1. REPORTED SPEECH
1st Bachillerato
M. Reig

2. REPORTED SPEECH
We use it when we want to tell another person
about a conversation that took place in the past
(e.g telephone call, news or a story that someone
told us, etc.)

3. CHANGES FROM DIRECT TO REPORTED
SPEECH:
• Verb Tense (a back shift)
2) Personal Pronouns, Possessives: change from first or
second person to third person, except when
the speaker is reporting his own words.
3) Demonstratives: This  That
These Those
4) Time & Place Expressions: Here There

4. Verb Tense Changes:
' I know quite a lot of Present Simple knew
He said that he ......................
people here.’ Robert said. Simple Past quite a lot of people there
'John is feeling much Present Past was
He said that John ...............
better ‘ Paul said. feeling
Continuous Continuous ............. much better
.......
' I enjoyed my holiday in Simple Past He said that hehad enjoyed
......................
the States’ David said. Past Perfect his holiday in the States
'Jackie wasn´t feeling very Past Past He said that Jackie…………… had
been feeling
................................very well
well ‘ The teacher said. Continuous Perf.Cont.
' They‘ve seen the Eiffel Present Past had
He said that they …….........
Tower ‘ John said. Perfect Perfect .................. the Eiffel Tower
seen
' I have been waiting for Present Past Perf. had been
He said that he ......................
ages ‘ My father said. Per. Cont. waiting
…………...for ages
Cont.
' Nobody had warned them Past Past He said that
about the storm ‘ He said. Perfect Perfect had warned
nobody .................... about
the storm
' She had been reading Past Perf. Past Perf. She said that she had
all day ‘Brenda said. Cont. been reading
…………… ........................ all
Cont. day

5. ' I will be here with you.' Future Conditional Robert promised that
would be
he ...............................
Robert promised me. Simple
there with me
'John is going to study Be going Was/Were Paul said that
was going to study
John ......................................
French ' to going to
Paul said. ..........French
MODAL VERBS:
David said that
could
we ............................... start
' We can start the lesson' Can Could the lesson
David said.
' They may come home ' May Might My husband said that
My husband said. might
they .........................
come home
' You must be quiet in
Must Had to The teacher told us that
class ‘ The teacher told us. had to
we ..................... be quiet in
class.

6. Changes in Time and Place
expressions:
Time Place
Now Then Here there
Ago Before
Today that day This town/ That town/
garden... garden ...
Tomorrow the following day These Those
OR the day after cities/ ... cities/ ...
Yesterday the previous day
OR the day before
Last week/ the previous week/
month/ ... month ... OR the
week before
Next week / The following
month/ ... week / month OR
the week/ month

7. Reporting
Statements:
Statements are Affirmative or Negative Sentences.
We use a Reporting Verb + That (it can be omitted) + Subject +
verb in Previous tense + ...
Ex: “The students are tired”- said the teacher
The teacher said (that) the students were tired.
Reporting
Subject Verb in
verb
previous
tense
Ex: “It’s the funniest show I’ve ever seen” -Joan told me.
Joan told me (that) it was the funniest show she had
ever seen.

8. Reporting Questions:
A) YES / NO QUESTIONS:
Reporting Verb + If or whether + Subject + Verb +...
*Order of Reported Question:
Subject + Verb - as in Statements
No question mark
Ex: “Are you working these days?” he said.
He asked if/whether I was working those days.
Ex: “Did you speak to John last night?” she asked
She wanted to know if I had spoken to John, the
night before.

9. Reporting
Questions:
B) WH- QUESTIONS:
Reporting Verb + Question Word (s) + Subject +
Verb
(The Word Order is again the same as in Statements)
Ex: “Where did you go last summer?”.
He asked me where I had gone the previous
summer.
Ex: “How long were you waiting for us?”
She wanted to know how long I had been waiting for
them.

10. Reporting
• Verbs:
Verb + “that clause”: Admit, declare, explain, insist,
recommend, reply, reveal, say, suggest…
Ex: “We took the wrong way” she said She explained
that they had taken the wrong way.
2) Verb + Indirect Object + (not) to infinitive: ask, advise,
invite, order, remind, tell…
Ex: “Would you like to come to my party?” she said.
She invited me to go to her party.
Ex: “Don’t do that” He told me not to do that.

11. Reporting
Verbs:
3) Verb + to infinitive: agree, decide, offer, promise,
refuse, threaten…
Ex: “I’ll do it” she said. She offered to do it.
4) Verb + (preposition) + verb(-ing): accuse, apologise,
recommend, suggest, …
Ex: “Let’s go to the theatre” She suggested
going to the theatre.
Ex: “I’m sorry I’m late” He apologised for being
late

12. REPORTING COMMANDS (=
ORDERS)(Not) To Infinitive:
The Imperative changes into
Ex: He said to us: “Stay here” He told us to stay there
The Reporting Verb must indicate “order”:
He said: “Don’t mention that”
He told me not to mention that.
“Say that again”, he said to me
He ordered me to say that again.

13. REPORTING
SUGGESTIONS: use suggest + gerund
We normally
OR suggest that + Clause
•Let’s, why don’t we, shall we, why not… are omitted:
“Let’s go to the theatre”
“Why don’t we go to the theatre?”
“Shall we go to the theatre?”
She suggested going to the theatre
She suggested that we (should) go to the theatre
“Let’s not argue again,” he said.
He suggested not arguing again
He suggested that they should not argue again.

