Brief presentation of Reported Speech for Pre-Intermediate students

3. “My life has changed a lot since little Milan was born”!
“I always want to be home early to be with little Milan”!
“I want to have more children with Piqué”!
“I want to have my own football team!”

4. “In a recent interview Shakira said that her life had changed a lot since little Milan was born and
that she always wanted to be home early to be with him.”!
“She told our reporter that she wanted to have more children with Piqué and that she wanted to
have her own football team!”
REPORTED SHEECH

5. REPORTED SPEECH
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
“My life has changed a lot since little Milan was born”!
“I always want to be home early to be with little Milan”!
“I want to have more children with Piqué”!
“I want to have my own football team!”
“In a recent interview Shakira said that her life had changed a lot since little Milan was born and
that she always wanted to be home early to be with him.”!
“She told our reporter that she wanted to have more children with Piqué and that she wanted to
have her own football team!”

6. REPORTED SPEECH
When we report what someone says we can do it in two different ways:!
★ We can use Direct Speech and say the exact words.!
★ We can use Reported Speech. In this case, we report the exact meaning of
what someone said, but we don’t use the exact words.
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH

7. REPORTED SPEECH
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
“She wants to go to Italy” She said she wanted to go to Italy
“They are meeting at six” He said they were meeting at six
In Reported Speech the tenses, word-order and pronouns
may be different from those in the original sentence
Present simple and present continuous tenses

8. REPORTED SPEECH
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
Past simple and past continuos tenses
“I lived in London for 2 months” He said he had lived in London for 2 months
“They were reading your book” He said they had been reading your book

9. REPORTED SPEECH
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
Perfect tenses
“He’s bought a new bike” He said he had bought a new bike.
* The past perfect tense does not change in reported speech
“He had bought a new bike before
he met you”
He said he had bought a new bike.

10. REPORTED SPEECH
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
Can and Will
“I can pick him up” She said she could pick him up
“I’ll be there at six” He said he’d be there at six

11. REPORTED SPEECH
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
May and Must
“I may be late” She said she might e late
You must listen carefully He said he had to listen carefully

12. REPORTED SPEECH
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
Other modals
“She could try again” She said she could try again
“They should leave at six” He said they should leave at six
Other modal verbs don’t change in reported speech

13. REPORTED SPEECH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
Other changes

14. REPORTED SPEECH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
Other changes
“I’ll call him now” He said he would call him then.
“I put it here” He said he had put it there.
“They bought the
house 3 months ago”
“They had bought the house
3 months before”

15. REPORTED SPEECH
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
Other changes
“We are going to the
cinema today”
“I met your cousin
yesterday”
“I haven’t travelled
abroad this year”
They said they were going to
the cinema that day”
He said he had met my
cousin the day before”
She said she hadn't travelled
abroad that year”

16. REPORTED SPEECH
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
Other changes
“They are going to
London tomorrow”
“I met your cousin
last week”
“I’ll visit you next
month”
They said they were going to
London the following day”
He said he had met my
cousin the week before”
She said she would visit me
the following year”

17. REPORTED SPEECH
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
SAY or TELL?
YOU CAN USE “SAID” OR “TOLD” IN REPORTED SPEECH, BUT THEY ARE DIFFERENT.!
YOU CAN’T USE “SAID” WITH OBJECT OR PRONOUN.!
“He said (that) he loved me.”!
“He said me (that) he loved me.”!
!
YOU MUST USE “TOLD” WITH AN OBJECT.!
“He told me (that) he loved me.”!
“He told (that) he loved me.”

18. REPORTED SPEECH
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
Reported questions

19. REPORTED SPEECH
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
Reported questions
“Did you enjoy the
party?”
She asked me whether / if I
had enjoyed the party
The tense of the verb changes as it does in reported speech!
BUT!
the word order is the same as in an affirmative sentence
Yes/no questions

20. REPORTED SPEECH
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
Reported questions
“When does the party
start?”
She asked me when the
party started
The tense of the verb changes as it does in reported speech!
BUT!
the word order is the same as in an affirmative sentence
Wh- questions

21. REPORTED SPEECH
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
Commands

22. REPORTED SPEECH
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
Reporting commands
“Sit down and shut up” The teacher told him to sit
down and shut up

23. REPORTED SPEECH
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
Requests

24. REPORTED SPEECH
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
Reporting requests
“Can you close the window,
please?”
The teacher told him to
close the window

25. REPORTED SPEECH
QUIZ TIME

26. REPORTED SPEECH
QUIZ TIME
Which sentence is correct?
a. He said he will go to the shops later
b. He said he would go to the shops later

27. REPORTED SPEECH
QUIZ TIME
Which sentence is correct?
a. He asked if I was in love
b. He said if was I in love

28. REPORTED SPEECH
QUIZ TIME
Which sentence is correct?
a. He told me to go away
b. He said me to go away

29. REPORTED SPEECH
QUIZ TIME
Which sentence is correct?
a. She asked where the meeting was
b. She asked where was the meeting

30. REPORTED SPEECH
QUIZ TIME
Which sentence is correct?
a. They said that they has had to leave at once
b. They said that they had to leave at once

31. REPORTED SPEECH
QUIZ TIME
Which sentence is correct?
a. He said they had never been there
b. He said they never were there

32. REPORTED SPEECH
Report their words
Flashcards from busyteacher.org
She said: “It’s easy. I’ll teach you”

33. REPORTED SPEECH
Report their words
Flashcards from busyteacher.org
She said that using chopsticks was easy and that
she would teach me

34. REPORTED SPEECH
Report their words
Flashcards from busyteacher.org
He said: “Sign at the bottom, please”

35. REPORTED SPEECH
Report their words
Flashcards from busyteacher.org
He told him to sign at the bottom

36. REPORTED SPEECH
Report their words
Flashcards from busyteacher.org
She said: “Dinner’s ready. Will you
set the table, please”

37. REPORTED SPEECH
Report their words
Flashcards from busyteacher.org
She said that dinner was ready and
asked me to set the table

38. REPORTED SPEECH
Report their words
Flashcards from busyteacher.org
He said: “I’ve found some
footprints”

39. REPORTED SPEECH
Report their words
Flashcards from busyteacher.org
He said that he had found some
footprints

40. REPORTED SPEECH
Report their words
Flashcards from busyteacher.org
He said: “Don’t tell my parents,
please”

41. REPORTED SPEECH
Report their words
Flashcards from busyteacher.org
He told him not to tell his parents

42. REPORTED SPEECH
Report their words
Flashcards from busyteacher.org
They said: “Don’t be shy! Give us a
hug”

43. REPORTED SPEECH
Report their words
Flashcards from busyteacher.org
They told us not to be shy and to
give them a hug

44. REPORTED SPEECH
Online exercises
★ British Council: Exercise 1!
★ British Council: Exercise 2!
★ British Council: Reported questions

45. REPORTED SPEECH
OR
HOW TO GOSSIP