DIRECT SPEECH TO REPORTED SPEECH
TENSES
REPORTED SPEECH TO DIRECT SPEECH
change the direct questions to reported questions
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

change the direct question to reported question.

 "Is John at home?" she asked.

She asked me if John was at home.

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 SHOPPING THAT AFTERNOON.
"WE HAVE BEEN SHOPPING THIS AFTERNOON", MY FRIENDS SAID.
200

change the direct question to reported question.

 "“Where will you live after graduation?” she asked.

She asked me ........

She asked me where I would live after graduation.

200
IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "NOW" TO...
THEN
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 SIMPLE OR PAST PERFECT
300
SHE SAID THAT HER FATHER MUST TRAVEL A LOT BECAUSE HE IS A SALESMAN.
"MY FATHER MUST TRAVEL A LOT BECAUSE HE'S A SALESMAN", SHE SAID.
300

change the direct question to reported question.

 "Is the weather good in Shanghai in the summer? " she asked.

She asked me if the weather was good in Shanghai in the summer.

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...
COULD
400
SUE TOLD ME THAT MARY'S BOYFRIEND LIVES[*ED] IN PARIS.
"MARY'S BOYFRIEND LIVES IN PARIS", SUE TOLD ME.
400

change the direct question to reported question.

 "Are you working tonight?" she asked.

She asked me if I was working tonight (that night).

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 "MAY" TO...
MIGHT
500
HIS TEACHER TOLD HIM TO DO HIS HOMEWORK ON TIME IF HE WANTED TO GET A GOOD GRADE.
"DO YOUR HOMEWORK ON TIME IF YOU WANT TO GET A GOOD GRADE", HIS TEACHER SAID.
500

change the direct question to reported question.

“What were you doing when I saw you?” she asked.

She asked me

She asked me what I had been doing when she saw (had seen) me.

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