DIRECT SPEECH TO REPORTED SPEECH
TENSES
REPORTED SPEECH TO DIRECT SPEECH
TRUE / FALSE
TIME EXPRESSIONS
100

"I AM EXHAUSTED" TIM SAID.

TIM SAID THAT HE WAS EXHAUSTED.

100
IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "PRESENT TENSE" TO...
PAST TENSE
100
SHE SAID THAT THERE WERE THREE PEOPLE WAITING AT THE BUS STOP.
"THERE ARE THREE PEOPLE WAITING AT THE BUS STOP", SHE SAID.
100

WE USE DIRECT SPEECH WITH SPEECH MARKS "" WHEN WE WANT TO REPEAT WHAT SOMEBODY SAYS OR SAID.

FALSE - WE USE INDIRECT SPEECH TO REPEAT WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

100
IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "TODAY" TO...
THAT DAY
200
"I WILL BUY A HOUSE ONE DAY" SARA SAID.
SARA SAID SHE WOULD BUY A HOUSE ONE DAY.
200
IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "PRESENT PERFECT" TO...
PAST PERFECT
200

MY FRIENDS SAID THAT THEY HAD BEEN TO THE SHOPPING CENTRE THAT AFTERNOON.

"WE HAVE BEEN TO THE SHOPPING CENTRE THIS AFTERNOON", MY FRIENDS SAID.

200
WHEN WE REPORT WHAT SOMEBODY SAID IN THE PAST WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE TENSE WE USE IN REPORTED SPEECH.
TRUE
200

IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "NOW" TO...

THEN/AT THAT MOMENT

300
"I CAN GET A JOB IN LONDON" TIM TOLD ME.
TIM TOLD ME THAT HE COULD GET A JOB IN LONDON.
300

IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "PAST SIMPLE" TO...

PAST PERFECT (OR LEAVE AS PAST SIMPLE)

300

SHE SAID THAT HER FATHER HAD TO TRAVEL A LOT.

"MY FATHER MUST TRAVEL A LOT", SHE SAID.

300

THIS PHRASE IS ALSO CORRECT OF WE TAKE AWAY THE FIRST "THAT"

James said that he was going to come to the party tomorrow.

TRUE! "THAT" IS OPTIONAL HERE !

300
IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "YESTERDAY" TO...
THE PREVIOUS DAY, THE DAY BEFORE
400
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON SATURDAY" HE ASKED HER.
HE ASKED HER WHAT SHE WAS DOING ON SATURDAY.
400

IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "CAN" TO AND "SHALL" TO ...

COULD

SHOULD

400

SUE TOLD ME THAT MARY'S BOYFRIEND LIVED IN PARIS.

"MARY'S BOYFRIEND LIVES IN PARIS", SUE TOLD ME.

400

Tim told she that he would be there at 7 o'clock.

FALSE - 


TIM TOLD HER... (USE THE OBJECT PRONOUN)
400
IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "TOMORROW" TO...
THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE NEXT DAY
500
"DON'T SMOKE HERE" I TOLD ANN.
I TOLD ANN NOT TO SMOKE THERE.
500

IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "MUST" TO, AND "PAST PERFECT"...

HAD TO

PAST PERFECT - STAYS THE SAME

500

HIS TEACHER TOLD HIM TO DO HIS HOMEWORK ON TIME.

"DO YOUR HOMEWORK ON TIME", HIS TEACHER SAID.

500

IN REPORTED SPEECH WE OFTEN USE THE VERBS "SAY" AND "TELL". 

WE USE TELL WITH A PREPOSITION "TELL TO SOMEBODY" 

WE USE SAY WITHOUT A PREPOSITION "SAY SOMEBODY" 

FALSE

TELL SOMEBODY

SAY TO SOMEBODY

500
IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "THREE DAYS AGO" TO...
THREE DAYS BEFORE
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