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Reported speech
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English Practice Downloadable PDF Grammar and Vocabulary Worksheets
Reported speech (b1).
- RS013 - Reported Speech
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Reported Speech with Examples and Test (PDF)
Reported speech is used when we want to convey what someone else has said to us or to another person. It involves paraphrasing or summarising what has been said , often changing verb tenses , pronouns and other elements to suit the context of the report.
| Tense | Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | She sings in the choir. | He said (that) she sings in the choir. |
| Present Continuous | They are playing football. | She mentioned (that) they were playing football. |
| Past Simple | I visited Paris last summer. | She told me (that) she visited Paris last summer. |
| Past Continuous | I was cooking dinner. | He said (that) he had been cooking dinner. |
| Present Perfect | We have finished the project. | They said (that) they had finished the project. |
| Past Perfect* | I had already eaten when you called. | She explained (that) she had already eaten when I called. |
| Will | I will call you later. | She promised (that) she would call me later. |
| Would* | I would help if I could. | He said (that) he would help if he could. |
| Can | She can speak French fluently. | He mentioned (that) she could speak French fluently. |
| Could* | I could run fast when I was young. | She recalled (that) she could run fast when she was young. |
| Shall | Shall we meet tomorrow? | They asked (whether) we should meet the next day. |
| Should* | You should visit the museum. | She suggested (that) I should visit the museum. |
| Might* | It might rain later. | He mentioned (that) it might rain later. |
| Must | I must finish my homework. | She reminded me (that) I must finish my homework. |
*doesn’t change
Formula of Reported Speech
The formula for reported speech involves transforming direct speech into an indirect form while maintaining the meaning of the original statement. In general, the formula includes:
- Choosing an appropriate reporting verb (e.g., say, tell, mention, explain).
- Changing pronouns and time expressions if necessary.
- Shifting the tense of the verb back if the reporting verb is in the past tense.
- Using reporting clauses like “that” or appropriate conjunctions.
- Adjusting word order and punctuation to fit the structure of the reported speech.
Here’s a simplified formula:
Reporting Verb + Indirect Object + Conjunction + Reported Clause
For example:
- She said (reporting verb) to me (indirect object) that (conjunction) she liked ice cream (reported clause).
Here’s how we use reported speech:
Reporting Verbs: We use verbs like ‘say’ or ‘tell’ to introduce reported speech. If the reporting verb is in the present tense, the tense of the reported speech generally remains the same.
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| “I enjoy playing tennis.” | She said (that) she enjoys playing tennis. |
| “We plan to visit Paris.” | They told us (that) they plan to visit Paris. |
| “He loves listening to music.” | She said (that) he loves listening to music. |
| “She bakes delicious cakes.” | He told me (that) she bakes delicious cakes. |
| “They watch movies every weekend.” | She said (that) they watch movies every weekend. |
If the reporting verb is in the past tense , the tense of the reported speech often shifts back in time.
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech (Reporting verb in past tense) |
|---|---|
| “I eat breakfast at 8 AM.” | She said (that) she ate breakfast at 8 AM. |
| “We are going to the beach.” | They told me (that) they were going to the beach. |
| “He speaks Spanish fluently.” | She said (that) he spoke Spanish fluently. |
| “She cooks delicious meals.” | He mentioned (that) she cooked delicious meals. |
| “They play soccer every weekend.” | She said (that) they played soccer every weekend. |
Tense Changes: Tense changes are common in reported speech. For example, present simple may change to past simple, present continuous to past continuous, etc. However, some verbs like ‘would’, ‘could’, ‘should’, ‘might’, ‘must’, and ‘ought to’ generally don’t change.
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| “I like chocolate.” | She said (that) she liked chocolate. |
| “We are watching TV.” | They told me (that) they were watching TV. |
| “He is studying for the exam.” | She mentioned (that) he was studying for the exam. |
| “She has finished her work.” | He said (that) she had finished her work. |
| “They will arrive soon.” | She mentioned (that) they would arrive soon. |
| “You can swim very well.” | He said (that) I could swim very well. |
| “She might be late.” | He mentioned (that) she might be late. |
| “I must finish this by tonight.” | She said (that) she must finish that by tonight. |
| “You should call your parents.” | They told me (that) I should call my parents. |
| “He would help if he could.” | She said (that) he would help if he could. |
Reported Questions: When reporting questions, we often change them into statements while preserving the meaning. Question words are retained, and the tense of the verbs may change.
| Direct Question | Reported Statement (Preserving Meaning) |
|---|---|
| “Where do you live?” | She asked me where I lived. |
| “What are you doing?” | They wanted to know what I was doing. |
| “Who was that fantastic man?” | He asked me who that fantastic man had been. |
| “Did you turn off the coffee pot?” | She asked if I had turned off the coffee pot. |
| “Is supper ready?” | They wanted to know if supper was ready. |
| “Will you be at the party?” | She asked me if I would be at the party. |
| “Should I tell her the news?” | He wondered whether he should tell her the news. |
| “Where will you stay?” | She inquired if I had decided where I would stay. |
Reported Requests and Orders: Requests and orders are reported similarly to statements. Reported requests often use ‘asked me to’ + infinitive, while reported orders use ‘told me to’ + infinitive.
