I could swim when I
could* She said (that) she could swim when she was four.
was four
shall I shall come later She said (that) she would come later.
should* I should call my mother She said (that) she should call her mother
might* I might be late She said (that) she might be late
I must study at the She said (that) she must study at the weekend OR She
must
weekend said she had to study at the weekend
* doesn't change.
Occasionally, we don't need to change the present tense into the past if the information in direct
speech is still true (but this is only for things which are general facts, and even then usually we like to
change the tense):
Direct speech: The sky is blue.
Reported speech: She said (that) the sky is/was blue.
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Reported Questions
So now you have no problem with making reported speech from positive and negative sentences. But
how about questions?
Direct speech: Where do you live?
How can we make the reported speech here?
In fact, it's not so different from reported statements. The tense changes are the same, and we keep
the question word. The very important thing though is that, once we tell the question to someone else,
it isn't a question any more. So we need to change the grammar to a normal positive sentence.
Direct speech: Where do you live? Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.
Do you see how I made it? The direct question is in the present simple tense. We make a present
simple question with 'do' or 'does' so I need to take that away. Then I need to change the verb to the
past simple.
Direct speech: Where is Julie? Reported speech: She asked me where Julie
was.
The direct question is the present simple of 'be'. We make the question form of the present simple of be
by inverting (changing the position of)the subject and verb. So, we need to change them back before
putting the verb into the past simple.
Direct Question Reported Question
Where is the Post Office, please? She asked me where the Post Office was.
What are you doing? She asked me what I was doing.
Who was that fantastic man? She asked me who that fantastic man had been.
So much for 'wh' questions. But, what if you need to report a 'yes / no' question? We don't have any
question words to help us. Instead, we use 'if':
Direct speech: Do you like chocolate?
Reported speech: She asked me if I liked chocolate.
Direct Question Reported Question
Do you love me? He asked me if I loved him.
Have you ever been to Mexico? She asked me if I had ever been to Mexico.
Are you living here? She asked me if I was living here.
Reported Requests
There's more! What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:
Direct speech: Close the window, please
Or: Could you close the window please?
Or: Would you mind closing the window please?
Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.
All of these requests mean the same thing, so we don't need to report every word when we tell another
person about it. We simply use 'ask me + to + infinitive':
Direct Request Reported Request
Please help me. She asked me to help her.
Please don't smoke. She asked me not to smoke.
Could you bring my book tonight? She asked me to bring her book that night.
Could you pass the milk, please? She asked me to pass the milk.
Would you mind coming early tomorrow? She asked me to come early the next day.
To report a negative request, use 'not': Direct speech: Please don't be late.
Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.
Reported Orders
And finally, how about if someone doesn't ask so politely? We can call this an 'order' in English, when
someone tells you very directly to do something. For example:
Direct speech: Sit down!
In fact, we make this into reported speech in the same way as a request. We just use 'tell' instead of
'ask':
Reported speech: She told me to sit down.
Direct Order Reported Order
Go to bed! He told the child to go to bed.
Don't worry! He told her not to worry.
Be on time! He told me to be on time.
Don't smoke! He told us not to smoke.
Time Expressions with Reported Speech
Sometimes when we change direct speech into reported speech we have to change time expressions
too. We don't always have to do this, however. It depends on when we heard the direct speech and
when we say the reported speech.
For example: It's Monday. Julie says "I'm leaving today".
If I tell someone on Monday, I say "Julie said she was leaving today".
If I tell someone on Tuesday, I say "Julie said she was leaving yesterday".
If I tell someone on Wednesday, I say "Julie said she was leaving on Monday".
If I tell someone a month later, I say "Julie said she was leaving that day".
So, there's no easy conversion. You really have to think about when the direct speech was said.
Here's a table of some possible conversions:
now then / at that time
today yesterday / that day / Tuesday / the 27th of June
yesterday the day before yesterday / the day before / Wednesday / the 5th of December
last night the night before, Thursday night
last week the week before / the previous week
tomorrow today / the next day / the following day / Friday
Change the direct speech into reported speech. Choose the past simple of ‘ask’, ‘say’ or ‘tell’:
“Don’t do it!”
She _______________________________________________
2.“I’m leaving tomorrow”
She _______________________________________________
3.“Please get me a cup of tea”
She _______________________________________________
4.“She got married last year”
She _______________________________________________
5.“Be quick!”
