English DepartmentEnglish Department
Reported (or indirect) speechReported (or indirect) speech CPI Tino GrandíoCPI Tino Grandío
GENERAL RULES
 Tenses change from present to past (if we are
talking about what somebody said in the past):
o “I am 15.”  He said he was 15.
o “We have a problem.”  They said they
had a problem.
o “I can swim.”  She said that she could
swim.
o “She comes by bus.”  He said that she
came by bus.
o “Your sister doesn’t like pizza.”  She said that my sister didn’t like pizza.
o “You are looking through the window.”
 He said that I was looking through
the window.
o “They will probably fail.”  She said
that they would probably fail.
o “My mother saw a mouse.”  She said
that her mother had seen a mouse.
 Personal pronouns change (if somebody is
telling what somebody else has said before):
o “I am 15.”  He said he was 15.
o “My mother saw a mouse.”  She said that her mother had seen a mouse.
o “We saw you at the cinema.”  They said that they had seen me at the cinema.
 Place and time complements have to be adapted to the new context:
o “He came here.”  They said that he had gone there.
o “It’s raining today”  Jake said that it was raining then / yesterday.
o “I saw you last week.”  She said that she had seen me the week before.
Statements
 Tell and say are common reporting verbs. (Tell is used before an indirect object.):
o She said that she liked pizza.
o My mother told me to go with her.
o Everyone said that the lesson was very difficult.
o He told his friends about my illness.
 Other verbs can be used: know, promise, insist, warn...
 That can be omitted after say:
o She said that she liked pizza.  She said she liked pizza.
o They knew that he liked her.  They knew she liked her.
Questions
 Typical reporting verbs are: ask, wonder, want to know.
o He wanted to know the opening times of the museum.
o She wondered how old my mother was.
 If the question is answered with yes or no, if should be introduced before the indirect
question:
o My sister asked if you wanted to come with us.
o I wondered if she was watching the programme on TV.
 Subject always comes before the verb:
o She asked me how old I was.
Imperatives
 We use ask / tell + object + (not) + to + infinitive to say what people want(ed) us to do:
o “Please, open the window.”  She asked us to open the window.
o “Tidy your room.”  My father told me to tidy my room.
o “Don’t smoke here.”  My aunt asked me not to smoke in her car.
AM / ARE / IS  WAS / WERE
HAVE / HAS  HAD
WILL  WOULD
CAN  COULD
MAY  MIGHT
MUST HAD TO
DO / DOES  DID
SIMPLE PRESENT  SIMPLE PAST
PRES. CONTINUOUS  PAST CONTINUOUS
SIMPLE PAST  PAST PERFECT
NOW  THEN, AT THE TIME
TODAY  THAT DAY, ON TUESDAY...
YESTERDAY  THE DAY BEFORE, THE
PREVIOUS DAY
TOMORROW  THE FOLLOWING DAY, ON
SUNDAY...
THIS WEEK  THAT WEEK
LAST WEEK  THE WEEK BEFORE, THE
PREVIOUS WEEK
AN HOUR AGO  AN HOUR EARLIER / BEFORE

1. Choose the right reporting verb, said or told:
a. Abby ___________ me she really liked Lewis.
b. We ___________ we’d buy a new computer.
c. Ana ____________ her mum that she was feeling nervous about the exam.
d. I ____________ you I saw them talking in the street.
e. Paco __________ that he was going home.
f. They ___________ they’d lend us some money.
2. Complete the following statements in reported speech.
a. ‘We’ll walk,’ we said.  The bus was late so we said we’d walk.
b. ‘I feel ill,’ said Ben.  We were about to start the exam, when Ben…
c. ‘It’s going to rain,’ said Mum.  We wanted to play football in the park, but Mum...
d. Sue said, ‘I can’t come.’  We all wanted to go to the cinema but Sue…
e. ‘I’ll help you,’ Adrian said.  I couldn’t move the furniture myself, so Adrian…
f. ‘The computer isn’t working,’ Ann and Rob said.  Ann and Rob couldn’t do their work
because they…
g. ‘I’ll apologise later,’ said Lewis.  We told Lewis that Fatima was upset with him, so
he…
3. Cecilia is thinking about what many people said to her yesterday. Look at the
picture and complete the sentences:
a. Mrs Whitaker said that I ...
b. My teacher...
c. My brother...
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
4. Now write some sentences telling about what people have told or asked you
lately:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
c My brother asked:
“Can you help me
tomorrow?”
d My mother
said: “Clean
your
bedroom
now.”
g My father
said: “Don’t
watch that
film.”
h Pete asked: “Do you
have a boyfriend?”
a Mrs. Whitaker said,
“You can’t be Helen’s
daughter.”
e My brother said:
“You are using my
new computer.”
b My teacher
said : “You are a
very good
student.”
f Lisa said : “I’ll
invite you to my
birthday party
next week.”