REPORTED SPEECH

1. When the reporting verb (say, tell, remark, explain) is in

present tense
present perfect tense NO CHANGE OF TENSES
future
Examples:
present tense
Peter says, The train is late.
Peter says that the train is late.
present tense
She says, I have never eaten spinach.
She says that she has never eaten spinach.
present perfect tense
He has remarke recently, I will try again.
He has remarke recently that he will try again.
f!t!re
Dad "ill say, You painte the ence perectly!
Dad "ill say that I"you painte the ence perectly!
2. When the reporting verb (say, tell, remark, explain) is in
past tense CHANGE OF TENSES
present tense past tense
past tense past perfect tense
present perfect tense past perfect tense
past perfect tense past perfect tense
future conditional: would + er!
Examples:
present tense past tense
He explaine, I on#t eat #uch #eat.
He explaine that he in#t eat #uch #eat.
past tense past perfect tense
Sarah sai, He "as really char#ing.
Sarah sai that he ha been really char#ing.
present perfect tense past perfect tense
He sai, I have never met a lovelier girl $eore.
He sai that he ha never met a lovelier girl $eore.
past tense$ past perfect tense past perfect
tense
She tol us I "as at the %oo or the irst ti#e and I
ha never seen a real tiger $eore.
She tol us that she ha been at the %oo or the irst
ti#e and that she never ha seen a real tiger $eore.
f!t!re %present & going past & going'
He sai, I am going to invite her or dinner.
He sai that he "as going to invite her or dinner.
f!t!re conitional: %"o!l & have'
She tho!ght$ (I "ill have a cup o tea)*
She tho!ght that she "o!l have a cup o tea)
1
REPORTED SPEECH
". The following verbs do not normally c#an$e :
would
s#ould
ou$#t to NO CHANGE
%ustn&t '%ust not(
%i$#t
#ad !etter
could ) was* were a!le to
could could ) #ad !een a!le to
could )would !e a!le to (for future)
%ust
%ust %ust ) #ad to
%ust ) would #ae to (for future)
Examples:
He sai, I "o!l li&e to see this il#.
He sai that he "o!l li&e to see that il#.
She sai, 'e sho!l go ho#e no".
She sai that we"they sho!l go ho#e then.
(ran& remarke, I o!ght to call her.
(ran& remarke that he o!ght to call her.
(ather sai, You m!stn#t leave yo!r toys on the loor.
(ather sai that we m!stn#t leave o!r toys on the loor.
)u# sai, I might $e a $it late.
)u# sai that she might $e a $it late.
*nn sai$ 'e ha better leave no".
*nn sai that they"we ha better leave then.
He sai,You ha better war# up yo!r #uscles
$eore yo! step on yo!r snow$oard.
He sai that I ha better war# up my #uscles
$eore I steppe on my snow$oard.
He sai, I co!l not co#e on (riday.
He sai that he co!l not+"as not able to+ha not been
able to co#e on (riday.
He sai, I co!l co#e at ive tomorro"*
He sai that he co!l come+"o!l be able to
co#e at ive the next ay.
He sai, I m!st go no".
He sai that he m!st go"ha to go then
'e m!st paint the ence tomorro" , he sai.
He sai that they"we m!st+"o!l have to paint
the ence the next ay.
He tol us, 'e m!st leave early tomorro" i we on#t
want to #iss the plane.
He tol us that we m!st+"o!l have to leave early the
next ay i we in#t want to #iss the plane.
+. Conditional ,, sentences -O NOT CHANGE
Examples:
He sai, I I "ere healthier, I "o!l go s&iing.
He said that if he "ere healthier, he "o!l go s&iing.
She tol us, I "o!l help you if I co!l.
She tol us that she "o!l help us if she co!l.
2
REPORTED SPEECH
.. f you report facts, there is NO CHANGE OF TENSES
Examples:
She sai, The Seine flo"s through Paris. +(act,
certainty, true!,
She sai that the Seine flo"s through Paris.
The teacher sai, The earth t!rns around the sun.
+(act, certainty, true!,
The teacher sai that the earth t!rns around the sun.
