8/9/2019 Reported Speech With Exercises

1/13

REPORTED (INDIRECT) SPEECH.

IMPORTANT: WHEN WE REPORT WHAT IS BEING SAID RATHER THAN

TO WHOM IT IS BEING SAID, THE REPORTING VERB IS SAY (He said that

it had been drizzling all day). BUT IF WE MENTION THE PERSON TO WHOM

SOMETHING IS SAID (Either in the form of a pronoun me, him, them, us etc- or anoun Mr. Smith, my mother, the parliament-) we normally use TELL (HE TOLD HIS

FAMILY THAT HE HAD LEFT HIS JOB), and only occasionally say to (But she

said to me that they had cancelled the trip). The use of that is optional.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

simple present

He said, Igo to school every

day.

simple past

He said (that) he wentto school every day.

He told me (that) he went to school every day.

simple pastHe said, Iwentto school every

day.

past perfect

He said (that) he had gone to school every day.

He told Peter(that) he had gone to school everyday.

present perfect

He said, Ihave gone to schoolevery day.

past perfect

He said (that) he had gone to school every day.She told everyone (that) he had gone to school

every day.

present progressive

He said, Iam goingto school

every day.

past progressive

He said (that) he was goingto school every day.

He told Mary and Peter(that) he was going toschool every day.

past progressive

He said, Iwas goingto schoolevery day.

perfect progressive

He said (that) he had been goingto school everyday,

He told them (that) he had been going to school

every day.

future (will)

He said, Iwill go to school every

day.

would + verb name

He said (that) he would go to school every day.

He told me (that) he would go to school everyday.

future (going to)

He said, Iam goingto schoolevery day.

present progressive

He said (that) he is goingto school every day.He told Helen (that) he is going to school every

day.

past progressive

He said (that) he was goingto school every day.

He told Mark (that) he was going to schoolevery day.

Direct Speech QUESTIONS Indirect Speech QUESTIONS

8/9/2019 Reported Speech With Exercises

2/13

auxiliary + verb name

He said, Do you go to school

every day?He said, Where do you go to

school?

simple past

He asked me if I wentto school every day.*

He asked me where I wentto school.

imperative

He said, Go to school every

day.

infinitive

He told me to go to school every day.

*Note than when a Yes/No question is being asked in direct speech, then a construction with iforwhether

If a WH question is being asked, then use the WH to introduce the clause. Also note that with indirect spe

these are examples of embedded questions.

The situation changes if instead of the common said another part of the very to say is used. In that case th

tenses usually remain the same. Some examples of this situation are given below.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

simple present + simple present

Hesays, Igo to school every day. simple present + simple present

Hesays (that) hegoes to school every day.

present perfect + simple present

He has said, Igo to school everyday.

present perfect + simple present

He has said(that) hegoes to school everyday.

past progressive + simple past

He was saying, Iwent to schoolevery day.

past progressive + simple past

He was saying(that) he wentto school everyday.

past progressive + past perfect

He was saying(that) he had gone to schoolevery day.

future + simple present

He will say, Igo to school everyday.

future + simple present

He will say (that) hegoes to school everyday.

Another situation is the one in which modal constructions are used. If the verb said is used, then the form

modal, or another modal that has a past meaning is used.

8/9/2019 Reported Speech With Exercises

3/13

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

can

He said, Icango to school every

day.

could

He said (that) he couldgo to school every

day.

may

He said, Imay go to school every

day.

might

He said (that) he might go to school every

day.

might

He said, Imight go to school every

day.

must

He said, Imust go to school every

day.

had to

He said (that) he had to go to school every

day.

have to

He said, Ihave to go to school every

day.

should

He said, Ishould go to school every

day.

should

He said (that) heshouldgo to school every

day.

ought to

He said, Iought to go to school every

day.

ought to

He said (that) he ought togo to school

every day.

Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives.The pronoun is changed in person from first

and second to third.

I becomes he or she.We becomes they. You becomes

he, him, her or them

Adjectives and Adverbs we change:

this

to that

these to those

now to then

today to that day

last night to on the previous night or the night before

tomorrow to the next day or the day after

here to there

yesterday to the previous day or the day before

thus to so; (in) that way

IMPORTANT: OTHER REPORTING VERBS APART FROM SAY AND TELL

8/9/2019 Reported Speech With Exercises

4/13

8/9/2019 Reported Speech With Exercises

5/13

8/9/2019 Reported Speech With Exercises

6/13

8/9/2019 Reported Speech With Exercises

7/13

8/9/2019 Reported Speech With Exercises

8/13

EXERCISE 1

EXERCISE 2.

8/9/2019 Reported Speech With Exercises

9/13

EXERCISE 3.

EXERCISE 4.

EXERCISE 5.

8/9/2019 Reported Speech With Exercises

10/13

EXERCISE 6.

EXERCISE 7.

8/9/2019 Reported Speech With Exercises

11/13

SOLUTIONS.

EXERCISE 1.

EXERCISE 2.

EXERCISE 3.

EXERCISE 4.

8/9/2019 Reported Speech With Exercises

12/13

EXERCISE 5.

EXERCISE 6.

EXERCISE 7 (NEXT PAGE. SCROLL DOWN)

8/9/2019 Reported Speech With Exercises

13/13