DIRECT SPEECH TO REPORTED SPEECH
TENSES
REPORTED SPEECH TO DIRECT SPEECH
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

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON SATURDAY" HE ASKED HER.

HE ASKED HER WHAT SHE WAS DOING ON SATURDAY.

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

''DID YOU BRING YOUR PASSPORTS?''

SHE ASKED ME IF WE HAD BROUGHT OUR PASSPORTS.

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 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

"WHEN COULD YOU GET THIS DONE BY?"

HE WONDERED WHEN WE COULD GET IT DONE BY.

300

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

THE PREVIOUS DAY, THE DAY BEFORE

400

''I DIDN'T EAT DINNER WITH HIM!'' MARY SAID.

MARY SAID THAT SHE HADN'T EATEN DINNER WITH HIM.

400
IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "CAN" TO...
COULD
400

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

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

400

''HAVE YOU FINISHED THE PROJECT YET?''

SHE ASKED ME WHETHER I HAD FINISHED THE PROJECT YET.

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

"WHAT WERE YOU DOING LAST NIGHT?" THE POLICE OFFICER ASKED.

THE POLICE OFFICER ASKED ME WHAT I HAD BEEN DOING THE NIGHT BEFORE.

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