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REPORTED SPEECH
10th grade
Reporting Statements
✧ We use the Reported Speech (or Indirect Speech) when we are telling what someone says or said.
✧ The reporting verb may be in the Present or in the Past:
- if it is in the present tense, there are no tense changes.
- if it is in the past tense, there are tense, person and place changes.
Ex.: ​Direct speech:​ Sarah: “I ​am​ a journalist.”
Reported speech (Present):​ Sarah ​says​ (that) she ​is​ a journalist.
Reported speech (Past):​ Sarah ​said​ (that) she ​was​ a journalist.
✧ The conjunction “that” can be omitted;
✧ To report a statement we use the reporting verbs:
- Say + something:​ Tom said he loved being a surgeon.
- Tell + someone + something: ​Tom told me he loved being a surgeon.
- Other reporting verbs: ​reply​, ​explain​, ​promise​, ​claim​, ​announce​ and​ declare​.

Verb Tenses Changes

Direct Speech Reported Speech
Present Simple Simple Past
Julia said: “I ​want​ to be a teacher.” Julia said (that) she ​wanted​ to be a teacher.
Present Continuous ​(​am/is/are ​+ ing) Past Continuous ​(​was/were ​+ ing)
“I a​ m going​ to the doctor,” Julia said. Julia said (that) she ​was going​ to the doctor.
Simple Past ​(​ed​ /​ 2​ column​)
nd​
Past Perfect ​(​had ​+ ​p.p.​)
​ orked​ as a cook in a hotel”
Julia: “I w Julia said (that) she ​had worked​ as a cooker in a hotel.
Present Perfect ​(​has/have ​+ p.p.) Past Perfect​ (​had ​+ p.p.)
Jack: “John ​has given up​ his job.” Jack said (that) John ​had given up​ his job.
Present Perfect Continuous ​(​has/have ​+ been + ing) Past Perfect Continuous​ (​had ​+ been + ing)
“I ​have been writing​ my CV,” Jack said​. Jack said (that) he ​had been writing​ his CV.
Future ​(​will​ + inf.) Conditional​ (​would​ + inf.)
Jack said: “I ​will be​ a gardener someday.” Jack said (that) he ​would be​ a gardener someday.
Modals: can; may; must could; might; had to
The boss said: “You ​can​ do this job, Sarah.” The boss said (that) Sarah ​could​ do that job.
Peter said: “Susan ​may​ go to university,” Peter said (that) Susan ​might​ go to university.
Peter said: “I ​must​ find a job.” Peter said (that) he ​had to​ find a job ( present
necessity/obligation)
Julia said: “You ​mustn’t ​smoke in here”. Julia said (that) he ​mustn’t​ smoke there.
(regulations/prohibition/probability)
Note 1:​ Verbs in the ​Past Continuous​, ​Past Perfect​ and ​Conditional​ undergo ​no tense change​.
Note 2: ​The verb ​used to​ and the modals ​would​, ​should​, ​could​ and ​might​ do ​not change​ in the Reported Speech.

Time Changes
Direct Speech Reported Speech
now then / at that moment
today / tonight that day / night
tomorrow the next day / the following day
yesterday the day before / the previous day
this (morning) that (morning)
last (week) the (week) before / the previous (week)
next (week / month / year) the following (week / month / year)
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Place Changes
Direct Speech Reported Speech
here there
this that

Pronouns and Determiners Changes

Direct Speech Reported Speech
Personal Pronouns
I / you (subject) she / he
we / you (subject) they
me / you (object) him / her
us / you (object) them
Possessive Pronouns / Determiners
my / your his / her
mine / yours his / hers
our / your their
ours / yours theirs
Demonstrative Pronouns / Determiners
this that
these those

Reporting Questions (Indirect Questions)

✧ When we report questions we can use the reporting verbs: ​ask​, want to know​, wonder ​and
inquire​.
✧ In reported questions we use the ​same word order​ as in a statement: ​Subject + Verb​:
Ex.: Teacher: “How are you?”
The teacher asked Sam how he was.
✧ Yes / No questions​ (beginning with a verb) are reported with ​if ​or ​whether​.
Ex.: Teacher: “Do you have a dream job, Sam?”
The teacher asked Sam if / whether he had a dream job.
✧ Wh-questions​ are reported with the same question word used in the direct question.
Ex.: Teacher: “Which one do you prefer, Suzy?”
The teacher asked Suzy which one she preferred.

Reported Imperatives (Indirect Imperatives)

✧ Imperative clauses ​change into ​infinitive clauses ​preceded by a verb such as ​tell​, ​command​,
order​, ​warn​, ​recommend​, ​advise​.
Ex.: Teacher: “Be careful.”
The teacher recommended his students to be careful.
✧ Negative imperatives​ (Don’t…) - ​“not” ​goes before the infinitive.
Ex.: Teacher: “Don’t make silly mistakes in the exam.”
The teacher advised his students not to make silly mistakes​ ​in the exam.

Exclamations
✧ Exclamations become statements in the reported speech.
Ex.: Jane: “What a wonderful job!”
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Jane said that it was a wonderful job.

A. Rewrite the following sentences:

1. “ I am having a party next week.”

