Reported Speech Grammar Summary

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Direct Speech

Reported Speech

Present Simple

Past Simple

She said, ! Iam happy.

He said, I work every day.

She said that she was happy.

He said that he worked every day.

Present Continuous

Past Continuous

You said, The are swimming.

You said that they were swimming.

Present Perfect Simple

Past Perfect Simple

He said, I have bought a car.

He said that he had bought a car.

Past Simple

Past Perfect Simple

He said, I bought a new car.

He said that he had bought a new car.

Past Continuous

Past Perfect Continuous

You said, I was working.

You said that you had been working.

Future of Intention: going to

Past of Intention: going to

She said, I am going to win.

She said that she was going to win.

Future Simple

Conditional

They said, We will lose.

They said that they would lose.

Future Perfect

Perfect Conditional

She said, I will have bought it by Friday.

She said that she would have bought it by

Friday.

Future Continuous

Progressive (Continuous) Conditional

She said, I will be having tea at 4pm.

She said that she would be having tea at 4pm.

Present Perfect Continuous

Past Perfect Continuous

She said, I have been painting the ceiling.

She said that she had been painting the ceiling.

AUXILIARY VERBS
can / am able to

could / was able to

She said, I can play the guitar.

She said that she could play the guitar.

may

might

She said, I may go to the museum later.

She said that she might go to the museum later.

must

had to

She said, I must finish my homework.

She said that she had to finish her homework.

OTHER AUXILIARY VERBS

Other auxiliary verbs have no past form so they do not change:

could
He said, I could fly because the weather was fine.

He said he could fly because .

ought to
They said, We ought to pay him a better salary.

They said they ought to pay him .

used to
She said, I used to live in London.

She told me she used to live in London.

Past Perfect tenses, Conditional tenses and the Past of Intention cannot be made more
past, so these tenses do not change.
Past Perfect Simple
He said, I had gone to bed very early.

He said he had gone to bed very early.

Conditional
They said, We would visit Venice if we could.

They said they would visit Venice if they could.

Exercise 1: Reported Speech Put the following sentences into reported speech
1. John:"Mandy is at home."
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2. Max:"Frank often reads a book."

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3. Susan:"I'm watching TV."

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4. Simon:"David was ill."

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5. Peggy:"The girls helped in the house."

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6. Richard:"I am going to ride a skateboard."

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7. Stephen and Claire:"We have cleaned the windows."

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8. Charles:"I didn't have time to do my homework."

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9. Mrs Jones:"My mother will be 50 years old."

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10. Jean:"The boss must sign the letter."

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Exercise 2: Reported Questions Put the following sentences into reported questions
1. Christopher:"Do you want to dance?"
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2. Betty:"When did you come?"

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3. Mark:"Has John arrived?"

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4. Ronald:"Where does Maria park her car?"

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5. Elisabeth:"Did you watch the latest film?"

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6. Mandy:"Can I help you?"

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7. Andrew:"Will Mandy have lunch with Sue?"

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8. Justin:"What are you doing?"

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9. Frank:"How much pocket money does Lisa get?"

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10. Anne:"Must I do the shopping?"

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Answers: Exercise 1
1. John: "Mandy is at home."
John said that Mandy was at home
2.

Max: "Frank often reads a book."

Max told me that Frank often read a book

3.

Susan: "I'm watching TV."

Susan said to me that she was watching TV

4.

Simon: "David was ill."

Simon said that David had been ill

5.

Peggy: "The girls helped in the house."

Peggy told me that the girls had helped in the house

6.

Richard: "I am going to ride a skateboard."

Richard said to me that he was going to ride a skateboard

7.

Stephen and Claire: "We have cleaned the windows."

Stephen and Claire told me that they had cleaned the windows

8.

Charles: "I didn't have time to do my homework."

Charles remarked that he hadn't had time to do his homework

9.

Mrs Jones: "My mother will be 50 years old."

Mrs Jones told me that her mother would be 50 years old

10. Jean: "The boss must sign the letter."

Jean said that the boss had to sign the letter
Answers: Exercise 2
1) Christopher: "Do you want to dance?"
Christopher asked me if I wanted to dance
2)

Betty: "When did you come?"

Betty wanted to know when I had come

3)

Mark: "Has John arrived?"

Mark asked me if John had arrived

4)

Ronald: "Where does Maria park her car?"

Ronald asked me where Maria parked her car

5)

Elisabeth: "Did you watch the latest film?"

Elisabeth asked me if I had watched the latest film

6)

Mandy: "Can I help you?"

Mandy wanted to know if she could help me

7)

Andrew: "Will Mandy have lunch with Sue?"

Andrew asked me if Mandy would have lunch with Sue

8)

Justin: "What are you doing?"

Justin asked me what I was doing

9)

Frank: "How much pocket money does Lisa get?"

Frank wanted to know how much pocket money Lisa got

10) Anne: "Must I do the shopping?"

Anne asked if she had to do the shopping