Reported speech

Question 1

What is the general rule of tenses in reported speech?

Answer 1

We go back one tense.

Question 2

Change into reported speech, mention the tense.

a) Sam doesn’t play hockey very often.
b) I’ve never been given a trophy.

Answer 2

a) Fiona said that Sam didn’t play hockey very often.

Present simple into past simple

b) Paus said that he had never been given a trophy.

Present perfect simple into past perfect simple.

Question 3

Change into reported speech

a) I haven’t seen Julie
b) I had taken English lessons before

Answer 3

a) He told us (that) he hadn’t seen Julie.
b) She explained (that) she had taken lessons before.

Question 4

Change into reported speech, mention the tense.

a) I’m winning!
b) They have been playing for four hours.

Answer 4

a) Carol shouted to us that she was winning.

Present continous into past continous

b) She told us that they had been playing for four hours.

Present perfect continous into past perfect continous.

Question 5

Change into reported speech, mention the tense.

a) We lost the match.
b) We were winning until half-time.

Answer 5

a) Finally he told us that they had lost the match.

Present simple into past perfect simple

b) She said they had been winning until half-time.

Past continous into past perfect continuous.

Question 6

Change into reported speech

a) I like ice cream
b) I am living in London.

Answer 6

a) She said (that) she liked ice cream.
b) He said (that) he was living in London.

Question 7

Change into reported speech

a) I bought a car.
b) I was walking along the street.

Answer 7

a) She said (that) she had bought a car OR She said (that) she bought a car.
b) She said (that) she had been walking along the street.

Question 8

Change into reported speech

a) I’ll see you later
b) I would help, but..”

Answer 8

a) She said (that) she would see me later.
b) He said (that) he would help. (would doesn’t change)

Question 9

Change into reported speech

a) I could swim when I was four
b) I can speak perfect English.

Answer 9

a) She said that she could swim when she was four. (could doesn’t change).
b) He said (that) he could speak perfect English.

Question 10

Change into reported speech

a) I shall come later
b) I may be late

Answer 10

a) He said (that) I should come later.
b) She said (that) he might be late.

Question 11

Change into reported speech

a) I should call my brother.
b) I might be late.

Answer 11

a) He said (that) I should call my brother (should doesn’t change)
b) He said (that) he might be late. (might doesn’t change).

Question 12

Change into reported speech

a) I must study at the weekend.

Answer 12

a) She said (that) she must study at the weekend.

She said she had to study at the weekend.

Question 13

In reported statements, we can use either ‘say’ or ‘tell’. The meaning is the same, but the grammar is different. For example:

Direct speech: John: “I’ll be late”.

Answer 13

Reported speech:

John said (that) he would be late.

OR

John told me (that) he would be late.

With ‘tell’ we NEED the object (e.g. ‘me’, ‘you’, ‘her’).
With ‘say’ we CAN’T use the object (e.g. ‘me’, ‘them’, ‘us’).

Question 14

Put in ‘said’ or ‘told’:

Julie ______________ that she would join us after work.
She ______________ me that she was going running this evening.

John ______________ us that he couldn’t come to the party.

Answer 14

Julie said that she would join us after work.

She told me that she was going running this evening.

John told us that he couldn’t come to the party.

Question 15

Put in ‘said’ or ‘told’:

Jonathan ______________ it would rain today.

They ______________ us that it was fine to come late.

The boss ______________ me that I should do some more work on this report.

Answer 15

Jonathan said it would rain today.

They told us that it was fine to come late.

The boss told me that I should do some more work on this report.

Question 16

“I live in New York”
She said _

“He works in a bank”
She told me __

“Julie doesn’t like going out much”
She said __

Answer 16

She said she lived in New York.

She told me he worked in a bank.

She said Julie didn’t like going out much.

Question 17

“I don’t want to go to the theatre next weekend”
She said __

“We like working in Paris”
She said __

“She doesn’t have enough time to do everything”
She said __

Answer 17

She said she didn’t want to go to the theatre next weekend.

She said they liked working in Paris.

She said she didn’t have enough time to do everything.

Question 18

“I’m sleeping”
She told me _

“We’re working”
She told me __

“She’s coming to the party”
She told me _

Answer 18

She told me she was sleeping.

She told me that they were working.

She told me she was coming to the party.

Question 19

“She’s eating dinner”
She said _

“We aren’t going to the library”
She said __

“I’m coming”
She said __

Answer 19

She said she was eating dinner.

She said they weren’t going to the library.

She said she was coming.

Question 20

“I came to London in 2004.”
She said __

“Lucy didn’t go to university.”
She told me __

“John never studied German.”
She said __

Answer 20

She said she had come to London in 2004.

She told me Lucy hadn’t gone to university.

She said John had never studied German.

Question 21

“Jill is studying a lot”
She told me _

“I’m not meeting Julie”
She told me _

“We aren’t renting a flat”
She said _

Answer 21

She told me Jill was studying a lot.

She told me she wasn’t meeting Julie.

She said they weren’t renting a flat.

Question 22

“I went to the cinema yesterday.”
She said __

“Jane left the party early.”
She told me __

“I didn’t go out at the weekend.”
She said __

Answer 22

She said she had been to the cinema yesterday.

She told me Jane had left the party early.

She said she hadn’t gone out at the weekend.

Question 23

“I’ve never been to Brazil.”
She said __

“She has visited Paris three times.”
She said __

“He has read ‘War and Peace’.”
She said _

Answer 23

She said she’d never been to Brazil.

She said she had visited Paris three times.

She said he had read ‘War and Peace’.