| Direct Request/Order | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| “Please help me.” | She asked me to help her. |
| “Please don’t smoke.” | He asked me not to smoke. |
| “Could you bring my book tonight?” | She asked me to bring her book that night. |
| “Could you pass the milk, please?” | He asked me to pass the milk. |
| “Would you mind coming early tomorrow?” | She asked me to come early the next day. |
| “Please don’t be late.” | He told me not to be late. |
| “Go to bed!” | She told the child to go to bed. |
| “Don’t worry!” | He told her not to worry. |
| “Be on time!” | He told me to be on time. |
| “Don’t smoke!” | He told us not to smoke. |
Time Expressions: Time expressions may need to change depending on when the reported speech occurred in relation to the reporting moment. For instance, ‘today’ may become ‘that day’ or ‘yesterday’, ‘yesterday’ might become ‘the day before’, and so forth.
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| “I finished my homework.” | She said she had finished her homework. |
| “We are going shopping.” | He told me they were going shopping. |
| “She will call you later.” | They mentioned she would call me later. |
| “I saw him yesterday.” | She said she had seen him the day before. |
| “The party is tonight.” | He mentioned the party would be that night. |
| “The concert was last week.” | She told me the concert had been the previous week. |
Reported Speech with Examples PDF
Reported Speech PDF – download
Reported Speech Test
Reported Speech A2 – B1 Test – download
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Exercises with answers to download for free.
Reported questions PDF exercise 1
Key with answers 1
- Change direct questions to reported questions. "Where did you work?" - He asked me ___.
Reported questions PDF exercise 2
Key with answers 2
- Report a dialogue. "Did you pass the exam, Sue?" - "Yes, I did."... Tim asked Sue ___.
Reported questions PDF exercise 3
Key with answers 3
- Change reported questions into direct questions. Sam asked me why I hadn't come. - "Why didn't you come?"
Reported commands PDF exercise 4
Key with answers 4
- Complete sentences in the reported speech. "Leave your room." - He asked me ___.
Reported commands PDF exercise 5
Key with answers 5
- Find and correct mistakes. "Don't do it." - He told me I didn't do it.
Reported speech exercises PDF Changes of tenses, time and place in reported statements.
Online exercises with answers:
Direct and indirect speech exercises Multiple choice and gap-filling exercises on reported statements, questions and commands.
Grammar rules PDF:
Reported speech rules PDF Changes of tenses, pronouns, time and place in reported statements, questions and commands.
English grammar PDF All PDF rules with examples on this website to download for free.
Reported questions
Direct questions become reported questions with the same word order as statements. The reporting verb say changes into ask, want to know, wonder... "Where have you been?" he said. - He asked me where I had been. "What time did it start?" he said. - He wanted to know what time it had started. "Why won't he do it?" she said. - She wondered why he wouldn't do it.
In yes/no questions we use if or whether in questions. If is more common and whether is more formal. "Will you come?" she asked me. - She asked me if/whether I would come. "Did he marry Sue?" she said. - She wondered if/whether he had married Sue.
Reported commands and requests
The commands, requests and advice mostly have the same form in English: verb + object + infinitive ( advise, ask, beg, forbid, order, persuade, recommend, tell, urge, warn etc.).
In the direct speech we do not mention the person in the imperative. In the indirect speech the person addressed must be mentioned. "Get up!" he said. - He told me to get up. "Please, revise for the test," he said. - He urged me to revise for the test. "Put on your coat," I said. - I advised him to put on his coat.
Negative commands, requests and advice are made by verb + object + not + infinitive. "Don't hesitate," he said. - He persuaded me not to hesitate. "Don't smoke," the doctor warned my father. - The doctor warned my father not to smoke.
Tell can introduce statements, commands, requests or advice. The form is different, however.
Statements with tell "I'm leaving," he told me. - He told me that he was leaving.
Commands, requests or advice with tell "Leave the room," he told John. - He told John to leave the room. "Don't give up," the teacher told her students. - The teacher told the students not to give up.
Similarly ask is used in reported questions, commands, requests or advice in different forms.
Questions with ask "Will you make coffee?" he said. - He asked me if I would make coffee.
Commands, requests or advice with ask "Make coffee, please," he said. - He asked me to make coffee. "Don't park in my place," Greg told me. - Greg asked me not to park in his place.
- All PDF exercises and grammar rules from this website.
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Reported speech 2. Reported requests and orders. Reported speech exercise. Reported questions - worksheet. Indirect speech - worksheet. Worksheets pdf - print. Grammar worksheets - handouts. Grammar - lessons. Reported speech - grammar notes.
Reported Speech. Greg: "I am cooking dinner Maya.". Maya: "Greg said he was cooking dinner.". So most often, the reported speech is going to be in the past tense, because the original statement, will now be in the past! *We will learn about reporting verbs in part 2 of this lesson, but for now we will just use said/told.
