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 "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

WE USE DIRECT SPEECH WHEN WE WANT TO REPRODUCE WHAT SOMEBODY SAYS OR SAID.

FALSE 

(That is the Reported Speech)

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 "CAN" TO...

COULD

200

MY FRIENDS SAID THAT THEY WERE SHOPPING THAT AFTERNOON.

"WE ARE SHOPPING THIS AFTERNOON", MY FRIENDS SAID.

200

WHEN WE REPORT WHAT SOMEBODY SAID IN THE PRESENT SIMPLE WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE TENSE WE USE IN REPORTED SPEECH.

TRUE

(It changes to past simple)

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 "PRESENT CONTINUOUS" TO...

PAST CONTINUOUS

300

SHE SAID THAT HER FATHER HAD TO TRAVEL A LOT BECAUSE HE WAS A SALESMAN.

"MY FATHER HAS TO TRAVEL A LOT BECAUSE HE'S A SALESMAN", SHE SAID.

300

THE TENSE IN REPORTED SPEECH DO NOT CHANGE IF IT IS FUTURE.

FALSE


300

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

THERE

400

"HE WILL PLAY A FOOTBALL MATCH NEXT SATURDAY" HE SAID.

HE SAID THAT HE WOULD PLAY A FOOTBALL MATCH THE FOLLOWING SATURDAY

400

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

WOULD

400

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

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

400

THE MODAL "COULD" DO NOT CHANGE IN THE REPORTED SPEECH

TRUE

400

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

THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE NEXT DAY

500

"YOU CAN FINISH YOUR TASK HERE" I SAID TO ANN.

I TOLD ANN THAT SHE COULD FINISH HER TASK THERE.

500

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

THOSE

500

HIS TEACHER SAID THAT HE WOULD DO HIS HOMEWORK ON TIME IF HE WANTED TO GET A GOOD GRADE.

"YOU WILL DO YOUR HOMEWORK ON TIME IF YOU WANT TO GET A GOOD GRADE", HIS TEACHER SAID.

500

WE USE "TELL" WHEN THERE IS NO INDIRECT OBJECT. WE USE "SAY" WHEN YOU SAY WHO RECEIVED THE MESSAGE.

FALSE

("Tell" needs an indirect object: "he told you" /"Say" doesn't need any who receives the message)

500

IN REPORTED SPEECH, CHANGE "LAST YEAR" TO...

THE YEAR BEFORE / THE PREVIOUS YEAR