REPORTED SPEECH

TENSE CHANGES
DIRECT INDIRECT
Present Simple Past Simple
He said, “I write letters.” He said that he wrote letters.
Present Continuous Past Continuous
He said, “I am writing letters.” He said that he was writing letters.
Present Perfect Simple Past Perfect Simple
He said, “I have written letters.” He said that he had written letters.
Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous
He said, “I have been writing letters.” He said that he had been writing letters.
Past Simple Past Perfect Simple
He said, “I wrote letters.” He said that he had written letters.
Past Continuous Past Perfect Continuous
He said, “I was writing letters.” He said that he had been writing letters.
Future Simple Conditional Simple
He said, “I will write letters.” He said that he would write letters.
Future Continuous Conditional Continuous
He said, “I will be writing letters.” He said that he would be writing letters.
Imperative to + root of verb
I said, “Write letters!” I told him to write letters.

Modals
He said, “I can write letters.” He said that he could write letters.
He asked, “Shall I write letters?” He asked if he should write letters.
He said, “I may write letters.” He said that he might write letters.
He said, “I have to / must write letters.” He said that he had to write letters.

Note:
1. The Past perfect Simple and Past Perfect Continuous do not change in reported
speech.
2. The modals should, could, would, might and ought to do not change.
3. When we report questions, we also change the word order to that of a regular
sentence.
“Why are you late? = She asked why I was late.

Other changes in reported speech include: time expressions, demonstratives and

pronouns.
DIRECT INDIRECT
Time expressions
now then
today that day
yesterday the day before, the previous day
tomorrow the next / following day, the day after
next week / month the next / following week / month
last week / month the previous week / month, the week / month before
the week before
a week ago
Demonstratives
this that
these those
here there
Pronouns
The change in pronouns will depend on the person
being referred to in the reported speech.
“I gave you my notebook,” Sally said to Peter.

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 Sally told Peter that she had given him her
notebook.

Reported Speech Introductory Verbs

Purpose Verb Construction
accusation Accuse someone of doing something
admission admit something
that you have done something
(to) having done something
advice advise someone / something
someone on / about something
doing something
someone to do something
agreement agree to an idea, suggestion etc. (say “All right”)
with someone / something (have the same opinion)
to do something
that something is a good idea etc.
(plural) on a plan etc.
apology apologise (to someone) for (having done) something
begging beg someone to do something
complaint complain (to someone) about something
that something has (not) been done
denial deny something
that you have done something
having done something
exclamation exclaim that something has happened
explanation explain something to someone
that something has happened
how, why, what …
information inform someone of / about something
someone that something has happened
invitation invite someone to something
someone to do something
offer offer something to someone
someone something
to do something (for someone)
order order someone to do something
preference would rather do one thing rather than other
prefer (doing) one thing to another
to do one thing rather than to do another
promise promise to do something
(someone) that you will do something

refusal refuse to do something

something
reminder remind someone of someone / something
someone to do something
someone that something must be done
request request someone to do something
something
suggestion suggest (doing) something (to someone)
that someone should do something
threat threaten to do something (to someone)
someone with something
that you will do something (to someone)
warning warn someone of / against / about something
someone (not) to do something
someone that something may happen
wonder wonder if / what / why …

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 EXERCISES
I. Write these sentences in Reported Speech. Use as many specifying verbs as
possible. 1,6p
1. “I go to school,” he said to me.
___________________________________________________________________
2. “I will help you?” she said. “You can’t lift it by yourself”.
___________________________________________________________________
3. Tom: I must pay.
___________________________________________________________________
4. “Are you studying for the test?” The teacher inquired.
___________________________________________________________________
5. The detective said, “He took the wrong jacket.”
___________________________________________________________________
6. “I was going to school” she said.
___________________________________________________________________
7. She explained, “It’s very cold in here. The heater must have broken down.”
___________________________________________________________________
8. “It had expired”, he said.
___________________________________________________________________

II. Fill the gaps using the verbs in the box. Use each verb only once. 2,4p
advise hope promise suggest beg insist
remind threaten deny invite refuse warn

1. “I didn’t do it,” she said.