14. REPORTING
REQUESTS these Reporting Verbs:
We use
beg, ask, demand, request + (not) to
(The word “please” is omitted)
“Can I go out tonight, mum, please?” The boy begged.
The boy begged to go out that night.
“John, don’t open the window, please” I said
I asked /requested/begged John not to open the window.
“Can I use your phone?” I asked my neighbour
I asked my neighbour to use her phone OR (as a question)
I asked my neighbour if I could use her phone

15. Reported Speech Exercises
1.“Who lives next door?”, he asked us.
He asked us who lived next door.
2. “Get your coats!”, the mother ordered the children.
The mother ordered the children to get their coats.
3.“Shall we go out for a drink tonight?”, David suggested.
David suggested going out for a drink that night.
4. “I have nothing to show you”, he said to me.
He said to me he had nothing to show me.
5. “I’ll come with you as soon as I am ready”, she said to me.
She said to me that she would come with me as soon as she
was ready.
6. “We moved into our new flat yesterday”, they said.
They said that they had moved into their new flat the day
before.
7. How long have you been waiting for the bus here?, he
asked us.
He asked us how long we had been waiting for the bus
there.

16. Reported Speech Exercises
8. “What are you going to study?”, he asked her.
He asked her what she was going to study.
9. “What is your new house like?”, he asked them.
He asked them what their new house was like.
10.“Close all the windows!”, she told us.
She told us to close all the windows.
11.“Put down this gun. It’s loaded!”, she told him.
She told him to put down that gun BECAUSE it was
loaded.
12. “How big are the classes?”, he asked me.
He asked me how big the classes were.
13.“I’m going fishing with my father tomorrow morning”,
he said.
He said he was going fishing with his father the following
morning.

17. Reported Speech Exercises
14. “They should put traffic lights here. It’s a dangerous
crossroads”, he said.
He said they should put traffic lights there because it was a
dangerous crossroads.
15. “I will also work during the summer”, she explained.
She explained that she would also work during the summer.
16. “I’m watching a romantic film on TV with my girlfriend now”, he
says.
He said he was watching a romantic film on TV with his girlfriend
then.
17. “A lot of gold is mined in South Africa”, the diplomat said.
The diplomat said that a lot of gold was mined in South Africa.
18. “I had a bad cold last week”, the worker said.
The worker said he/she had had a bad cold the previous
week/the week before.

18. Reported Speech Exercises
19. “Would you like to come to my wedding?”, he asked
me. (invitation)
He invited me to go to his wedding.
20. “I’ll drive you home in a minute.” She offered
She offered to drive me home in a minute.
21. "You ought to see a doctor about your eyes," Sally said
to her mother. (advice)
Sally advised her mother to see a doctor about her eyes.
22. "What about going to the opera?", she suggested.
She suggested going to the opera/ She suggested that we
go to the opera.
23."I’m sorry I spilt coffee on this tablecloth," said Greg
(apology)
Greg apologized for having spilt coffee on that tablecloth.

19. Reported Speech Exercises
24.“Let’s go for a coffee!”, she said. She suggested ...
She suggested going for a coffee./ She suggested that we
go for a coffee.
25. How does she know my name? she asked.
She asked how she knew her name.
26. “Close these windows now!” the manager said. (order)
The manager ordered to close those windows then.
27.“I’ll cook the supper” she said (offer)
She offered to cook the supper.
28. “Where are you going tomorrow?, Anne asked him.
Anne asked him where he was going the following day.
29. “Don’t eat any sweets!”, the doctor told us.
The doctor told us not to eat any sweets.

20. Reported Speech Exercises
30.“Don’t argue with me!”, the teacher said to the boy.
The teacher told the boy not to argue with her/him.
31.“Don’t take the dog into the children’s bedroom!”, she
ordered.
She ordered not to take the dog into the children’s bedroom.
32.“Put the toys away in this cupboard!”, he told the children.
He told the children to put the toys away in that cupboard.
33.“I live in a big house with my girlfriend”, Paul said.
Paul said that he lived in a big house with his girlfriend.
34.“We’re watching TV with our friends now”, they declared.
They declared that they were watching TV with their friends
then.
35.“I’ve invited you to my wedding party”, Sarah said to me.
(invitation)
Sarah invited me to her wedding party.

21. Reported Speech Exercises
36. “I saw Paul with my sister at the party last night”, Susan
said to me.
Susan said to me that she had seen Paul with her sister at
the party the night before/the previous night.
37.“I’m going to play tennis with my father tomorrow
morning”, he said.
He said that he was going to play tennis with his father the
following morning.
38. “I´m sorry I broke the chair”, she apologized..
He apologized for having broken the chair.
39. “I will send the letters tomorrow”, the secretary offered.
The secretary offered to send the letters the following day.
40. “What time does the plane leave?”, she asked me.
She asked me what time the plane left.

22. Reported Speech Exercises
41. “Did you see the robbers yesterday?”, the policeman asked
me.
The policeman asked me if I had seen the robbers the day
before.
42. “This book is mine.” She explained.
She explained that that book was hers.
43. “Why don’t you fit new locks on the door?”, he suggested.
He suggested fitting new locks on the door./ He suggested
that I fit new locks on the door.
44. Sam, would you mind opening the window, please? It’s too
hot.”, I asked. (request)
I asked Sam to open the window because it was too hot.
45. “If I were you, I’d stop taking tranquillizers”, he said to me.
(advice)
He advised me to stop taking tranquillizers.

23. Reported Speech Exercises
46. “Please, stop shouting! I can’t concentrate on my
work”, he asked his daughter.
He asked his daughter to stop shouting because he
couldn’t concentrate on his work.