Question 24

“He has eaten too much chocolate.”
She said __

“We haven’t seen the new play.”
She said __

“I haven’t tried the new restaurant yet.”
She said __

Answer 24

She said he had eaten too much chocolate.

She said we hadn’t seen the new play.

She said she hadn’t tried the new restaurant yet.

Question 25

“I’ll go to the cinema later.”
She said _

“We’ll meet the children at six.”
She said __

“She’ll be late.”
She said

Answer 25

She said she would go to the cinema later.

She said they would meet the children at six.

She said she would be late.

Question 26

17. “I won’t be able to afford a new car.”
    She said __
18. “She won’t want to attend the meeting.”
    She said _
19. “Richard won’t drink coffee.”
    She said _

Answer 26

She said she wouldn’t be able to afford a new car.

She said she wouldn’t want to attend the meeting.

She said Richard wouldn’t drink coffee.

Question 27

Petra: “Our class will go to the zoo tomorrow.” Petra said (that) __________ .

Answer 27

Petra said (that) their class would go to the zoo the next day.

Question 28

Helena: “I was writing an email yesterday.”

Helena told me (that) __________ .

Answer 28

Helena told me (that) she had been writing an email the day before.

Question 29

Sean: “My brother went to Spain last year.”
Sean told me (that) __________ .

Answer 29

Sean told me (that) his brother had gone to Spain the year before.

Question 30

Mark: “Tony went to the station an hour ago.” Mark said (that) __________ .

Answer 30

Mark said (that) Tony had gone to the station an hour before.

Question 31

Martin: “My sister will get married next weekend.” Martin said (that) __________ .

Answer 31

Martin said (that) his sister would get married the following week.

Question 32

Susan: “I am going to see a play this week.”
Susan said to me (that) __________ .

Answer 32

Susan said to me (that) she was going to see a play that week.

Question 33

Simon and Paul: “We will try our best in the game tomorrow.”
Simon and Paul told me (that) __________ .

Answer 33

Simon and Paul told me (that) they would try their best in the game next day.

Question 34

Helena: “We didn’t arrive until two days ago.” Helena remarked (that) __________ .

Answer 34

Helena remarked (that) they hadn’t arrived until two days before.

Question 35

Change into reported speech:

‘I haven’t finished yet!’ shouted Sharon.

Sharon shouted….

Answer 35

Sharon shouted that she hadn’t finished yet.

Question 36

Sarah: "I lost my purse on Monday."
Sarah complained (that) \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ .

Answer 36

Sarah complained (that) she had lost her purse on Monday.

Question 37

Monica: "John had already gone at 3 o'clock."
Monica said (that) \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ .

Answer 37

Monica said (that) John had already gone at 3 o’clock.

Question 38

Rule reported speech:

When something is …. we can change tense but we don’t …. to.

The article said that fishing … / … the most popular sport in Britain.

Answer 38

When something is true we can change tense but we don’t have to.

The article said that fishing is / was the most popular sport in Britain.

Question 39

Reported speech rule:

When we are reporting a scientific or historical fact, we …… usually …… tense.

Alan told me that Queen Victoria … (hate) Gladstone, the Prime Minister.

Answer 39

When we are reporting a scientific or historical fact, we don’t usually change tense.

Alan told me that Queen Victoria hated (hate) Gladstone, the Prime Minister.

Question 40

Reporting speech rule:

Although we can usually leave out that (Alan told me (that) Queen Vicotoria …), we cannot leave out after the verbs …. and …..

Answer 40

lthough we can usually leave out that (Alan told me (that) Queen Vicotoria …), we cannot leave out after the verbs reply and shout.

I replied that going swimming in such cold water was a ridiculous idea.

Question 41

Change into reported speech:

‘Dawn wasn’t particularly hard-working when she was at university’, said Paul.

‘….’, said Paul.

Answer 41

Paul told me that Dawn hadn’t been particularly hard-working when she was at university.

Question 42

Change into reported speech

‘I am sad, but I feel I have made the right decision’, she said.

She was …., she said, but ….

Answer 42

She was sad, she said, but added (= said also) that she felt she had made the right decision.

Question 43

Reported speech:

Adam told me that his girlfriend …. (do) eat meat at all.

Answer 43

Adam told me that his girlfriend doesn’t eat meat at all. (still true).

Adam told me that his girlfriend didn’t eat meat at all.

Question 44

Reported speech:

Did Galileo say that the Earth … (go) round the sun?

Answer 44

Did Galileo say that the Earth goes round the sun? (historical fact, usually we don’t change the tense)

Did Galileo say that the Earth went round the sun?

Question 45

Reported speech:

Babs announced to us all last night that she … (to be) finally giving up smoking.

Answer 45

Babs announced to us all last night that she is finally giving up smoking. (still true)

Babs announced to us all last night that she was finally giving up smoking.

Question 46

Reported speech:

Which modal or semi-modals we do not change, if the reporting verb is in the past?

‘I c…. swim when I was three,’ said Lizzie > Lizzie said that she … swim when she was three.

Answer 46

Reported speech:

Which modal or semi-modals we do not change, if the reporting verb is in the past?

Could, would, shoud, ought to, had better and need

‘I could swim when I was three,’ said Lizzie > Lizzie said that she could swim when she was three.

Question 47

Reported speech:

Bob did tell me that he probably … (will not) be comming in today.

Answer 47

Reported speech:

Bob did tell me that he probably wouldn’t be comming in today.

Question 48

Reported speech:

Steve said he (could/can/had could) play guitar when he was two years old.

Answer 48

Reported speech:

Steve said he could play guitar when he was two years old.