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 "PAST PERFECT" TO...

PAST PERFECT 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 WHEN WE WANT TO REPRODUCE WHAT SOMEBODY SAYS OR SAID.

FALSE

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 "PAST CONT." TO...

PAST PERFECT CONT.

200

MY FRIENDS SAID THAT THEY HAD BEEN SHOPPING THAT AFTERNOON.

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

200

WHEN WE REPORT WHAT SOMEBODY SAID IN THE PAST WE HAVE TO CHANGE PRONOUNS, ADVERBS, AND POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES IN THE REPORTED SPEECH.

FALSE - NOT ADVERBS!

200
IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "NOW" TO...
THEN
300

"I AM APPLYING FOR A JOB IN LONDON" TIM TOLD ME.

TIM TOLD ME THAT HE WAS APPLYING FOR A JOB IN LONDON.

300

IN REPORTED SPEECH, IF REPORTING VERB IS IN PRESENT, CHANGE "PAST SIMPLE" TO...

PAST SIMPLE 

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

IN DIRECT SPEECH THE TENSES USUALLY GO ONE STEP BACK INTO THE PAST.

FALSE

300
IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "YESTERDAY" TO...
THE PREVIOUS DAY, THE DAY BEFORE
400

"WHAT WERE YOU DOING LAST SATURDAY" HE ASKED HER.

HE ASKED HER WHAT SHE HAD BEEN DOING THE  SATURDAY BEFORE.

400

IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "COULD/SHOULD" TO...

COULD/SHOULD

400

SUE TELLS ME THAT MARY'S BOYFRIEND LIVES IN PARIS.

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

400

PERSONAL PRONOUNS CHANGE TO THE THIRD PERSON SINGULAR OR PLURAL, EXCEPT WHEN THE SPEAKER REPORTS HIS OWN WORDS.

TRUE

400
IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "TOMORROW" TO...
THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE NEXT DAY
500

"HAVE YOU BEEN HERE BEFORE" I ASKED ANN.

I ASKED ANN IF SHE HAD BEEN THERE BEFORE.

500

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

HAD TO

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

IN QUESTIONS THE WORD ORDER IS THE SAME AS IN AN AFFIRMATIVE STATEMENT.

TRUE

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