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When we tell people what somebody
said or thought, we often use inderect
speech.Tenses and pronouns (I,you etc)
change in indirect speech if the time
and speaker are different.
When we tell people what somebody
said in the past,there is time
difference.(For example, somebody
said something on Sunday, and I tell
you about on Monday.)Becouse of this,
tenses usually change as follows.
We can use both say and tell in indirect speech.Tell
must have a personal object: We tell somebody
something. Say doesn’t need a personal object: we say
something (to somebody).
She told me I was late.(NOT She told I was late.)
They told Ann the wrong time.(NOT They told the
wrong time to Ann.)
She said I was late.(NOT She said me I was late.)
I said nothing to the police.(NOT I said the police
nothing.)

DIRECT SPEECH TENSE CHANGE INDIRECT SPEECH ON

ON SUNDAY MONDAY
I am very tired AM/ARE/IS WAS/WERE She said she was very tired.
I am studying English. PRESENT CONTINUOUS PAST He said he was studying English.
CONTINUOUS
He goes to school by PRESENT SIMPLE PAST He said he went to school by bus.
bus. SIMPLE
They lost their dog. PAST SIMPLE PAST PERFECT She said they had lost their dog.
I have an exam. HAVE/HAS HAD He said he had an exam.
I will go to bed. WILL WOULD She said she would go to bed.
He can tidy the room. CAN COULD She said he could tidy the room.

After present verbs (for example she

DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH
says, I think) we don’t change the
TODAY THAT DAY tenses.
DIRECT SPEECH
NOW THEN I come from Turkey.
TONIGHT THAT NIGHT INDIRECT SPEECH
She says she comes from Turkey.
YESTERDAY THE DAY BEFORE/THE PEREVIOUS DAY
REPORTED QUESTIONS
LAST WEEK/MONTH THE PREVIOUS WEEK/MONTH
In Reported Questions we use
A YEAR/MONTH AGO A YEAR/MONTH BEFORE affirmative word order and the question
mark is omitted. To report a wh-
TOMORROW THE NEXT DAY/THE FOLLOWING DAY
question, we use ask followed by the
NEXT WEEK/MONTH THE FOLLOWING WEEK/MONTH question word (who,what,etc.) When
THIS MORNING THAT MORNING there is no question word in direct
questions, if or whether is used in
NOW THEN REPORTED QUESTIONS.
HERE THERE Pronouns,possesive adjectives,tenses,time
expressions etc.change as in statements.
BEFORE EARLIER
DIRECT SPEECH
We use ask or tell + infinitive (with to), to say what people He asked, “What time is it?”
want(ed) us to do. INDIRECT SPEECH
He asked what time it was.
DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH DIRECT SPEECH
“Please close the door.” She asked me to close the door. He asked me, “Do you know her?”
“Could you phone Tom?” I asked Ann to phone Tom. INDIRECT SPEECH
“Get out!” She told me to get out. He asked me if/whether I knew her.
“Don’t worry.” My mum says me not to worry.
 REWRITE THE SENTENCES IN INDIRECT SPEECH
1.I said”Your boooks are on the desk.”
CIRCLE THE CORRECT ANSWER.
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1.I said/told the driver I wanted to stop.
2.Sam said”I will be at home tomarrow.”
2.My mother said/told there was a letter for me.
----------------------------------------------------
3.Everybody said/told I looked beautiful.
3.The teacher said”You can solve the problem easily.”
4.I didn’t say/tell Peter that I was going away.
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5.He said/told he was tired.
4.My mum said”There aren’t enough eggs to make an
6.Anna said/told she didn’t like Peter.
omlette.”
7.Jack said/told met hat you were ill.
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8.The woman said/told she was a reporter.
5.The policeman said”Give me your driving licience.”
9.They asked me a lot of questions, but I didn’t say/tell
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them anything.
6.He asked”Have you ever seen London before?”
10.Dan said/told that he would wait at the bus stop.
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11.Jim said/told me about the party last night.
7.She said”I forgot my keys.”
12.Our teacher said/told he was pleased with our work.
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13.He said/told he could’t remember her name.
8.Mary said”I have a meeting at 4 p.m.”
14.He said/told me what a beautiful girl she was.
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15.My mother said/told me that she had a headache.

REPORT KATE’S SENTENCES.

1.I’m living in Turkey. 1.---------------------------------------------------

2.My father isn’t at home. 2.--------------------------------------------------

3.I haven’t seen my uncle for 3.--------------------------------------------------

two weeks.
4.--------------------------------------------------
4.I want to go on holiday.
5.---------------------------------------------------
5.I’m going to see my sister.
6.----------------------------------------------------
6.Tom works very hard.
7.---------------------------------------------------
7.They will have an exam tomarrow.
8.---------------------------------------------------
8.I can ride a bike easily.
9.---------------------------------------------------
9.I was in hospital last night.

A POLICEMAN STOPPED A DRIVER AND ASKED HER COMPLETE THE SENTENCES WITH THE RIGHT
SOME QUESTIONS.WRITE THE QUESTIONS IN WORDS.
INDIRECT SPEECH. 1.I’m not happy here.
She said she wasn’t happy -----there-----.
1.What’s your name? 2.I left home at 8 p.m.last night.
---------------------------------------------- She said that she had left home at 8 p.m. ----------.
2.Where is your driving licience? 3.Will you be at home tonight?
------------------------------------------------ She asked me if I would be at home ----------.
3.Where do you live? 4.I am going to call him tomarrow.
------------------------------------------------ She said that she was going to call him ----------.
4.What’s your job? 5.Are you leaving today?
------------------------------------------------ She asked me if I was leaving ----------.
5.Where are you going? 6.I’ll be at home tomarrow morning.
------------------------------------------------ She said she would be at home ----------.
6.Where were you last night? 7.I’m going fishing this week.
------------------------------------------------ She said she was going fishing ----------.