DIRECT SPEECH TO REPORTED SPEECH
TENSES
REPORTED SPEECH TO DIRECT SPEECH
TIME EXPRESSIONS
REPORTED QUESTIONS
100

"I am exhausted" Tim said.

Tim said 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
IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "TODAY" TO...
THAT DAY
100

"Where is he?" (She asked me)

She asked me where he was.

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

"Can you help me?" (She asked me)

She asked me if I could help her.

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

"What are you going to do at the weekend?" (She asked me)

She asked me what I was going to do at the weekend.

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 LIVED IN PARIS.

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

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

"Have you been to Paris?" ( My cousin asked me)

My cousin asked me if I had been to Paris.

500

"Don't smoke here" I told Ann.

I told Ann not to smoke here.

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

"Are you working tonight?" ( My mother asked me)

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