Unit: Safety First

Grammar Explorer: Direct / Reported( Indirect) Speech

1. Reporting Statements:
Task: Study the following sentences then deduce the rules

Direct Speech Indirect (Reported) Speech

1.Amir says: “ I like eating fast food” 1-Amir says ………………………………………………

2.Amir has said:”I like eating fast food”. 2-Amir has said………………………………………………..

3.Amir said:” I like eating fast food”. 3- Amir said……………………………………………………

*The reported speech refers to reproducing the idea of another person’s words.
*To change from direct to the reported speech, the Colon ( : ) and the quotation marks (“ “) are omitted and
the reported clause is introduced by ……………….. .
*When the reporting verb is in the ………………………….or…………………………. the tense of the reported
statement does not change .
*When the reporting verb is in the …………………………… the tense of the reported statement changes .

Rule: If the reporting verb is in simple past tense, this will change the tense of the reported statement.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

1. Present Simple :
Specialists declared:” Technology helps the
spread of advertising for children today” .
2. Present Continuous:
Specialists replied:” Technology is helping
the spread of advertising for children now”.
3. Present Perfect
Specialists declared:” Technology has helped
the spread of advertising for children”.
4. Past Simple:
Specialists declared:” Technology helped
the spread of advertising for these children”.
5. Past Continuous:
Specialists said:” Technology was helping
the spread of advertising for children”.
6. Past Perfect:
Specialists said:” Technology had helped
the spread of advertising for children”.
7. Simple Future:
Specialists said:”Technology will help the
spread of advertising for children tomorrow”.
8. Present Modals: can /Shall /May/Must/
Have to.
Specialists said:”Technology can help the
spread of advertising for children”.
1. Past Simple :
Specialists declared…………………………………………
2. Past Continuous:
Specialists replied……………………………………….
3. Past Perfect:
Specialists declared…………………………………
4. Past Simple:
Specialists declared………………………………………
5. Past perfect Continuous:
Specialists said…………………………………………….
6. Past Perfect:
Specialists said…………………………………………..
7. Conditional Present:
Specialists said…………………………………………..
8. Past Modals: could/should/might/had to/ had to
Specialists said…………………………..
 Other words which refer to Time and Place may also change in the reported speech when the main verb is in the
simple past tense.
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
1. This
2. These
3. Here
4. Now
5. Today
6. Yesterday
7. Tomorrow
8. Tonight
9. Last week/ year
10. Next week/ year

2. Reporting Questions:
A/ Wh/ Questions:

Task: Rewrite the following sentences:

Direct Speech Indirect (Reported) Speech

1.Amir asks: “ Where do we find advertising?’’ 1-Amir asks ………………………………………………

2.Amir has asked me……………………… 2-Amir has asked me where he finds advertising

3.Amir asked: ”Where do we find advertising?”. 3- Amir asked……………………………………………………

4.The teacher questioned : “ What are the 4. The teacher questioned……………………………………..

consequences of food imbalance ?”.

5. “…………………………………………. ?”, 5. They asked when people ate a lot of sweets

They asked.

A/ Yes/ No Questions:

Task: Rewrite the following sentences:

Direct Speech Indirect (Reported) Speech

1.“Does advertising affect children’s 1- The teacher asked us…………………

consumption ?”,the teacher asked us.

2.“Have you ever been victim of food 2. The doctor wanted to know………………….
poisoning?”, the doctor wanted to know.

3.My friend questioned me 3.My friend questioned me if I usually read the labels on the packages.

3. Imperatives / Commands :
 A/ Positive commands:

Task: Rewrite the following sentences:

Direct Speech Indirect (Reported) Speech

1.“Take care of your health!”, the teacher 1. The teacher advised us………………………………
advised us.

2. “……………………………………”, 2. Mother ordered me to stop eating fast food.

mother ordered me.

3.Mother orders me:”Stop eating fast 3..Mother orders me…………………………….

food!”

B/ Negative Commands:

Task: Rewrite the following sentences:

Direct Speech Indirect (Reported) Speech

1. Mother advised me : “ Don’t eat these 1. Mother advised me………………………………

leftovers ,it’s nearly 3 days since they
have been in the fridge ”.

2. “…………………………………… ”, 2. Father warned me not to touch electric wires”.

Father warned me : “.

Mother advises me : “ Don’t eat these 3.Mother advises me…………………..

leftovers ,it’s nearly 3 days since they
have been in the fridge ”.

Indirect commands are expressed by imperative phrases. In report speech , they are introduced by the following verbs:
advise, beg , ask ,order, tell, warn , blame, threaten.