Step 6 Reported statements in

the past
Task 1 - When the introduction is in past simple we have to go back a tense. In the first
task you have to identify the tense of the sentence, write it into the correct box, then
make a reported statement from it. Look at the example.
Your mother will have been sewing my blanket for 10 hours by 5 p.m.
I had been waiting for you for hours before the film.
I like chocolate.
I was riding a bike at 5 oclock yesterday.
You are cleaning your teeth now.
I will win the election.I have swum 5 miles since 2 oclock.
You won the championship yesterday.
I will have completed the task by 4 p.m.
I had done the washing-up before it.
I have been reading this book for 6 hours.
I will be flying to New York this time tomorrow.

DIRECT SPEECHINDIRECT SPEECHPresent SimplePast Simplee.g.: I like chocolate.She said to

him she liked chocolate.Present ContinuousPast ContinuousShe said to himPresent PerfectPast
PerfectShe said to himPresent Perfect ContinuousPast Perfect ContinuousShe said to himPast
SimplePast PerfectShe said to himPast ContinuousPast Perfect ContinuousShe said to himPast
PerfectPast PerfectShe said to himPast Perfect ContinuousPast Perfect ContinuousShe said to
himFuture Simplewould + V1She said to himFuture Continuouswould + be + V-ingShe said to
himFuture Perfectwould + have + V3She said to himFuture Perfect Continuouswould + have +
been + V-ingShe said to him

Task 2 - Make indirect sentences in the

past.
1)

My purse was found by the bus driver. Mary

to Peter
_______________________________________
_____________________________________
2) My friend has his suit sewed. Lily to the girls
_______________________________________
_____________________________________
3) You will win the Nobel Prize. She to me
_______________________________________
_____________________________________
4) We often go to the cinema on Fridays. They to
Sam
_______________________________________
_____________________________________
5) Were going to send you an email with the
further details. Mr Barns to Mrs Johnson
_______________________________________
_____________________________________
6) I was studying all day yesterday. Eva to her
mother
_______________________________________
_____________________________________
7) Ive been washing your dirty clothes all
morning. Tina to Ben
_______________________________________
_____________________________________
8) I would like to organize our wedding reception.
She to me
_______________________________________
_____________________________________
9) This time next week I will be lying on the beach
in Costa Rica. Lily to the girls
_______________________________________
_____________________________________
10) You are reading this book too close. The
teacher to Phil
_______________________________________
_____________________________________

Task 3 - Make indirect sentences in the

past. Now the receiver (Y) is given in the
direct sentence.
1)

Mum: Children, we have been digging the

whole garden all afternoon.
____________________________________
__________________________________
2) Greg: Mother, I dont really want to hurt
you.
____________________________________
__________________________________
3) Mrs Drill: Philip, you have been rather rude
to your parents.
____________________________________
__________________________________
4) Ms Stone: Margaret, your mother will be
proud of you for this composition.
____________________________________
__________________________________
5) Grandma: Sam and Peter, the dinner is
ready.
____________________________________
__________________________________
6) Mrs Farrell: Mr Kyle, my guests arrived an
hour ago.
____________________________________
__________________________________
7) Mr Marvel: Mrs Lodge, I think your son is
going out tonight.
____________________________________
__________________________________
8) Daisy: Lana, I am going to lose some
weight.
____________________________________
__________________________________
9) Doug: Daddy, this Maths homework is too
difficult for me.
____________________________________
__________________________________
10) Tom: Peggy, Im leaving you for ever.
____________________________________
__________________________________

Task 4 Connect the sentences using

indirect speech in the past.

Task 5 Make indirect sentences in the

past. Be careful! There are modal verbs in
the sentences.

1) Im writing a letter to my grandma now.

Her birthday is today. Tom to Peter
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
_____________________________

1)

2) I have improved my invention. The design

wasnt good enough. Frank to me
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
_____________________________
3) I have been in this museum twice this
month. The exhibition is so nice, so I
decided to visit it again. Anne to me
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
_____________________________
4) My students are going to take an
entrance exam this week. This will be
their biggest challenge. Donna to Luke
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
_____________________________

I should give up eating so much fatty food.

