REPORTED SPEECH

“I love you.” Mike tells Sarah (that) he loves her.

Mike told Sarah (that) he loved her.

Present simple Past simple

‘I want to find a better job,’ he said. He said (that) he wanted to find a better job.

Present continuous Past continuous

‘Maggie is feeding the baby,’ he said. He said Maggie was feeding the baby.

Present perfect simple Past perfect simple

‘I’ve bought a new dress,’ Emily said. Emily said she had bought a new dress.

Past simple Past perfect simple

‘I finished work early,’ he said. He said he had finished work early.

Will Would
‘I’ll talk to you tomorrow,’ he told me. He told me he would talk to me the next day.

Can Could
‘She can type fast,’ he said. He said she could type fast.

am/is/ are going to was/ were going to

‘I’m going to buy you a bunch of flowers,’ Mike told Mike told me he was going to buy me a bunch of
me. flowers.

May Might
‘I may go to the shops later on,’ she said. She said she might go to the shops later on.

Might, could, would, should, ought to (=should) , No change

had better, used to

Past perfect No change

Must (logical assumptions) Must (no change)

‘You must be tired,’ Paul told Susan. Paul told Susan that she must be tired.

Must (obligation) Had to

‘You must tell them,’ she told us. She told us that we had to help them.

now, at the moment then, at that moment

today that day
tonight that night
yesterday the day before/ the previous day
tomorrow the next/ following day
last (week/ month) the (week/ month) before/ the previous
(week/month)
next (week/ month) the following (week/ month)
(two days) ago (two days) before
here there
this (week/ year/ month) that (week/ year/ month)

‘This film is boring,’ Claire told me. Claire told me (that) the film was boring.

‘This is an unusual situation,’ Dad said. Dad said (that) it was an unusual situation.
 A) STATEMENTS

‘You can’t park here.’ The police officer told Jack (that) he couldn’t park there.

‘I’ll see you in the morning.’ Peter told Helen (that) he would see her in the morning.

‘I left my umbrella here two days ago.’ Susan told them (that) she had left her umbrella there two days before.

‘The parcel ought to be here by the end of next week.’ Brian said (that) the parcel ought to be there by the end of
the following week.

‘I’m doing some homework but I won’t be long.’ Mike said (that) he was doing some homework but he wouldn’t be
long.

B) QUESTIONS (veznik + subjekat + predikat)

‘Do you love me?’ Sarah asked Mike if/ whether he loved her.

‘Why are you late?’ My mother asked me why I was late.

‘When will you call me?’ She asked George when he would call her.

‘Can you play the piano?’ She asked me if I could play the piano.

‘Did you go to work yesterday?’ Jim asked us if we had gone to work the day before.

C) COMMANDS/ REQUESTS

‘Give me your money!’ The robber told me TO GIVE him/ her my money.

‘Don’t shoot!’ The robber begged the police NOT TO SHOOT.

‘Don’t make so much noise!’ Mother told us NOT TO MAKE so much noise.

‘Please forgive me!’ He begged her TO FORGIVE him.

Changing reported speech into direct speech:

1 They asked him how he felt about his “nice guy” persona.

‘How do you feel about your “nice guy” persona?’

2 He told them that he was happy with it and that he felt confident that he lived up to this reputation.

‘I am happy with it and I feel confident that I live up to this reputation.’

3 They asked him where his reputation had come from.

‘Where has your reputation come from?’

4 He told them that he thought it was because he had always cooperated with the press.

‘I think this is because I have always cooperated with the press.’

5 They asked him whether he had ever had problems with the paparazzi.

‘Have you ever had problems with the paparazzi?’

6 He told them that that he hadn’t because he respected people, even when he didn’t like them.

‘I haven’t because I respect people even when I don’t like them.’

7 Brisbanetimes.com asked the Forest Gump star why he always played the part of the nice guy in films and never
the villain.

‘Why do you always play the part of the nice guy in films and never the villain?’

8 Chinadaily.com asked him what his current plans were.

‘What are your current plans?’

9 He said that he wanted to direct again, but that he couldn’t do that at the moment, because it would take him
away from his children.

‘I want to direct again, but I can’t do that at the moment, because it will take me away from my children.’

I Change the sentences into reported speech.

‘Why won’t you come with me to Argentina next year?’ Miguel asked Mike why he wouldn’t come with him to

Argentina the following year.

‘What can you tell us about the men?’ The police officer asked me what I could tell them about the men.

‘I think (that) I’ve seen a ghost.’ Samantha said (that) she thought (that) she had seen a ghost.

‘When did the robbers start firing their guns?’ The reporter asked me when the robbers had started firing their

guns.

‘Where are you going tonight?’ My mum asked me where I was going that night.

‘Our company is planning to move out of the city centre next month.’ They said (that) their company was planning to
move out of the city centre the following month.

‘I’ve never encountered any aliens before.’ I told the reporter (that) I had never encountered any aliens before.

‘Our supermarket is closed today.’ The shop assistant told me (that) their supermarket was closed that day.

‘My aunt wants to move out of her old house next year.’ The nephew said (that) his aunt wanted to move out of her
old house the following year.

‘I won’t be able to leave the office early.’ The manager told his wife (that) he wouldn’t be able to leave the office
early.

‘What will you do after you leave school?’ I asked Joe what he would do after he left school.
‘Are you going to write to me every day?’ Lisa asked her boyfriend if he was going to write to her every day.

‘Were you in bed at the time of the robbery?’ The inspector asked Mr and Mrs Mitchell if they had been in bed at
the time of the robbery.

‘Will you go to Martha’s birthday party tonight?’ Frances asked Gillian if she would go to Martha’s birthday party
that night.

‘Can you remember what time you went to bed last night?’ The detective asked the man if he could remember what
time he had gone to bed the night before.

II Change the sentences into direct speech.

1 Lily told him that she hoped they would get married the following year.

2 Mrs Segal said that the police had searched her house the week before.

3 The reporter said that the police had questioned the suspect.

4 We asked her why she couldn’t tell the police what she had seen.

Pete asked Rachel why she hadn’t been at school the day before. She told him that she had felt sick. He told her
that they had had a history test. Rachel answered that she had completely forgotten about it. Pete said that he
didn’t believe her. He added that he thought she had skipped school because of the test. Rachel asked him if he
was serious. She said that she had spent the whole day in bed. She added that she would probably have to do the
test that day. She asked him if he wanted to tell her the questions. Pete answered that he didn’t want to because
she was lying to him. But Rachel told him that she would manage without his help.

Pete asked Rachel why she hadn’t been at school the day before. She told him that she had felt sick. He told her
that they had had a history test. Rachel answered that she had completely forgotten about it. Pete said that he
didn’t believe her. He added that he thought she had skipped school because of the test. Rachel asked him if he
was serious. She said that she had spent the whole day in bed. She added that she would probably have to do the
test that day. She asked him if he wanted to tell her the questions. Pete answered that he didn’t want to because
she was lying to him. But Rachel told him that she would manage without his help.