Reported Speech S.

Kirusanthan

Reported Speech
Reported Statements
Direct speech: She says, “I like ice cream”.
Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.

Direct speech: She said, “I like ice cream”.

Reported speech: She said (that) she liked ice cream.

Tense Direct Speech Reported Speech

Present Simple She said, “I like ice cream” She said (that) she liked ice cream.
Present Continuous She said, “I am living in London” She said (that) she was living in London.
Past Simple She said, “I bought a car” She said (that) she had bought a car OR
She said (that) she bought a car.
Past Continuous She said, “I was walking along the She said (that) she had been walking
street” along the street.
Present Perfect She said, “I haven't seen Julie” She said (that) she hadn't seen Julie.
Past Perfect* She said, “I had taken English She said (that) she had taken English
lessons before” lessons before.
will She said, “I'll see you later” She said (that) she would see me later.
would* She said, “I would help, but..” She said (that) she would help but...
can She said, “I can speak perfect She said (that) she could speak perfect
English” English.
could* She said, “I could swim when I was She said (that) she could swim when she
four” was four.
shall She said, “I shall come later” She said (that) she would come later.
should* She said, “I should call my mother” She said (that) she should call her mother.
might* She said, "I might be late" She said (that) she might be late.
must* She said, "I must study at the She said (that) she must study at the
weekend" weekend. OR
She said she had to study at the weekend.
* doesn't change.

Direct Reported Direct Reported

do/ does not did not did not go had not gone
has/have not had not will not (won‟t) would not

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: She said, “The sky is blue”.
Reported speech: She said that the sky is/was blue.

Reported Questions
Direct speech: She asked me, “Where do you live?”
Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.

Direct speech: She asked me, “Where is Julie?”

Reported speech: She asked me where Julie was.

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Reported Speech S.Kirusanthan

Direct Question Reported Question

She asked me, “Where is the Post Office, please?” She asked me where the Post Office was.
She asked me, “What are you doing?” She asked me what I was doing.
She asked me, “Who was that fantastic man?” She asked me who that fantastic man had been.
Direct speech: She asked me, “Do you like chocolate?”
Reported speech: She asked me if I liked chocolate.
Direct Question Reported Question
He asked me, “Do you love me?” He asked me if I loved him.
She asked me, “Have you ever been to Mexico?” She asked me if I had ever been to Mexico.
She asked me, “Are you living here?” She asked me if I was living here.

Reported Requests
Direct speech: Close the window, please.
Or: Could you close the window please?
Or: Would you mind closing the window please?
'ask me + to + infinitive':
Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.
Direct Request Reported Request
She asked me, “Please help me”. She asked me to help her.
She asked me, “Please don't smoke”. She asked me not to smoke.
She asked me, “Could you bring my book tonight?” She asked me to bring her book that night.
She asked me, “Could you pass the milk, please?” She asked me to pass the milk.
She asked me, “Would you mind coming early tomorrow?” She asked me to come early the next day.
To report a negative request, use 'not':
Direct speech: She asked us, “Please don't be late”.
Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.

Reported Orders
Direct speech: She told me, “Sit down!”
Reported speech: She told me to sit down.
Direct Order Reported Order
He told the child, “Go to bed!” He told the child to go to bed.
He told her, “Don't worry!” He told her not to worry.
He told me, “Be on time!” He told me to be on time.
He told us, “Don't smoke!” He told us not to smoke.

Here's a table of some possible conversions:

now then / at that time
today that day
yesterday the day before
tonight that night
last night the night before
last week the week before / the previous week
tomorrow the next day / the following day
two days ago two days before / two days earlier
here there
this place that place

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Reported Speech S.Kirusanthan

Statement said/said to me/

Direct She said, “I am a student” asked/ asked me /
told / told me, etc.
Reported She said that She was a student.
you I / me
Question - (Yes/No) your my
Direct She asked me, “Are you living here?” yours mine
You are living here.
said to him / asked
Reported She asked me if I was living here. him / told him, etc.
you he / him
Direct He asked me, “Do you love me?” your his
You love me. yours his
Reported He asked me if I loved him.
said to her / asked
“Have you ever been to her / told her, etc.
Direct She asked me,
Mexico?” you she / her
You have ever been to Mexico. your her
Reported She asked me if I had ever been to Mexico. yours hers

Direct She asked me, “Can you sing a song?” said to us / asked
You can sing a song. us / told us, etc.
you we / us
Reported She asked me if I could sing a song.
your our
Question - (‘WH’) yours ours
Direct She asked me, “Where is Julie?”
said to them /
Julie is.
asked them / told
Reported She asked me where Julie was. them, etc.
they /
Direct She asked me, “What are you doing?” you
them
you are doing. your their
Reported She asked me what I was doing. yours theirs
Request - (Statement)
said to you / asked
Direct She asked me, “Please help me” you / told you, etc.
Reported She asked me to help her. you you
your your
Request - (Question)
yours yours
Direct She asked me, “Could you bring my book tonight?” No changes
Reported She asked me to bring her book that night.
Order / Command - (Positive) Other words
I he/she
Direct She told me, “Go to bed!”
my his/ her
Reported She told me to go to bed.
me him/ her
Order / Command - (Negative) we they
Direct She told her, “Don’t worry!” our their
Reported She told her not to worry. us them
You love me. She loves him. He loved her.
do love does love did love
Do you love me? Does she love him? Did he love her?