She explaine, -o#e is the capital o Italy.
+(act, certainty, true!,
She explaine that -o#e is the capital o Italy.
/. OTHE0 CHANGES
,* we* %1* our t#ird person '#e s#e it(
#ere t#ere
now t#en
t#is t#at
t#ese t#ose
toda1 t#at da1
toni$#t t#at ni$#t
1esterda1 t#e da1 !efore
t#e da1 !efore 1esterda1 two da1s !efore
to%orrow t#e ne2t da1 ) t#e followin$ da1
t#e da1 after to%orrow in two da1s& ti%e
last wee3 ) %ont# ) 1ear t#e preious wee3 ) %ont# ) 1ear
a 1ear a$o a 1ear !efore ) t#e preious 1ear
ne2t wee3 ) %ont# ) 1ear t#e followin$ wee3 ) %ont# ) 1ear
!
REPORTED SPEECH
"
REPORTED SPEECH
1) The speaker announces, #The six o$clock train will !e late#
2) %ark said to me, &'aris was won(erful an( exciting)#
!) %r) %iller said, &The people are waiting outsi(e)#
") 'aul co%plained, &*usan doesn&t like +a,,)#
-) %um will say, & #ae been working all the time)#
.) *he told us, & don&t smoke an( $% not very fon( of beer an( wine)#
/) 0i, said, & can&t come to your party) %ust take care of little 1en)#
2) 3e re%ar3ed, & #ae never seen a more thrilling film)#
4) *he said, &$% going to spen( my weeken( in the mountains)#
15) 3e t#ou$#t, &$ll have a cup of coffee now)#
11) 3e said, &'eter would like to have a party at the weeken()#
12) *ally said, &We s#ould leave now) t is late)#
1!) *he said, &We #ad !etter tell her the truth now)#
1") They feared, &We %i$#t !e late)#
1-) 1ill told me, & could not sen( her any flowers because the flower shop was close()#
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1.) 7ather said, &We %ust repair the fence ne2t summer)#
1/) Tom said, &f #ad more time, would go to the concert on 7ri(ay)#
12) 7ather is sure, &The train will arrie at one an( so there is plenty of time)#
14) 3e said, &We ou$#t to sen( her birth(ay greetings)#
25) told them, & will have a gar(en party for all my frien(s in the summer holi(ays)#
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21) 3e told us, &3e s#owed me more than one thousan( sli(es (8ias) in one night)#
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REPORTED SPEECH
22) 0in(a was so happy, &*am was so nice an( frien(ly) 3e even #elped me carry my bags)#
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2!) *he told us, &9ext week $% flying to 0on(on an( $% going to visit the 1ritish %useum)#
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2") 3e said, &$e been waiting for two hours but she doesn&t turn up)#
2-) %other said, &t$s time to leave)#
2.) :ncle 1ill told us, & returned yester(ay) t was really won(erful) $% totally relaxe()#
2/) The teacher told us, &The (inosaurs died out because of a change in the climate)#
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22) Tony said, &f we #ad maps, we could fin( the right (irection)#
24) 'hil said, &1en is trying to bree( mice an( then he wants to sell them)#
!5) *ue e2plained, & can&t stay in the sun for a long time an( don&t like a hot climate)#
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!1) The (octor told me, &Too much sun is not healthy for your skin)#
!2) The experts #ope, &;ne (ay we will fin( something against the virus)#
!!) 'eter told me, &n the horror film lots of gigantic spi(ers escaped from a laboratory an( spread all over
the town) t was awful an( couldn&t sleep well after seeing the film)#
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!") 3e told me, & could see the star with the nake( eye because the night was so clear)#
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!-) The speaker said, &*hortly before the earth<uake the inhabitants could hear a kin( of thun(er (8onner))#
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!.) %ary told us, &$e got an allergy to strawberries)#
!/) 7rank told us, &*ally$s story is <uiet unbelievable) 3now her husban( very well an( can&t believe that
he really s#outed at her)#
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!2) %other said to me, &=our complaint is really ri(iculous (l>cherlich))#
.
