Reported

speech

© Ana Santos, Catarina Pedrosa e Clara Bugalhão | LeYa Educação

Reported speech - statements

Look at the example.

I am a singer these days but Beyoncé said that she was a singer
I was a floor sweeper before those days but she had been a floor
fame. sweeper before fame.

DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH

When we transform a sentence from direct speech into reported

speech we have to make some changes. Pay attention!

© Ana Santos, Catarina Pedrosa e Clara Bugalhão | LeYa Educação

 VERB TENSES

DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH

present simple past simple

go went

present continuous past continuous

is / are doing was / were doing

© Ana Santos, Catarina Pedrosa e Clara Bugalhão | LeYa Educação
 DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH

past simple past perfect

became had become

present perfect past perfect

has / have done had done

future (will) conditional (would)

will go would go
PERSONAL PRONOUNS / POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS / DETERMINERS

DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH

I / you he / she
we / you they

my her / his

your her / his / their

our their

mine his / hers

yours theirs

ours theirs
© Ana Santos, Catarina Pedrosa e Clara Bugalhão | LeYa Educação
 TIME / PLACE EXPRESSIONS

DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH

yesterday the day before / the previous day

now then / at that moment

today / tonight that day / that night

tomorrow the following day / the next day / the day after

next week the following week / the next week

last week the week before / the previous week

a year ago a year before

here there
this / these that / those
 Let’s practise!
A. Write these statements in reported speech.
Don’t forget to make the changes.
1. “I was so happy when I worked in the supermarket.”
that she was very happy when she had worked in the supermarket.
Cardi B said _______________________________________________________________

2. “We’re going to start working in a summer camp this summer.”

that they were going to start working in a summer camp
Jimmy and Mia told their teacher _______________________________________________
that summer._______________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
3. “My sister is happy today because she was promoted.”
that her sister wasted all her time on social media instead of looking for a new job.
Olivia said _________________________________________________________________

4. “I’m exhausted.that
I’m working
she was twelve hours
exhausted a day this
because week.”
she was working 12 hours a day that week.
Catherine said _________________________________________________