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Reported Speech S.Kirusanthan

Reported Statements Mixed Exercise

Change this direct speech into reported speech:
1. She said, “He works in a bank”
She said ___________________________________________________________
2. She told me, “We went out last night”
She told me ________________________________________________________
3. She said, “I‟m coming!”
She said ___________________________________________________________
4. She told me, “I was waiting for the bus when he arrived”
She told me ________________________________________________________
5. She said, “I‟d never been there before”
She said ___________________________________________________________
6. She told me, “I didn‟t go to the party”
She told me ________________________________________________________
7. She said, “Lucy will come later”
She said ___________________________________________________________
8. She told me, “He hasn‟t eaten breakfast”
She told me ________________________________________________________
9. She said, “I can help you tomorrow”
She said ___________________________________________________________
10. She told me, “You should go to bed early”
She told me ________________________________________________________
11. She told me, “I don‟t like chocolate”
She told me ________________________________________________________
12. She said, “I won‟t see you tomorrow”
She said ___________________________________________________________
13. She said, “She‟s living in Paris for a few months”
She said ___________________________________________________________
14. She told me, “I visited my parents at the weekend”
She told me ________________________________________________________
15. She said, “She hasn‟t eaten sushi before”
She said ___________________________________________________________
16. She said, “I hadn‟t travelled by underground before I came to London”
She said ___________________________________________________________
17. She said, “They would help if they could”
She said ___________________________________________________________
18. She told me, “I‟ll do the washing-up later”
She told me ________________________________________________________
19. She said, “He could read when he was three”
She said ___________________________________________________________
20. She said, “I was sleeping when Julie called”
She said ___________________________________________________________

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Reported Speech S.Kirusanthan

Mixed Reported Speech (Statements, Questions, Requests and Orders)

Change the direct speech into reported speech. Choose the past simple of „ask‟, „say‟ or „tell‟:
1. She told me, “Come quickly!”
She ______________________________________________________________
2. She asked me, “Did you arrive before seven?”
She ______________________________________________________________
3. She asked me, “How was your holiday?”
She ______________________________________________________________
4. She said, “I would have visited the hospital, if I had known you were sick”
She ______________________________________________________________
5. She told me, “Don't touch!”
She ______________________________________________________________
6. She asked me, “Do you usually cook at home?”
She ______________________________________________________________
7. She said, “They had never been to Scotland until last year”
She ______________________________________________________________
8. She told me, “Make sure you arrive early!”
She ______________________________________________________________
9. She said, “I should have studied harder for the exam”
She ______________________________________________________________
10. She asked me, “Would you mind telling me how to get to the art gallery, please?”
She ______________________________________________________________
11. She asked me, “Please don‟t forget my book”
She ______________________________________________________________
12. She told me, “Make sure you arrive at six!”
She ______________________________________________________________
13. She told me, “Remember to study hard!”
She ______________________________________________________________
14. She asked me, “Where do you want to eat tonight?”
She ______________________________________________________________
15. She said, “I usually drink coffee in the mornings”
She ______________________________________________________________
16. She asked me, “Do you like studying English?”
She ______________________________________________________________
17. She said, “I‟ll come and help you on Saturday”
She ______________________________________________________________
18. She asked me, “Please buy some bread on your way home”
She ______________________________________________________________
19. She asked me, “Please give this to John”
She ______________________________________________________________
20. She asked me, “Could you give me the glass on the table, please?”
She ______________________________________________________________

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Reported Speech S.Kirusanthan

Rewrite the conversation in reported speech

1. Mrs. White, "Janice, you have to clean up your room and empty the dish washer before you leave for
the game."
Janice said, "Okay, Mom. I will."
Mrs. White told Janice that she __________ her room and __________ the dish washer before she
__________ for the game. Janice promised her mom that she __________.

2. I asked Mary, "Why do you still smoke?"

Mary replied, "I've tried to quit many times, but Ijust don't seem to be able to."
When I asked Mary why she __________, she replied that she __________ to quit many times, but she
just __________ to be able to.

3. I asked the ticket seller, "Are the concerts going to be rescheduled?"

The ticket seller said, "I don't know, Ma'am. I just work here."
When I asked the ticket seller if the concerts __________ to be rescheduled, she told me that she
__________ and said that she just __________ there.

4. The teacher asked, "Bobby, what is the capital of Australia?"

Bobby replied, "I'm not sure, but I think it's Sydney."
Yesterday in class, Bobby's teacher asked him __________. He answered that he __________ sure, but
that he __________ Sydney.

5. I asked Boris, "Where will the next chess match take place?"
Boris replied, "It hasn't been decided yet."
When I asked Boris __________ place, he replied that it __________ yet.

6. The children inquired of their father, "Will we be able to visit the Air and Space Museum?"
Father, "If we leave the hotel at 10.00 tomorrow morning, we can"
The children asked their father whether they __________ able to visit the Air and Space Museum. He
told them they __________ if they __________ the hotel at 10 o'clock the next morning.

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Reported Speech S.Kirusanthan

Reported statements: Answers

1. She said (that) he worked in a bank.
2. She told me (that) they went (had gone) out last night (the night before).
3. She said (that) she was coming.
4. She told me (that) she had been waiting for the bus when he arrived.
5. She said (that) she had never been there before.
6. She told me (that) she didn't go (hadn't gone) to the party.
7. She said (that) Lucy would come later.
8. She told me (that) he hadn't eaten breakfast.
9. She said (that) she could help me tomorrow.
10. She told me (that) I should go to bed early.
11. She told me (that) she didn't like chocolate.
12. She said (that) she wouldn't see me tomorrow.
13. She said (that) she was living in Paris for a few months.
14. She told me (that) she visited (had visited) her parents at the weekend.
15. She said (that) she hadn't eaten sushi before.
16. She said (that) she hadn't travelled by underground before she came to London.
17. She said (that) they would help if they could.
18. She told me (that) she would do the washing-up later.
19. She said (that) he could read when he was three.
20. She said (that) she had been sleeping when Julie called.

Answers: Reported Speech Mixed Exercise

(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.