Reported Speech, Direct Speech, Indirect Speech, ESL, English, Grammar, Intermediate

1. “HE SAID / SHE SAID”
Reported Speech
“I’m sick
today.”
She said
she is sick
today.

2. Discussion Questions

3. When would a person use
‘reported speech’?

4. Reported speech (aka: indirect speech) is
commonly used in spoken conversations and
in writing to report what others have said.
When you want to report what someone else
has said:
We can use Direct Speech:
“He said, ‘I love
you’”.
We can use Indirect
Speech:
“He said that he
loved me.”
Option 1 Option 2

5. Have you ever eavesdropped on a
conversation? What do you do if
you notice someone
eavesdropping on you?

6. Can you ‘report’ back a news story
that you heard or read recently?

7. Can you tell me about a conversation
you had with your boss / colleague
recently?

8. Can you talk about a conversation you
recently had with a friend or family
member?

9. Have you had to speak in a direct way to
someone recently? What did you say?

10. Some reported speech
examples…

12. So, what did her mother say exactly?

13. When people report back
information, they usually use the
word “Said” and “Asked”.
Can you think of other words to
use?

14. Alternatives to “Said”
- admitted
- Mentioned
- told
- explained
- replied (that)
- felt (that)
- revealed
- commanded

15. Alternatives to Asked
- Requested
- Wanted
- inquired (whether)
- questioned
- begged
- pleaded
- interrogated

16. Reported Speech Quiz: Test your
knowledge

17. In the reported speech sentence, which word is optional?
“He said that it was raining outside.”

18. Mary: “Where is it”
a) Mary said where is it.
b) Mary asked where it was.
c) Mary asked where was it.

19. Mary: “Where is it”
a) Mary said where is it.
b) Mary asked where it was.
c) Mary asked where was it.

20. “I bought a motorbike last week.”
Last week, he said he bought a motorbike ______
a) a week ago
b) next week
c) the week before

21. “I bought a motorbike last week.”
Last week, he said he bought a motorbike ______
a) a week ago
b) next week
c) the week before

22. Which of these is usually required with
reported YES/NO questions?
a) if
b) do
c) why

23. Which of these is usually required with
reported YES/NO questions?
a) if (or whether)
b) do
c) why
He asked if I could help.
He asked whether I could help.

24. Tom asked me what I did on the weekend.
What were Tom’s exact words:
a) “Did you do something on the weekend?”
b) “What did you do on the weekend?”
c) “What did you do last weekend?”

25. Tom asked me what I did on the weekend.
What were Tom’s exact words:
a) “Did you do something on the weekend?”
b) “What did you do on the weekend?”
c) “What did you do last weekend?”

26. “Come to my office.” is a….
a) Direct order
b) Direct request
c) Reported order

27. “Come to my office.” is a….
a) Direct order
b) Direct request
c) Reported order

28. “Turn down your music.” said her boss.
Can you make this into a Reported Or

29. “Turn down your music.” said her boss.
Can you make this into a Reported Or
Her boss told her to turn down her music.
demanded she
instructed her to
commanded her to
ordered her to

30. “Please wipe your feet.”
I asked them to…
a) wipe their feet please.
b) wipe your feet please.
c) wipe their feet.

31. “Please wipe your feet.”
I asked them to…
a) wipe their feet please.
b) wipe your feet please.
c) wipe their feet.

32. She always asks me not to be late.
She always says…
a) “Not to be late!”
b) “Don’t be late.”
c) “Please don’t be late.”

33. She always asks me not to be late.
She always says…
a) “Not to be late!”
b) “Don’t be late.”
c) “Please don’t be late.”

34. The Friend Quiz
 How well do you know each other?
 Answer the following questions
 1) using the correct pronouns (she/he; his/her)
 2) Reported Speech form: ex. “She said she
had…”

35. When is your friend’s Birthday?
*his/her birthday is ....

36. Where is your friend’s hometown?

37. How many years has your friend worked for their
current company?
“She/he told me that she/he has worked for her/his current company for ______ years
“She/he said that she/he has worked for her/his current company for ______ years.”
example response:

38. What’s your friend’s favorite color to wear?

39. Your friend asks you to pick them up their favorite f
What food would you get?

40. If you invited your friend to do something, which
activity would they prefer to do?:
a) sit in a café and chat
b) go shopping
c) hang out at home and cook
d) watch a movie at the cinema
e) something else

41. Do you know what your friend’s biggest fear is?

42. Do you know the name of your friend’s ‘most challenging
work colleague?

43. Do you know the name(s) of your friend’s sibling(s)?

44. Do you know your friend’s shoe size?

45. Watch the following video and
report what happened.

46. 1. How long did Emma say she
booked the deluxe suite?
3 Nights

47. Emma/She said she booked the deluxe suite for
3 nights.
Emma said, “My name is Emma Wallace and I
have booked the deluxe suite for 3 nights.”
Reported Speech:

48. “What did Emma say to the
receptionist when she couldn’t find
her pen?”

