Unit 17: Reported Speech

Level B1 | Grammar Focus: Sequence of Tenses & Reporting Verbs

1. What is Reported Speech?

Reported Speech (also known as Indirect Speech) is used to communicate what someone else said, but without using their exact words. UnlikeDirect Speech, which uses quotation marks, Reported Speech usually involves changing the tense of the verb back one step into the past. This is often called the “Sequence of Tenses.”

When reporting a statement, we often use the verbs say or tell. The word ‘that’ is optional after the reporting verb.

  • Direct Speech: Tom said, “I’m feeling ill.”
  • Reported Speech: Tom said (that) he was feeling ill.

The Rules of Agreement (Sequence of Tenses)

When the reporting verb is in the past tense (e.g., said, told), the verb in the reported clause usually moves one step back in time.

Direct Speech TenseReported Speech TenseExample Change
Present SimplePast Simple“I watch TV.” → She said she watched TV.
Present ContinuousPastContinuous“I am watching.” → She said she was watching.
Past SimplePast Perfect“I watched TV.” → She said she had watched TV.
Present PerfectPast Perfect“I have watched TV.” → She said she had watched TV.
Future (Will)Would“I will watch TV.” → She said she would watch TV.
CanCould“I can watchTV.” → She said she could watch TV.
MustHad to“I must watch TV.” → She said she had to watch TV.

Changing Pronouns and Time Expressions

Besides the verb, pronouns and time expressions often change to reflect the new perspective of the speaker.

  • Pronouns: ‘I’ becomes ‘he/she’, ‘we’ becomes ‘they’, ‘my’ becomes ‘his/her’.
  • Time/Place: ‘Now’ → ‘then’, ‘today’ → ‘that day’, ‘yesterday’ → ‘the day before’, ‘tomorrow’ → ‘the following day’, ‘here’ → ‘there’.

Reporting Questions

When reporting questions, we do not use the auxiliary verb ‘do/did’ and the word order changesback to Statement order (Subject + Verb). We use asked or wanted to know.

  • Wh- Questions:Use the wh- word.
    Direct: “Where do you live?” → Reported: He asked where I lived.
  • Yes/No Questions: Use if or whether.
    Direct: “Do you like soccer?” → Reported: He askedif I liked soccer.

Exercises

Exercise 1: Choose the correct verb form for Reported Speech.

Example: “I am happy,” said John. → John said he (is / was) happy. was

  1. “I live in London,” she said. → She said she (lived / lives) in London.
  2. “I amcooking dinner,” he said. → He said he (was cooking / is cooking) dinner.
  3. “We have finished our work,” they said. → They said they (have finished /had finished) their work.
  4. “I will call you,” she said. → She said she (would call / will call) me.
  5. “I can help,” Tom said. → Tom said he (can / could) help.
  6. “I must go,” she said. → She said she (must / had to) go.
  7. “I saw the movie,” he said.→ He said he (saw / had seen) the movie.
  8. “Itmay rain,” the forecaster said. → He said it (may / might) rain.

Exercise 2: Rewrite the statements in Reported Speech.

  1. Direct: “I watch TV every day,” she said.
    Reported: Shesaid (that) _______________________.
  2. Direct: “I am going to the park,” John said.
    Reported: John said _______________________.
  3. Direct: “We visited the museum yesterday,” they said.
    Reported: They said _______________________.
  4. Direct: “I have bought anew car,” Mary told me.
    Reported: Mary told me _______________________.
  5. Direct: “I will see you tomorrow,” he said.
    Reported: He said _______________________.
  6. Direct: “I can swim very well,” the boy said.
    Reported:The boy said _______________________.
  7. Direct: “Mysister is a teacher,” she told us.
    Reported: She told us _______________________.
  8. Direct: “We are waiting for the bus,” they explained.
    Reported: They explained _______________________.

Exercise 3: Report the following questions.

Example: “Are you busy?” → He asked if I was busy.

  1. “Where do you live?” Mary asked me.
  2. “Do you like coffee?” John asked.
  3. “What are you doing?” she asked him.
  4. “Have you seen this movie?” they asked us.
  5. “Will you help me?” he asked.
  6. “Why is the train late?” the passenger asked.
  7. “Can you speak French?” the teacher asked.
  8. “When does the shop close?” the customer asked.

Exercise 4: Complete the sentences with ‘said’ or ‘told’.

  1. She ________ me that she was tired.
  2. He ________ that he liked the book.
  3. They ________ us about their holiday.
  4. John ________, “I am leaving now.”
  5. Mary ________ her mother she would be late.
  6. The teacher ________ the class to be quiet.
  7. He ________ he had never been to Paris.
  8. “I am hungry,” the child ________.

Exercise 5: Match the direct speech time expressions with their reported speech equivalents.

  1. Now     a. The following day
  2. Today     b. There
  3. Yesterday     c. That night
  4. Tomorrow     d. Then
  5. Here    e. The previous week
  6. Last week     f. That day
  7. This     g. The day before
  8. Tonight     h. That

Exercise 6: Find and correct the mistake in each reported sentence.

  1. She said me that she was happy.
  2. He asked where did I live.
  3. They said they will come the next day (reported from past).
  4. Tom told that he was hungry.
  5. She asked if I can help her.
  6. Hesaid he has seen the movie yesterday.
  7. She asked mewhat was my name.
  8. They said they are studying then.
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