Reported Questions - PDF Grammar Worksheet - B1 - RS008 Author: Nikolaus ROSMANITZ Subject: Reported Questions - PDF Grammar Worksheet - B1 \(Intermediate\) Created Date: 5/13/2020 5:12:39 AM ...
B1 Reported Speech : Questions and Commands RS012 Change to reported speech. 1. The boy asked the tour guide, "Where is the main tourist office? " ... Reported Questions and Commands - PDF Grammar Worksheet - B1 \(Intermediate\) Created Date: 1/27/2021 9:12:42 AM ...
RS008 - Reported Questions. RS007 - Reported Speech. RS006 - Reported Speech. RS005 - Reported Speech. RS004 - Reported Speech. RS003 - Reported Speech. RS002 - Reported Speech - Mixed Exercises. RS001 - Reported Speech - Mixed Exercises. Adjective and Adverbs - Downloadable PDF Worksheets for English Language Learners - Intermediate Level (B1)
Indirect question: He asked where she was going. A. When we turn direct questions into indirect speech, the following changes are necessary: a. tenses, pronouns and possessive adjectives, and adverbs of time and place change as in statements. b. the interrogative form of the verb changes to the affirmative form. c. the question mark is omitted ...
Key with answers: www.e-grammar.org/reported-questions-commands/ Reported questions Exercise 1. Complete the questions in the reported speech.
Reported Speech - Reported Questions - English Grammar PDF Worksheet Author: Klaus Rosmanitz Subject: English grammar PDF worksheet on reported questions. Keywords: Reported Questions Created Date: 5/4/2012 4:39:15 PM
Perfect English Grammar. Here's a list of all the reported speech exercises on this site: (Click here to read the explanations about reported speech) Reported Statements: Present Simple Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here) Present Continuous Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy)
the reported speech: Questions words: • who • when • where • why • what • which • how *They are sometimes called -wh words *CAUTION: Do/does/can/ have etc. are NOT question words! (they are auxiliary verbs) Direct Speech Reported Speech "Who is your favourite author?" asked Andrea. Andrea asked who my favourite author was.
Reported speech discussion questions. Work in twos or threes. Take turns asking questions from below, for three or four minutes each time. Is there is more than one question on a line that you choose, only use the other questions on that line after your partner answers the first question, and only if they don't mention that thing in their ...
Here usually becomes there in the indirect speech. But sometimes we make different adjustments. At school: "I'll be here at 10 o'clock," he said. - He said he would be there at 10 o'clock. In Baker Street: "We'll meet here." - He said they would meet in Baker Street. Reported questions Questions become statements in the reported speech.
Reported Speech. All downloads are in PDF Format and consist of a worksheet and answer sheet to check your results. Levels of Difficulty : Elementary Intermediate Advanced. RS002 - Reported Speech - Questions Intermediate. RS003 - Reported Speech - Questions Intermediate. RS004 - Reported Speech - Indirect Commands Intermediate.
Reported Speech - English Grammar PDF Exercises Author: Klaus Rosmanitz Subject: Reported Speech and reported questions - An English Grammar PDF worksheet Keywords: reported speech, reported questions Created Date: 5/4/2012 4:21:24 PM
REPORTED SPEECH - QUESTIONS www.engames.eu 1. Match the sentences in Direct speech with their counterparts in reported speech: 2. Write the sentences in reported speech: 3. Write the sentences in direct speech: Title: reported speech Author: Zdenda Created Date: 11/5/2016 5:42:51 AM ...
Reported Questions Exercise Author: Bob Subject: This is a print-out exercise about reported questions in English Keywords: estilo indirecto, reported speech, printable grammar exercises Created Date: 10/1/2010 4:49:53 PM
Reported Speech (Reporting verb in past tense) "I eat breakfast at 8 AM.". She said (that) she ate breakfast at 8 AM. "We are going to the beach.". They told me (that) they were going to the beach. "He speaks Spanish fluently.". She said (that) he spoke Spanish fluently. "She cooks delicious meals.".
Reported questions + commands exercises PDF. Practise the difference between the direct and indirect speech in questions, commands and requests. Online exercises with answers: Direct - indirect speech exercise 1 Rewrite sentences in the reported speech. Direct - indirect speech exercise 2 Report a short dialogue in the reported speech.
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Direct and indirect speech exercises Multiple choice and gap-filling exercises on reported statements, questions and commands. Grammar rules PDF: Reported speech rules PDF Changes of tenses, pronouns, time and place in reported statements, questions and commands. English grammar PDF All PDF rules with examples on this website to download for free.
Direct and Indirect speech with rules and examples In English, to report someone's words or their own words, you can use direct or indirect speech. These may include statements, questions, orders, advice... When moving from direct to indirect style, it is often necessary to change personal pronouns, demonstrative
Direct and indirect speech exercises Multiple choice and gap-filling exercises on reported statements, questions and commands. Grammar rules PDF: Reported speech rules PDF Changes of tenses, pronouns, time and place in reported statements, questions and commands. English grammar PDF All PDF rules with examples on this website to download for free.