Reported Speech

1
Reported Speech
Reporting verb in the present tense Nothing
changes from direct to indirect speech except
pronouns and adverbs (I? he/she, our ? their,
here ? there etc.) Their cars are too small
? He says that their cars are too small. I have
been over there for one wet spring ? He says
that he has been over there for one wet spring.
2
Reporting verb in the past tense
When the reporting verb is in the past, the tense
of the verb in direct speech usually
changes. Present simple ? past simple go ?
went Present progressive ? past progressive I
am going ? I was going Will future ? would
present I will travel ? I would travel Perfect
? past perfect I have gone ? I had gone Past
simple ? past perfect I went ? I had gone
3
Other changes I ? he/she We ? they Today ? that
day Yesterday ? the day before Tomorrow ? the
next/following day Here? there This? that These ?
those
4
Clare I never went to Ibiza again. Claire said
that.
she had never gone to Ibiza again.
Bernhard I prefer to stay at home in
Manchester Bernhard said that
he preferred to stay at home.
Diane The best holiday Ive ever had was in
Mexico. Diane said that
the best holiday she had ever had had been in
Mexico.
5
Report the following sentences, avoid using say
or tell!
1 Sue I have made a mistake, I am sorry!
Sue admitted that she had made a mistake and said
that she was sorry.
2 Marc and Betty We are going to get married!
Marc and Betty announced that they were going to
get married.
3 Mary I will help you, everything will be ok!
Mary assured me that she would help me and that
everything would be ok.
6
4 Marc please, please, please come to my party
tomorrow!
Marc begged me to come to his party the next day.
5 Marc I am the worlds best swimmer, I have
always been and I always will!
Marc claimed that he was the worlds best
swimmer, that he had always been and always
would.
6 Students the test was much too difficult!
The students complained that the test had been
much too difficult.
7 Mr. Sorry I am so sorry, the accident was my
fault!
Mr. Sorry apologized and confessed that the
accident had been his fault.
8 Thief I did not steal the bag!
The thief denied that he had stolen the bag.
7
ME The picture is nice SHE No, it is not!
I claimed that the picture was nice, but she
disagreed.
ME Youre so wrong! Youre so absolutely wrong!
I insisted that she was wrong.
SHE By the way, I have been there, too!
She mentioned that she had been thee, too.
HE Lets leave immediately!
He proposed leaving immediately.
ME I am really sorry for what I have done!
I regretted what I had done.
8
ME I am innocent! I am innocent! I am innocent!
I stressed that I was innocent.
SHE If you say one more word, Ill leave
immediately!
She threatened that she would leave immediately
if I said one more word.
HE Dont say another word!
He warned me to say another word.