REPORTED SPEECH
!4) 3e was sure, &f lied in ?ienna, would $o to the opera as often as possible)#
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"5) Tina is only four, but she said, &The earth is smaller than the sun)#
"1) The scientist said, &We are trying to fin( out more about (ea(ly virus)#
"2) 7re( co%plained, &0ucy spends too much money) =ester(ay she !ou$#t two new coats) don&t know
what to (o with her)#
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"!) %other warned me, &=ou #ad !etter take an umbrella, it %i$#t rain soon)#
"") *he told us, & was in n(ia two times an( #ad some really shocking experience there)#
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"-) *he said, & didn&t <uite un(erstan()#
".) *ue is sure, &$ll soon be able to speak 7rench very well)#
"/) 7rank said to me, &f were you, wouldn&t spen( so much money on clothes)#
"2) 7ather told us, &@very (ay listened to the ra(io until mi(night an( then went to be()#
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"4) 3e said, & don&t know why he was so unfrien(ly to me)#
-5) The teacher said, &;n the 9orth 'ole the sun never sets in summer)#
-1) 3e said, & can&t come tonight, but could co%e roun( at five tomorrow because tonight %ust finish
my book report for school)#
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-2) ;ur American guests sa1, &Austria is a very beautiful country to live in)#
-!) Tom told us, & ran very fast, but he cau$#t me at the corner an( t#rew a big snowball into my face)#
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-") %r %iller was surprised, &%ost Austrian Bhil(ren spea3 @nglish pretty well an( they un(erstoo(
everything said)#
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--) %other announced, &$ll go to town this afternoon) f you need anything, $ll get it for you)#
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-.) 7ather ca%e in an( said,#=ou mustn$t watch such a stupi( film)#
/
REPORTED SPEECH
1) The speaker announces, #The six o$clock train will !e late#
2
REPORTED SPEECH
The speaker announces that the six o$clock train will !e late) ('resent Tense no change of tenses)
2) %ark said to me, &'aris was won(erful an( exciting)#
%ark said to me that 'aris #ad !een won(erful an( exciting)
!) %r) %iller said, &The people are waiting outsi(e)#
%r) %iller said that the people were waiting outsi(e)#
") 'aul co%plained, &*usan doesn&t like +a,,)#
'aul co%plained that *usan didn&t like +a,,)
-) %um will say, & #ae been working all the time)#
%um will say that she #as been working all the time) (7uture no change of tenses)
.) *he told us, & don&t smoke an( $% not very fon( of beer an( wine)#
*he told us that she didn&t smoke an( that she was not very fon( of beer an( wine)
/) 0i, said, & can&t come to your party) %ust take care of little 1en)#
0i, said that she couldn&t come to yourCmy party !ecause she %ust)#ad to)would #ae to take care of
little 1en)
2) 3e re%ar3ed, & #ae never seen a more thrilling film)#
3e re%ar3ed that he #ad never seen a more thrilling film)
4) *he said, &$% going to spen( my weeken( in the mountains)#
*he said that she was going to spen( her weeken( in the mountains)
15) 3e t#ou$#t, &$ll have a cup of coffee now)#
3e t#ou$#t that he would have a cup of coffee t#en)
11) 3e said, &'eter would like to have a party at the weeken()#
3e said that 'eter would like to have a party at the weeken() (woul( no change)
12) *ally said, &We s#ould leave now) t is late)#
*ally said that weCthey s#ould leave t#en !ecause it was late)
1!) *he said, &We #ad !etter tell her the truth now)#
*he said that we #ad !etter tell her frien(C*ue the truth t#en)
1") They feared, &We %i$#t !e late)#
They feared that they %i$#t !e late) (might no change)
1-) 1ill told me, & could not sen( her any flowers because the flower shop was close()#
1ill told me that he could not)#ad not !een a!le to)#ad !een una!le to sen( her any flowers because
the flower shop #ad !een close()