She ________________ having done it.
2. “Have lunch with me,” she said.
She ________________ me to have lunch with her.
3. “Why don’t you buy one?” said Tom.
Tom _______________ I buy one.
4. “I promise I’ll take you to Prague,” said Mary.
Mary _______________ to take me to Prague.
5. “I hope Andy phones tonight,” said Clare.
Clare _______________ Andy would phone that night.
6. “Please, please don’t tell any one!” he said.
He ________________ me not to tell anyone.
7. “I won’t do it,” he said.
He ________________ to do it.
8. You should have lessons,” she said.
She _______________ me to have lessons.
9. “We really must go with you,” they said.
They _______________ on going with me.
10. “Don’t forget to phone Granny,” said Mum.
Mum _______________ me to phone Granny.
11. “If you wear my T-shirt again, I’ll pinch you very hard,” said Maggy.
Maggy _______________ to pinch me very hard if I wore her T-shirt again.
12. “Don’t fly kites near electric overhead cables,” said my father.
My father _______________ me not to fly kites near electric overhead cables.

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III. Match the sentences in direct speech in column A to the appropriate
incomplete reported sentences in column B. Then complete the sentences in
column B, in which the specifying verb and construction have been provided. 2p

A B
1. I’m not going to answer your a) They accused her of…
questions.
2. I didn’t do anything wrong. b) He admitted that…
3. I’ll lend you the money when you need
it. c) The doctor advised me not to…
4. You stole the money, didn’t you?
5. What is going to happen to us? d) She agreed to…
6. I’d rather wait until I know her
opinion. e) He apologised to me for…
7. Don’t forget to ring Aunt Helen!
8. Don’t cross the railway lines! It’s f) He begged me not to…
dangerous.
9. All right. I’ll come with you. g) He complained to……. about…
10. Please don’t tell my parents.
11. Stop fighting! h) He denied having done…
12. It’s true! I took the money.
13. This soup is cold, waiter! i) She explained …… to me.
14. I’m sorry I was so rude to you.
15. Would you like to spend the weekend j) They invited him to…
with us?
16. If you don’t pay me the money, I’ll k) He offered to…
take you to court.
17. You shouldn’t smoke so much. l) He ordered them to…
18. Why don’t you go away for the
weekend? m) He said he preferred to…
19. The word has different meanings. It
can mean a line of houses, or of seats n) He promised to…
in a classroom. With a different
pronunciation, it can mean an o) She refused to…
argument.
20. Shall I take you to hospital? p) She reminded me to…

q) He suggested that I should…

r) They threatened to… if we…

s) She warned them not to… because…

t) They wondered what…

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IV. Match the purposes in A with the sentences in B and write the reported
sentences. 2p
A B
a) accusation 1. Would you like to go to the cinema with me this evening?
b) admission 2. I’d rather have Chinese food than a hamburger.
c) advice 3. If you do that again, McDonald, do you know what I’m
d) agreement going to do to you?
e) apology 4. Would you like me to lift it for you, Mum?
f) begging / a request 5. I didn’t do it, I tell you! I didn’t kill him!
g) complaint 6. You won’t forget to post the letter, will you, dear?
h) denial 7. Well, in a situation like this, I always say it’s better to tell
i) exclamation the truth and pay the fine.
j) information 8. I’m terribly sorry I said that.
k) invitation 9. I’ll wear this ring till the day I die!
l) offer 10. Get out! Get out of my sight!
m) order 11. Waiter! There’s a fly in my soup.
n) preference 12. Why don’t you write her a letter?
o) promise 13. What a horrible dress you’re wearing, dear!
p) refusal 14. I’m afraid I did it. I took it. It’s my fault.
q) reminder 15. The next train leaves at five o’clock, madam.
r) suggestion 16. No! I don’t see why I should do your work for you.
s) threat 17. Please Mum, please, can I stay up late and watch the film?
t) warning 18. You did this, Burkin. You stole the money!
19. Hey! Be careful with that broken glass!
20. I had exactly the same impression as you did.