She _______________________________________________
6.“Could you explain number four, please?”
She _______________________________________________
7.“Where do you live?”
She _______________________________________________
8.“We went to the cinema and then to a Chinese restaurant”
She _______________________________________________
9.“I’ll come and help you at twelve”
She _______________________________________________
10.“What are you doing tomorrow?”
She _______________________________________________
11.“Don’t go!”
She _______________________________________________
12.“Do you work in London?”
She _______________________________________________
13.“Could you tell me where the post office is?”
She _______________________________________________
14.“Come here!”
She _______________________________________________
15.“I’ve never been to Wales”
She _______________________________________________
16.“Have you ever seen ‘Lord of the Rings’?”
She _______________________________________________
17.“I don't like mushrooms”
She _______________________________________________
18.“Don't be silly!”
She _______________________________________________
19.“Would you mind waiting a moment please?”
She _______________________________________________
20.“How often do you play sport?”
She _______________________________________________
1.“Come quickly!”
She _______________________________________________
2.“Did you arrive before seven?”
She _______________________________________________
3.“How was your holiday?”
She _______________________________________________
4.“I would have visited the hospital, if I had known you were sick”
She _______________________________________________
5.“Don't touch!”
She _______________________________________________
6.“Do you usually cook at home?”
She _______________________________________________
7.“They had never been to Scotland until last year”
She _______________________________________________
8.“Make sure you arrive early!”
She _______________________________________________
9.“I should have studied harder for the exam”
She _______________________________________________
10.“Would you mind telling me how to get to the art gallery, please?”
She _______________________________________________
11.“Please don’t forget my book”
She _______________________________________________
12.“Make sure you arrive at six!”
She _______________________________________________
13.“Remember to study hard!”
She _______________________________________________
14.“Where do you want to eat tonight?”
She _______________________________________________
15.“I usually drink coffee in the mornings”
She _______________________________________________
16.“Do you like studying English?”
She _______________________________________________
17.“I’ll come and help you on Saturday”
She _______________________________________________
18.“Please buy some bread on your way home”
She _______________________________________________
19.“Please give this to John”
She _______________________________________________
20.“Could you give me the glass on the table, please?”
She ______________________________________________
Answers: Mixed Reported Speech 1
(When I used ‘said’ you can also use ‘told me’)
1.She told me not to do it.
2.She said (that) she was leaving tomorrow (the next day).
3.She asked me to get her a cup of tea.
4.She said (that) she got married last year.
5.She told me to be quick.
6.She asked me to explain number four.
7.She asked me where I lived.
8.She said (that) they went (had been) to the cinema and then to a Chinese
9.She said (that) she would come and help me at twelve.
10.She asked me what I was doing tomorrow (the day after).
11.She told me not to go.
12.She asked me if I worked in London.
13.She asked me to tell her where the post office was.
(or: she asked me if I could tell her where the post office was).
14.She told me to come here (there).
15.She said (that) she had never been to Wales.
16.She asked me if I had ever seen ‘The Lord of the Rings’.
17.She said (that) she didn't like mushrooms.
18.She told me not to be silly.
19.She asked me to wait a moment.
(or: she asked me if I would mind waiting a moment).
20.She asked me how often I played sport
When I used ‘said’ you can also use ‘told me’)
1.She told me to come quickly.
2.She asked me if I arrived (had arrived) before seven.
3.She asked me how my holiday was (had been).
4.She said (that) she would have visited the hospital, if she had known I was
sick.
5.She told me not to touch.
6.She asked me if I usually cooked at home.
7.She said (that) they had never been to Scotland until last year.
8.She told me to arrive early.
9.She said (that) she should have studied harder for the exam.
10.She asked me how to get to the art gallery.
(or: she asked me if I would mind telling her how to get to the art gallery).
11.She asked me not to forget her book.
12.She told me to arrive at six.
13.She told me to remember to study hard.
14.She asked me where I wanted tonight / that night.
15.She said that she usually drank coffee in the mornings.
16.She asked me if I liked studying English.
17.She said that she would come and help me on Saturday.
18.She asked me to buy some bread on my way home.
19.She asked me to give this to John.
20.She asked me to give her the glass on the table.
