DIRECT SPEECH TO REPORTED SPEECH
"I AM EXHAUSTED" TIM SAID.
TIM SAID (THAT) HE WAS EXHAUSTED.
IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "PRESENT TENSE" TO...
PAST TENSE
SHE SAID THAT THERE WERE THREE PEOPLE WAITING AT THE BUS STOP.
"THERE ARE THREE PEOPLE WAITING AT THE BUS STOP", SHE SAID.
"Are you going to the party?", she asked.
She asked (me) if I was going to the party.
IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "TODAY" TO...
THAT DAY
"I WILL BUY A HOUSE ONE DAY" SARA SAID.
SARA SAID (THAT) SHE WOULD BUY A HOUSE ONE DAY.
IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "PRESENT PERFECT" TO...
PAST PERFECT
MY FRIENDS SAID THAT THEY HAD BEEN SHOPPING THAT AFTERNOON.
"WE HAVE BEEN SHOPPING THIS AFTERNOON", MY FRIENDS SAID.
"What will you do about that?", the mother asked his son.
The mother asked his son what he would do about that.
IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "NOW" TO...
THEN
"I CAN GET A JOB IN LONDON" TIM TOLD ME.
TIM TOLD ME (THAT) HE COULD GET A JOB IN LONDON.
IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "PAST SIMPLE" TO...
PAST PERFECT
SHE SAID THAT HER FATHER MUST TRAVEL A LOT BECAUSE HE WAS A SALESMAN.
"MY FATHER MUST TRAVEL A LOT BECAUSE HE'S A SALESMAN", SHE SAID.
"Why did you arrive late to class?", the teacher asked the student.
The teacher asked the student why he/she had arrived late.
IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "YESTERDAY" TO...
THE PREVIOUS DAY, THE DAY BEFORE
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON SATURDAY?" HE ASKED HER.
HE ASKED HER WHAT SHE WAS DOING ON SATURDAY.
IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "CAN" TO...
COULD
SUE TOLD ME THAT MARY'S BOYFRIEND LIVED IN PARIS.
"MARY'S BOYFRIEND LIVES IN PARIS", SUE TOLD ME.
"Did you turn off the lights?", she asked her husband.
She asked her husband if he had turned off the lights.
IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "TOMORROW" TO...
THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE NEXT DAY
"YOU CAN'T SMOKE IN THE RESTAURANT", I SAID TO ANN.
I SAID TO ANN SHE COULDN'T SMOKE IN THE RESTAURANT.
IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "MAY" TO...
MIGHT
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.
"Can you call me later?", he asked.
He asked if I could call him later.
IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "THREE DAYS AGO" TO...
THREE DAYS BEFORE