1.) 7ather said, &We %ust repair the fence ne2t summer)#
7ather said t#at we would #ae to repair the fence followin$ summer) (future must woul( have to)
1/) Tom said, &f #ad more time, would go to the concert on 7ri(ay)#
Tom said that if he #ad more time, he would go to the concert on 7ri(ay) (Bon(itional (o not
change)
12) 7ather is sure, &The train will arrie at one an( so there is plenty of time)#
7ather is sure that the train will arrie at one an( so there is plenty of time) ('resent Tense)
14) 3e said, &We ou$#t to sen( her birth(ay greetings)#
3e said that weCthey ou$#t to sen( her birth(ay greetings) (ought to no change)
25) told them, & will have a gar(en party for all my frien(s in the summer holi(ays)#
told them that would have a gar(en party for all my frien(s in the summer holi(ays) (7uture
Bon(itional: woul( D verb) personal pronouns are not change( if the speaker reports his own wor(s)
21) 3e told us, &3e s#owed me more than one thousan( sli(es (8ias) in one night)#
3e told us that his frien(Cthe manCuncle 1ill #ad s#own him more than one thousan( sli(es in one
night)
22) 0in(a was so happy, &*am was so nice an( frien(ly) 3e even #elped me carry my bags)#
0in(a was so happy !ecause)t#at *am #ad !een so nice an( frien(ly an( that he #ad even #elped her
carry her bags)
2!) *he told us, &9ext week $% flying to 0on(on an( $% going to visit the 1ritish %useum)#
*he told us that she was flying to 0on(on the following week an( that she was going to visit the 1ritish
4
REPORTED SPEECH
%useum)#
2") 3e said, &$e been waiting for two hours but she doesn&t turn up)#
3e said that he #ad been waiting for two hours but she didn&t turn up)
2-) %other said, &t$s time to leave)#
%other said that it was time to leave)
2.) :ncle 1ill told us, & returned yester(ay) t was really won(erful) $% totally relaxe()#
:ncle 1ill told us that he #ad returned the (ay before an( that it #ad !een really won(erful an( that he
was totally relaxe()
2/) The teacher told us, &The (inosaurs died out because of a change in the climate)#
The teacher told us that the (inosaurs died out because of a change in the climate) (7actE)
22) Tony said, &f we #ad maps, we could fin( the right (irection)#
Tony said that if weCthey #ad maps, weCthey could fin( the right (irection) (Bon(itional (o not
change)
24) 'hil said, &1en is trying to bree( mice an( then he wants to sell them)#
'hil said that 1en was trying to bree( mice an( then heC1en wanted to sell them)
!5) *ue e2plained, & can&t stay in the sun for a long time an( don&t like a hot climate)#
*ue e2plained that she couldn&t stay in the sun for a long time an( that she didn&t like a hot climate)#
!1) The (octor told me, &Too much sun is not healthy for your skin)#
The (octor told me that too much sun is not healthy for my skin) (7actE)
!2) The experts #ope, &;ne (ay we will fin( something against the virus)#
The experts #ope that one (ay they will fin( something against the virus) ('resent Tense no change
of tenses)
!!) 'eter told me, &n the horror film lots of gigantic spi(ers escaped from a laboratory an( spread all over
the town) t was awful an couldn&t sleep well after seeing the film)#
'eter told me that in the horror film lots of gigantic spi(ers #ad escaped from a laboratory an( #ad
spread all over the town an( that it #ad !een awful an he couldn&t)wasn&t a!le to)#adn&t !een a!le to
sleep well after seeing the film)
!") 3e told me, & could see the star with the nake( eye because the night was so clear)#
3e told me that he could see the star with the nake( eye because the night #ad !een so clear)
!-) The speaker said, &*hortly before the earth<uake the inhabitants could hear a kin( of thun(er (8onner))#
The speaker said that shortly before the earth<uake the inhabitants were a!le to)#ad !een a!le to hear a
kin( of thun(er)#
!.) %ary told us, &$e got an allergy to strawberries)#
%ary told us that she #ad got an allergy to strawberries)
