Reported Speech

Reporting verb in the present tense:

Nothing changes from direct to indirect speech except pronouns and adverbs (I he/she, our their, here there etc.)

„Their cars are too small“

He says that their cars are too small.

„I have been over there for one wet spring“

He says that he has been over there for one wet spring.

Reporting verb in the past tenseWhen the reporting verb is in the past, the tense of the verb in direct speech usually changes.

Present simple past simple go went

Present progressive past progressive

I am going I was going

Will future would present I will travel I would travel

Perfect past perfect I have gone I had gone

Past simple past perfect I went I had gone

Other changes:

I he/she

We they

Today that day

Yesterday the day before

Tomorrow the next/following day

Here there

This that

These those

Clare: „I never went to Ibiza again“.

Claire said that….

she had never gone to Ibiza again.

Bernhard: „I prefer to stay at home in Manchester“

Bernhard said that…

he preferred to stay at home.

Diane: „The best holiday I‘ve ever had was in Mexico.

Diane said that…

the best holiday she had ever had had been in Mexico.

Report the following sentences, avoid using „say“ or „tell“!

1 Sue: „I have made a mistake, I am sorry!“

Sue admitted that she had made a mistake and said that she was sorry.

2 Marc and Betty: „We are going to get married!“

Marc and Betty announced that they were going to get married.

3 Mary: „I will help you, everything will be ok!“

Mary assured me that she would help me and that everything would be ok.

4 Marc: „please, please, please come to my party tomorrow!“

Marc begged me to come to his party the next day.

5 Marc: „I am the world‘s best swimmer, I have always been and I always will!“

Marc claimed that he was the world‘s best swimmer, that he had always been and always would.

6 Students: „the test was much too difficult!“

The students complained that the test had been much too difficult.

7 Mr. Sorry: „I am so sorry, the accident was my fault!“

Mr. Sorry apologized and confessed that the accident had been his fault.

8 Thief: „I did not steal the bag!“

The thief denied that he had stolen the bag.

ME: „The picture is nice“

SHE: „No, it is not!“I claimed that the picture was nice, but she disagreed.

ME: „You‘re so wrong! You‘re so absolutely wrong!“

I insisted that she was wrong.

SHE: „By the way, I have been there, too!“

She mentioned that she had been thee, too.

HE: „Let‘s leave immediately!“

He proposed leaving immediately.

ME: „I am really sorry for what I have done!“

I regretted what I had done.

ME: „I am innocent! I am innocent! I am innocent!“

I stressed that I was innocent.

SHE: „If you say one more word, I‘ll leave immediately!“

She threatened that she would leave immediately if I said one more word.

HE: „Don‘t say another word!“

He warned me to say another word.