49. Emma said, “Could I use your pen?”
Emma asked the receptionist if she could
use her pen.
She asked her if she could use her pen.
Reported Speech

50. What did the receptionist say when Emma
asked what time breakfast was served?

51. The receptionist said, “Breakfast is serve
from 7am to 9:30am in the restaurant.”
The receptionist said that breakfast was
served from 7am to 9:30am in the restaurant.”
She: …replied that…responded
that…answered that…told her that…
Reported Speech

52. What special request did Emma
ask for regarding her breakfast?
Room Service, 11AM

53. Emma asked, “Would it be possible to ha
room service later on. Let’s say, 11:30?”
Emma asked if it were/would be possible to
have
room service at 11:30.
She… requested to have… asked to
Reported Speech

54. What was Emma’s final request to the
receptionist?

55. Emma requested, “Could you take a
photo of me here in the hotel? My fans
will love it?”
Emma asked the receptionist if she could take
her photo in the hotel because her fans would
love it.
She wanted her (the receptionist) to take a
Reported Speech

56. THE RULES OF
REPORTING SPEECH
Grammar Rules

57. Present statements  Past
tense
Am / Is  Was
Do/Does  Did
Have/has  Has
Go  Went
Will  Would
Can  Could
Want  Wanted
Let’s Practice

58. John: “I’m going.”

59. John: “I’m going.”
John said that he was going.

60. Jane: “He is tall.”

61. Jane: “He is tall.”
Jane said that he was tall.

62. John: “I always do my work.”

63. John: “I always do my work.”
John said that he always did his work.

64. Jane: “My boss doesn’t
understand.”

65. Jane: “My boss doesn’t
understand.”
Jane said that her boss didn’t understand

66. John: “I have your email.”

67. John: “I have your email.”
John said that he had my email.

68. Jane: “She has caught a terrible
cold.”

69. Jane: “Mary has caught a terrible
cold.”
Jane said that Mary had caught a terrible cold.

70. John: I go to the gym on
Sundays

71. John: I go to the gym on
Sundays
John said that we went to the gym on Sund

72. Jane: “I’ll call Dr. Smith.”

73. Jane: “I’ll call Dr. Smith.”
Jane said she would call Dr. Smith.

74. John: “I can exceed the target.”

75. John: “I can exceed the target.”
John said he could exceed the targ

76. Jane: “I want to be promoted.”

77. Jane: “I want to be promoted.”
Jane said she wanted to be promoted

78. No Change to the Verb
When direct speech uses the past tense we do not need to make a change:

79. John: “I broke my arm.”

80. John: “I broke my arm.”
John said he broke his arm.

81. Jane: “I forgot to call you!”

82. Jane: “I forgot to call you!”
Jane said she forgot to call me.

83. Reported Speech for Questions
This type of question is reported by using 'ask' + 'if / whether' +
clause:
Yes/No Questions:
Question Words:
This type of question is reported by using 'ask' (or another verb like 'ask') +
question word + clause.
The clause contains the question, in normal word order and with the necessary
tense change.

84. John: “Where does Jane live?”

85. John: “Where does Jane live?”
John asked him where Jane lived.

86. Jane: “Where are you going?”

87. Jane: “Where are you going?”
Jane asked where
I was going.

88. John: “Are you okay?”

89. John: “Are you okay?”
John asked if I was okay.
wondered whether
questioned whether

90. Jane: “Are you free on Friday?”

91. Jane: “Are you free on Friday?”
Jane asked whether I was free on Friday.

92. John: “Where are we having the
conference?”

93. John: “Where are we having the
conference?”
John enquired where we would have the conferenc
John asked where we were having the conference.

94. Jane: “What’s your favorite
color.”

95. Jane: “What’s your favorite
color.”
Jane asked me my favorite color.
Jane asked me what my favorite color was.

96. John: “Why are we meeting at
5?”

97. John: “Why are we meeting at
5?”
John asked (me) why
we were meeting at 5.

98. More Practice

99. “I always drink coffee.”

100. “I always drink coffee.”
She said she always drank coffee.

101. “I’m reading a history book.”

102. “I’m reading a history book.”
He explained that he was reading a history book.

103. “My sister and her family arrived on Sunday
she said.

104. “My sister and her family arrived on Sunday,
she said.
She said her sister & her family had arrived on Sunday.

105. “I’ve been to Spain” he told me.

106. “I’ve been to Spain” he told me.
He told me he had been to Spain.

107. “I had just bought my airline ticket” she explained.

108. “I had just bought my airline ticket” she explained.
She explained that she had just bough
her airline ticket.

109. “We’ve been waiting for hours!” They complained.

110. “We’ve been waiting for hours!” They complained.
They complained that they had been
waiting for hours.

111. I’ll be traveling next week.”