Reported Speech

Tense in "Direct speech"	Tense to use in reported speech
SIMPLE PRESENT	SIMPLE PAST
Cindy asked: "Do you like watching TV?" Giles said: "I don't mind watching TV, but there are things I like better	Cindy asked Giles if he liked watching tV Giles answered he didn't mind watching TV, but there were things he liked better.
PRESENT BE-ING	PAST BE-ING
Frank declared: " I am thinking about moving"	Frank declared he was thinking about moving
PAST BE-ING	PAST PERFECT BE-ING
He told them: "I wasn't expecting your visit"	He told them he hadn't been expecting their visit
PRESENT PERFECT	PAST PERFECT
She said: " I have just seen an old friend of mine"	She said she had just seen an old friend of hers.
PRESENT PERFECT BE-ING	PAST PERFECT BE-ING
He asked: "Paul, how long have you been studying English?"	He asked Paul how long he had been studying English
PAST PERFECT	PAST PERFECT
They said: "If we had arrived two minutes later, there would have been no cake left"	They said that if they had arrived two minutes later, there would have been no cake left.
PAST PERFECT BE-ING	PAST PERFECT BE-ING
He declared: " You had been telling me you wanted to see her"	He declared they had been telling him they wanted to see her.
FUTURE (WILL)	CONDITIONAL (WOULD)
I asked: " Where will you spend your holiday ?"	I asked where they would spend their holiday.
WILL + BE-ING	WOULD + BE-ING
Anna declared:" I will be announcing my engagement next month"	Anna declared she would be announcing her engagement the following month
WOULD	WOULD
Tony said: "I would like something to eat. I wouldn't mind a drink either."	Tony said he would like something to drink and wouldn't mind a drink either.

Direct Speech	Reported Speech
today	that day
now	then
yesterday	the day before
… days ago	… days before
last week	the week before
next year	the following year
tomorrow	the next day / the following day
here	there
this	that
these	those

Mixed Exercise 1

Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note whether the sentence is a request, a statement or a question.

1. He said, "I like this song."
   → He said
   
   
2. "Where is your sister?" she asked me.
   → She asked me
   
   
3. "I don't speak Italian," she said.
   → She said
   
   
4. "Say hello to Jim," they said.
   → They asked me
   
   
5. "The film began at seven o'clock," he said.
   → He said
   
   
6. "Don't play on the grass, boys," she said.
   → She told the boys
   
   
7. "Where have you spent your money?" she asked him.
   → She asked him
   
   
8. "I never make mistakes," he said.
   → He said
   
   
9. "Does she know Robert?" he wanted to know.
   → He wanted to know
   
   
10. "Don't try this at home," the stuntman told the audience.
    → The stuntman advised the audience
    
    

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Mixed Exercise 2

Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note whether the sentence is a request, a statement or a question and whether you have to change the tenses or not.

1. "I was very tired," she said.
   → She said
   
   
2. "Be careful, Ben," she said.
   → She told Ben
   
   
3. "I will get myself a drink," she says.
   → She says
   
   
4. "Why haven't you phoned me?" he asked me.
   → He wondered
   
   
5. "I cannot drive them home," he said.
   → He said
   
   
6. "Peter, do you prefer tea or coffee?" she says.
   → She asks Peter
   
   
7. "Where did you spend your holidays last year?" she asked me.
   → She asked me
   
   
8. He said, "Don't go too far."
   → He advised her
   
   
9. "Have you been shopping?" he asked us.
   → He wanted to know
   
   
10. "Don't make so much noise," he says.
    → He asks us
    
    

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