!/) 7rank told us, &*ally$s story is <uiet unbelievable) 3now her husban( very well an( can&t believe that
he really s#outed at her)#
7rank told us that *ally$s story was <uiet unbelievable !ecause he 3new her husban( very well an( he
couldn&t believe that her husban(C%r) %iller #ad really s#outed at her)
!2) %other said to me, &=our complaint is really ri(iculous)#
%other said to me that my complaint was really ri(iculous)
!4) 3e was sure, &f lied in ?ienna, would $o to the opera as often as possible)#
3e was sure that if he lied in ?ienna, he would $o to the opera as often as possible) (Bon(itional
(o not change)
"5) Tina is only four, but she said, &The earth is smaller than the sun)#
Tina is only four, but she said that the earth is smaller than the sun) (7actE)
"1) The scientist said, &We are trying to fin( out more about (ea(ly virus)#
The scientist said that they were trying to fin( out more about (ea(ly virus)
"2) 7re( co%plained, &0ucy spends too much money) =ester(ay she !ou$#t two new coats) don&t know
what to (o with her)#
7re( co%plained that 0ucy spent too much money an( thatCbecause the (ay before she #ad !ou$#t two
new coats an( that he didn&t know what to (o with her)#
"!) %other warned me, &=ou #ad !etter take an umbrella, it %i$#t rain soon)#
15
REPORTED SPEECH
%other warned me that #ad !etter take an umbrella !ecause it %i$#t rain soon) (ha( better no
change)
"") *he told us, & was in n(ia two times an( #ad some really shocking experience there)#
*he told us that she #ad !een in n(ia two times an( that she #ad #ad some really shocking experience
there) ('ast Tense F ha( 'ast 'erfect Tense F ha( ha()
"-) *he said, & didn&t <uite un(erstan()#
*he said that she #adn&t <uite understood) ('ast Tense G (i(n$t un(erstan( 'ast 'erfect Tense G
ha(n$t un(erstoo()
".) *ue is sure, &$ll soon be able to speak 7rench very well)#
*ue is sure that she will soon be able to speak 7rench very well) ('resent TenseE)
"/) 7rank said to me, &f were you, wouldn&t spen( so much money on clothes)#
7rank said to me that if he were me, he wouldn&t spen( so much money on clothes) (Bon(itional
(o not change)
"2) 7ather told us, &@very (ay listened to the ra(io until mi(night an( then went to be()#
7ather told us that every (ay he #ad listened to the ra(io until mi(night an( then he #ad $one to be()#
"4) 3e said, & don&t know why he was so unfrien(ly to me)#
3e said that he didn&t know why the manCthe strangerCTom #ad !een so unfrien(ly to him)
-5) The teacher said, &;n the 9orth 'ole the sun never sets in summer)#
The teacher said that on the 9orth 'ole the sun never sets in summer) (7actE)
-1) 3e said, & can&t come tonight, but could co%e roun( at five tomorrow because tonight %ust finish
my book report for school)#
3e said, that he couldn&t come that night, but that he could )would !e a!le to come roun( at five the
next (ayCthe following (ay because that night he %ust)#ad to finish his book report for school)
-2) ;ur American guests sa1, &Austria is a very beautiful country to live in)#
;ur American guests sa1 that Austria is a very beautiful country to live in) ('resent TenseE)
-!) Tom told us, & ran very fast, but he cau$#t me at the corner an( t#rew a big snowball into my face)#
Tom told us that he #ad run very fast, but that the manC1illChis frien( #ad cau$#t him at the corner an(
#ad t#rown a big snowball into his face)
-") %r %iller was surprised, &%ost Austrian Bhil(ren spea3 @nglish pretty well an( they un(erstoo(
everything said)#
%r %iller was surprised that most Austrian Bhil(ren spo3e @nglish pretty well an( that they #ad
understood everything he #ad said)
--) %other announced, &$ll go to town this afternoon) f you need anything, $ll get it for you)#
%other announced that she would go to town that afternoon and s#e said t#at if CweCyou needed
anything, she would get it for meCusCyou)
-.) 7ather ca%e in an( said, #=ou mustn$t watch such a stupi( film)#
7ather ca%e in an( said that youCCwe mustn$t watch such a stupi( film)
11