If you want to tell someone what another person said, you can use the form called Reported Speech, or Indirect Speech.

Example: Amy: I study English. Eugene (to you): What did she say?You: She said that she studied English.

Examples of CLAUSES with REPORTING VERBS in them:

Roger said ...Roger said that ...

Paula replied ...Paula replied that ...

Iris advised me ...Grandpa promised him ...

List of some commonly used REPORTING VERBS:

These VERBS may be followed by the word 'that' (you decide!).

Example 1: Roger said he wanted to eat dinner.Example 2: Roger said that he wanted to eat dinner.

Backshift of tensesfrom to

Peter: "I work in the garden."Peter said that he worked in the garden.

Peter: "I worked in the garden."Peter said that he had worked in the garden.

Peter: "I have worked in the garden."Peter: "I had worked in the garden."

Peter: "I will work in the garden."Peter said that he would work in the garden.

Peter: "I can work in the garden."Peter said that he could work in the garden.

Peter: "I may work in the garden."Peter said that he might work in the garden.

Peter: "I would work in the garden." (could, might, should, ought to)

Peter said that he would work in the garden.(could, might, should, ought to)

Progressive forms

Peter: "I'm working in the garden."Peter said that he was working in the garden.

Peter: "I was working in the garden."

Peter said that he had been working in the garden.

Peter: "I have been working in the garden."Peter: "I had been working in the garden."

If the sentence contains an expression of time, you must change it as well.

Peter: "I worked in the garden yesterday."Peter said that he had worked in the garden the day before.

this (evening) that (evening)

today/this day that day

these (days) those (days)

now then

(a week) ago (a week) before

last weekendthe weekend before / the previous weekend

here there

next (week) the following (week)

tomorrow the next/following day

"It's raining," she said. 1______________________________________________

He said to her, "I love you." 2______________________________________________

"I saw María in the supermarket yesterday," said  Carlos. 3______________________________________________

"We've lived here for three years," he said. 4______________________________________________

"I'll bring a pasta salad," said Francesca. 5______________________________________________

"Mark's going to install solar panels," said Miranda. 6______________________________________________

"They found gold here," said the geology teacher. 7______________________________________________

"Jenny can't speak French," said Pierre. 8______________________________________________

"I first met my wife in Seville," he told us. 9______________________________________________

"I want your homework handed in by tomorrow," he said. 10______________________________________________

"My mother made these cakes," said Juan. 11______________________________________________

"I'm feeling tired now," said David. 12______________________________________________

Convert the phrases below into reported speech.

positive imperative Shut up!

tell + infinitive He told me to shut up.

negative imperative Don't do that again!

tell + not + infinitive He told me not to do it

again.

imperatives as requests Please give me some

money.

ask + infinitive He asked me to give him

some money.

IMPERATIVES

Don't turn on the light," she said to him.

She told him not to turn on the light.

"Shut up, everybody!" said the teacher. 1_____________________________________________________

"Open the window, Robert," said Jane. 2_____________________________________________________

"Phone your granny," she told him. 3_____________________________________________________

"Don't be late," she warned him. 4_____________________________________________________

"Don't talk to strangers, Michael," said his mother. 5_____________________________________________________

"Don't listen to a word he says," she told me. 6_____________________________________________________

"Clare, help me clean up the kitchen," said Tony.7_____________________________________________________

"Fiona, get out of my way," said Alastair.8_____________________________________________________

"Boys! Stay away from the dog when he's eating," said Dad.9_____________________________________________________

"Minnie, don't scratch the sofa," said Bob.10_____________________________________________________

Convert the orders below into reported speech.

Are you happy, Carla?" asked Bob.

Bob asked Carla if/whether she was/were happy.

"Can they play the piano?" she asked. 1_____________________________________________________"Has Sarah ever been to Siena?" he asked.

2_____________________________________________________"Are they French or Canadian?," asked Charlie.

3_____________________________________________________"Where do bears live?" asked George.

4_____________________________________________________"Who wants some more yoghurt ice cream?" asked Mum.

5_____________________________________________________"Are we going out tonight?" asked Bob.

6_____________________________________________________"Can I use your mobile, John?" asked Sarah.

7_____________________________________________________"Have you ever been to Lisbon?" Luis asked Paul.

8_____________________________________________________"What has Daddy made for dinner?" asked Simon.

9_____________________________________________________"Is the Pope a Catholic," asked JK.

10_____________________________________________________"Who won the match?" asked Monica.

11_____________________________________________________"Have you fed the cat yet, Philip?" asked Letizia.

12_____________________________________________________"How much does it cost?" asked Carlos.

13_____________________________________________________"Do you like fried eggs?" Anne asked David.

14_____________________________________________________

Convert the questions below into reported speech.

 

Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)

If we report what another person has said, we usually do not use the speaker's exact words (direct speech), but reported (indirect) speech. Therefore, you need to learn how to transform direct speech into reported speech. The structure is a little different depending on whether you want to transform a statement, question or request

Present

Lucy say: I go to the park lucy said that she went to the park

Lucy say I don’t go to the park lucy said she didn`t go to the park

Lucy ask do you go to the park lucy ask me If I went to the `park

Past

Circe say I went to the beach circe said she had gone to the beach

Examples

Sandra said: I speak english report: sandra sai that she spoke English

Mary aks: do you speak English? Report: mary ask if mary speak English

She said, "I am reading."→ She said that

They said, "We are busy."→ They said that

He said, "I know a better restaurant."→ He said that

She said, "I woke up early."→ She said that

He said, "I will ring her."→ He said that