Peter to me

__________________________________
________________________________
2) You must finish your book. Mary to Peter

__________________________________
________________________________
3) You can survive this nightmare. They to
Sam

__________________________________
________________________________

4) I mustnt play with the matches. Tim to Amy

__________________________________
________________________________
5) I used to play basketball. Gavin to Bill

__________________________________
________________________________
6) We could help you if you needed. They to
Sam

__________________________________
________________________________
7) We neednt hurry, we have plenty of time.
Elise to Mark

__________________________________
________________________________
8) I may catch the bus. Ralph to Mary

__________________________________
________________________________
9) You ought to call the police. Mum to dad

__________________________________
________________________________
10) You had better switch off the torch. Davy
to Lilly

__________________________________
________________________________

http://www.phillipmartin.info/clipart/homepage.htm
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By Zsuzsapszi

Solution
Task 1
DIRECT SPEECH

Present Simple
e.g.: I like chocolate.

Present Continuous
You are cleaning your teeth now.

I have

I have

Present Perfect
swum 5 miles since 2 oclock.
Present Perfect Continuous
been reading this book for 6 hours.

Past Simple
You won the championship yesterday.

Past Continuous
I was riding a bike at 5 oclock yesterday.

Past Perfect
I had done the washing-up before it.

Past Perfect Continuous

I had been waiting for you for hours before the
film.

Future Simple
I will win the election.

Future Continuous
I will be flying to New York this time tomorrow.

Future Perfect
I will have completed the task by 4 p.m.

Future Perfect Continuous

Your mother will have been sewing my blanket
for 10 hours by 5 p.m.

INDIRECT SPEECH

Past Simple
She said to him she liked chocolate.

Past Continuous
She said to him he was cleaning his teeth
then.

Past Perfect
She said to him

Past Perfect Continuous

She said to him she had been reading that
book for 6 hours.

Past Perfect
She said to him he had won the championship
the day before / the previous day.

Past Perfect Continuous

She said to him she had been riding a bike at
5 oclock the day before / the previous day.

Past Perfect
She said to him she had done the washing-up
before it.

Past Perfect Continuous

She said to him she had been waiting for him
for hours before the film.

would + V1
She said to him she would win the election.

would + be + V-ing
She said to him she would be flying to New
York that time the following day / the next
day.

would + have + V3
She said to him she would have completed
the task by 4 p.m.

would + have + been + V-ing

She said to him his mother would have been
sewing her blanket for 10 hours by 5 p.m.

Task 2
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)

Mary said to Peter her purse had been found by the bus driver.
Lily said to the girls her friend had his suit sewed.
She said to me I would win the Nobel Prize.
They said to Sam they often went to the cinema on Fridays.
Mr Barns said to Mrs Johnson they were going to send her an email with the further details.
Eva said to her mother she had been studying all day the day before / the previous day.
Tina said to Ben she had been washing his dirty clothes all morning.

8) She said to me she would like to organize their / our wedding reception. (Our remains our
when she will marry me)
9) Lily said to the girls that time the next /the following week she would be lying on the beach
in Costa Rica.
10) The teacher said to Phil he was reading that book too close.

Task 3
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

Mum said to the children they had been digging the whole garden all afternoon.
Greg said to his mother he didnt really want to hurt her.
Mrs Drill said to Philip he had been rather rude to his parents.
Ms Stone said to Margaret her mother would be proud of her for that composition.
Grandma said to Sam and Peter (that) the dinner was ready.
Mrs Farrell said to Mr Kyle her guests had arrived an hour before.
Mr Marvel said to Mrs Lodge he thought her son was going out that night.
Daisy said to Lana she was going to lose some weight.
Doug said to Daddy that Maths homework was too difficult for him.
Tom said to Peggy he was leaving her for ever.

Task 4 - These are only examples. There are several possible answers.

1) Tom said to Peter he was writing a letter to his grandma then and added that her birthday
was that day.
2) Frank said to me he had improved his invention and added / because the design hadnt been
good enough.
3) Anne said to me she had been in that museum twice that month whats more the exhibition
was so nice, so she decided to visit it again.
4) Donna said to Luke her students were going to take an entrance exam that week as well as
that would be their biggest challenge.

Task 5 (The ss can use other introductory verbs as well.)

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

Peter said to me he should give up eating so much fatty food.

Mary said to Peter he had to finish his book.
They said to Sam he could survive that nightmare.
Tim said to Amy he wasnt to play with the matches.
Gavin said to Bill he used to play basketball.
They said to Sam they could help him if he needed.
Elise said to Mark they didnt have to hurry, they had plenty of time.
Ralph said to Mary he might catch the bus.
Mum said to dad he ought to call the police.
Davy said to Lily she had better switch off the torch.