He said___________________________________________________________________________________________
2. “ Someone is following me now.”
She complained _________________________________________________________________________________
3. “ They are going to meet Susy at four tomorrow.”
She announced _________________________________________________________________________________
4. “ I will have to write to your parents this week.”
She explained __________________________________________________________________________________
5. “ I don’t understand what the teacher is explaining-.”
He admitted _____________________________________________________________________________________
6. “ I know we don’t have enough money today.”
She stated _______________________________________________________________________________________
7. “ I have learned English for some time.”
She told _________________________________________________________________________________________
8. “ I have been learning German this year.”
She said _________________________________________________________________________________________
9. “ They had gone to France last year.”
I said _____________________________________________________________________________________________
10. “ The farmer doesn’t know why the weather is going to change.”
They exclaimed _________________________________________________________________________________
11. “ Jane cam play the piano very well.”
She told me _____________________________________________________________________________________
12. “ The government is sending specialized fire fighters to the area today.”
They assured ___________________________________________________________________________________

B. Rewrite the following questions:

1. “ How old are you?”

He asked me _____________________________________________________________________________________
2. “ What do you do in your free time?”
The teacher asked me __________________________________________________________________________
3. “ How long have you been working in your present job?”
The director asked Peter ______________________________________________________________________
4. “ Why did you apply for this job?”
The director asked Jane ________________________________________________________________________
5. Can you type?”
She asked me ____________________________________________________________________________________
6. Have you got driving license?”
The policeman asked me _______________________________________________________________________
7. “ Where are you from?”
They asked me _________________________________________________________________________________
8. “ Why were you so late yesterday?”
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The teacher used to ask me ___________________________________________________________________

9. “ Have you got the key to the front door?”

Her husband asked her ________________________________________________________________________
10. “ Can you also speak a little German?”
The tourist asked the guide ____________________________________________________________________
11. “ Is it going to rain so hard on my wedding day?”
She wondered __________________________________________________________________________________
12. “ Are you going to leave your flat or not?”

C. Rewrite the following commands:

1. “ Sit down, please.”

The teacher told the students _____________________________________________________________________
2. “ Give me some more money, please.”
“ Bob begged his parents __________________________________________________________________________
3. “ Don’t play with my toys.”
Michael said to his little brother __________________________________________________________________
4. “ Don’t forget to say your prayers.”
Their brother advised them _______________________________________________________________________
5. “ Look at me and listen carefully to my words.”
The Captain ordered his soldiers _________________________________________________________________
6. “ Don’t move and keep smiling.”
The photographer went on saying to everybody _______________________________________________
7. “ I forgot my pen, please lend me yours.”
Peter told Jane _____________________________________________________________________________________
8. “ Don’t go away, wait for me.”
He told his friend __________________________________________________________________________________
9. “ Give me another sandwich, please, but this time with a little more cheese.”
She asked her husband ___________________________________________________________________________
10. “ Just call me if there is anything you need.”
The nurse said to the patient _____________________________________________________________________

D. Report the following sentences. Pay attention to the verb tenses and other
changes.

1. “I work in this factory, but I have never met this new boss.”
The man said ________________________________________________________________________________________
2. “I think he will visit us next week.”
The men said_________________________________________________________________________________________
3. “Did they work long hours in these conditions?”
They asked _________________________________________________________________________________________
4. “Get ready to work and don’t be lazy!”
The boss ordered him _____________________________________________________________________________
5. “Yesterday, I didn’t do my homework.”
Paul told Susan ______________________________________________________________________________________
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6. “I will buy a new car next year”.

Mary said ____________________________________________________________________________________________

7. “Have you read this book?”

Peter asked Jenny __________________________________________________________________________________
8. “Don’t buy tickets for us, because we’re not going to the cinema this evening.”
They told Frank ____________________________________________________________________________________
9. “How many records have you bought?”
He asked her _______________________________________________________________________________________
10. “How many cakes did Susan eat?”
He asked me ________________________________________________________________________________________
11. “ I will be working on a movie next year.”
The actress admitted ______________________________________________________________________________
12. “ I worked at a restaurant and at a store selling shoes some years ago.”
She stated __________________________________________________________________________________________
13. “ Clean the bird cage today, Sally.”
Mrs. Jones told Sally _______________________________________________________________________________
14. “ Children should eat vegetables at meals.”
The doctor advised _______________________________________________________________________________
15. “ Why don’t you phone the editor?”
She asked me ________________________________________________________________________________________
16. “ A women and two children refused to enter the Immigrants’ Centre yesterday.”
The journalist reported ___________________________________________________________________________
17. “ You shall have the computer back by the end of the week.”
They assured ______________________________________________________________________________________
18. “ Please don’t tell anyone what happened.”
Ann told me ________________________________________________________________________________________
19. “ Are you going to let me alone?”
She asked him angrily ________________________________________________________________________________
20. “ You have made very good progress this semester.”
The teacher informed us__________________________________________________________________________
21. “ I was going to the cinema when I saw the thief last night.”
She declared _______________________________________________________________________________________
22. “ Do you smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day?”
The doctor asked his patients _______________________________________________________________________
23. “ I will resign even if it is against everybody’s opinion.”
He threatened _____________________________________________________________________________________
24. “ I might have to go away this week.”
She stated __________________________________________________________________________________________
25. “ I have taken my exams this week and tomorrow I will go to the Algarve.”
She told me ________________________________________________________________________________________
26. “ You may have fever.”
The doctor told me _______________________________________________________________________________
27. “ Carol wasn’t invited to the party.” They said _________________________________________________
28. Did you buy anything for me?”
She asked me _______________________________________________________________________________________