Reported speech

 We use reported speech to tell another person what

someone said.

 The verbal tenses usually change like this:

Present > past
Will > would
Past simple / present perfect > past perfect
 Some modal verbs change:
Can > could - may > might - must > had to
 Other modal verbs do not change:
Could, might, should.
 Pronouns usually change:
 “I like music” > “Jane said that she liked music”

 Some other changes:

Here > there
This > that
Tomorrow > the next day

 “I’ll meet you here tomorrow” >

 “He said that he would meet me there the next day”

 Using “that” after said/told is optional.

What question did
they ask?
 Do you
celebrate
Christmas?

Santa asked me
Did you see
a white
rabbit?

Alice asked me
Will you remember
my birthday next
year?

Paul asked me
Question words:
WHO? WHICH?
HOW MUCH
WHAT?
HOW MANY
WHEN?
HOW LONG
WHERE WHAT TIME
? HOW
HOW? OFTEN
WHY?
Why did you
cook fish last
night?

He asked me
How long have
you lived in
New York?

The policeman asked me

How much food do
you keep in your
fridge?

Homer asked me
 How old are
you?

He asked me
 When you report a question, tenses change as in reported
statements. (Present > Past - Will > would, etc.)

 When a question doesn’t begin with a question word

(what, when, etc) we add if / whether.
“Do you want a drink?” > He asked me if I wanted a drink.

 You have to change the word order: subject + verb

 We don’t use Do / did.

“Where do you live?” > They asked me where did I live.
Complete the sentences using
reported speech
1- “What are you doing?”
My parents asked me_____________
2- “Have you ever been robbed?” She
asked him _______________
3- Will you be home early?
Anna asked Edward ______________
4- Where do you usually buy your
videogames?
My friend asked me_______________
5- Do you ever shop online?
I asked Paul _______________
6- What time will you arrive?
He asked us _______________
7- How much money did you spend
in the outlet store?
I asked Susan _______________
8- Can you help me?
Sara asked the policeman _______
1- “What are you doing?” My parents 5- Do you ever shop online? I asked
asked me what I was doing
2- “Have you ever been robbed?”
She asked him if he had ever been
robbed
3- Will you be home early? Anna
asked Edward if he would be home
early
4- Where do you usually buy your
videogames? My friend asked me
where I bought my videogames.
Paul if he ever shopped online.
6- What time will you arrive? He
asked us what time we would arrive
7- How much money did you spend
in the outlet store? I asked Susan
how much money she had spent in
the outlet store
8- Can you help me? Sara asked the
policeman if he could help her