Types of reported speech:
1. Statements:
o Said to s.b
o Told s.b
2. Imperatives:
a. Affirmative:
b. Negative:
Ex: “Don’t play in the class”, the teacher said
 The teacher asked us not to play in the class.
3. Questions:
a. Wh- Questions:

Ex: My parents asked me, “Where do you go?”
 My parents asked me where I went.
b. Yes / No questions:
Ex: Peter asked, “Do you like playing football, Jack?”
 Peter asked Jack if he liked playing football.
4. Reported speech with To- infinitive:
a. To report orders, requests, warnings, advice and invitation:

Ex1: “You should go”, she said.
 She advised me to go.
Ex2: “Would you like to have dinner with us?”, they said.
 They invited me to have dinner with them.
b. To report offers, promises, threats, refusal and agreement:

Ex1: “Can I help you?”
 She offered to help me.
S + said / told + (that) + S + V
S + asked / told / ordered + O + To- inf.
S + asked / told / ordered + O + not To-inf

c.
• V: accused…of, warned… against/about, congratulated…on, prevented…from, blamed…for,
criticized…for, praised…for, thanked…for.
Ex: “It was nice of you to help me. Thank you very much”, Tom said to me.
EXERCISES OF REPORTED SPEECH
I. Complete the following sentences without changing their meanings:
1. The doctor said to me, “You should lose weight.”
The doctor advised me
2. Mary said, “Let’s go to a movie.”
Mary suggested
3. “I didn’t break the windows”, Bill said.
Bill denied
4. “You told a lie, Tom”, she said.
She accused Tom
5. “I can’t go to your birthday party next Saturday evening, Jack”, said Mary.
Mary apologized for
6. “I won’t help you with your homework. Never ! ” Jane said to me.
Jane refused
7. Joe said, “Please come to my party.”
Joe invited
8. Mr. Gray said, “Don’t play in the street.”
Mr. Gray warned the children not
9. “Would you like to come on a picnic with us?
They invited
10. “Please don’t tell anybody what happened.”
S + V + Gerund
S + V + Preposition + Gerund
S + V + O+ Preposition + Gerund
He asked
11. “If you don’t give me a pay rise. I’ll resign.”

She asked
27. “You can’t run out of the garden,” Ms. Kelly said to the children.
Ms. Kelly prevented the children
28. “Are you the new manager, Daisy? Congratulations!” said Billy.
Bill congratulated
29. “Please give me some more money, Mum,” Daisy said.
Daisy insisted her mother
30. “What did you think of the performance yesterday?”
She asked me
II. Choose the best answer:
1. “Thank you very much for your help, John,” said Daisy.
a. Daisy thanked John for helping her.
b. Daisy told John to help her.
c. Daisy wanted John to help her and said thanks.
d. Daisy would like John to help her.
2. “It is you that stole my purse,” Mrs. Pike said to the young man.
a. Mrs. Pike told the young man that it was you that stole her purse.
b. Mrs. Pike denied the young man of stealing her purse.
c. Mrs. Pike accused the young man of stealing her purse.
d. Mrs. Pike asked the young man to steal her purse.
3. “You mustn’t get into the area,” the policeman said.
a. The policeman stopped them from getting into the area.
b. The policeman denied from getting into the area.
c. The policeman wanted them to get into the area.
d. The policeman suggested getting into the area.
4. “Whose composition haven’t we heard yet?”
The teacher asked us to tell her
a. whose composition we haven’t heard yet.
b. whose composition we hadn’t heard yet.
c. whose composition hadn’t we heard yet.

Finish the sentences using Reported speech. Always change the tense, although it is sometimes not
necessary.
Example: Peter: "Clean the black shoes!"
Peter told me _________________________
Answer: Peter told me to clean the black shoes.
1) Andrew: "Clean the blue bike!"
Andrew told me
2) Jessica: "Write a text message!"
Jessica told me
3) Nelly: "Help Peter's sister!"
Nelly told me
4) Fred: "Wash your hands!"
Fred told me
5) Anna: "Open the window!"
Anna told me
6) Tom: "Come at 8!"
Tom told me
7) Teacher: "Do your homework!"
The teacher told me
8) Doris: "Dance with me!"
Doris told me
9) Sabine: "Meet Sandy at the station!"
Sabine told me
10) Victoria: "Check your e-mails!"
Victoria told me
Example: Peter: "Don't clean the black shoes!"
Peter told me
Answer: Peter told me not to clean the black shoes.
1) Karen: "Don't play football in the garden!"
Karen told me

Peggy told me that
6) Richard: "I am going to ride a skateboard."
Richard said to me that
7) Stephen and Claire: "We have cleaned the windows."
Stephen and Claire told me that
8) Charles: "I didn't have time to do my homework."
Charles remarked that
9) Mrs. Jones: "My mother will be 50 years old."
Mrs. Jones told me that
10) Jean: "The boss must sign the letter."
Jean said that
Example: Peter: "I cleaned the black shoes yesterday."
Peter told me that
Answer: Peter told me that he had cleaned the black shoes the day before.
1) Emily: "Our teacher will go to Leipzig tomorrow."
Emily said that
2) Helen: "I was writing a letter yesterday."
Helen told me that
3) Robert: "My father flew to Dallas last year."
Robert told me that
4) Lisa: "Tim went to the stadium an hour ago."
Lisa said that
5) Patricia: "My mother will celebrate her birthday next weekend."
Patricia said that
6) Michael: "I am going to read a book this week."
Michael said to me that
7) Jason and Victoria: "We will do our best in the exams tomorrow."
Jason and Victoria told me that
8) Andrew: "We didn't eat fish two days ago."
Andrew remarked that

3) Robert: "Is Tim leaving on Friday?"
Yesterday Robert asked me
4) Daniel: "Will it rain tomorrow?"
Yesterday Daniel asked me
5) Jennifer: "Where do you play football today?"
Yesterday Jennifer wanted to know
6) Nancy: "Why didn't Nick go to New York last summer?"
Yesterday Nancy wanted to know
7) Barbara: "Must I do my homework this afternoon?"
Yesterday Barbara asked me
8) Linda: "Did Max fly to London two weeks ago?"
Yesterday Linda wanted to know
9) Grandmother: "Where are my glasses?"
Yesterday Grandmother asked me
10) A man: "When does the train to Liverpool leave?"
Yesterday a man asked me
Complete the sentences in reported speech (no backshift). Note the change of pronouns and verbs.
• Helen: I want to tell you something about my holiday in London.
• Gareth: What does she say?
• You: She says that…………….
• Helen: I went to London in July.
• Gareth: What does she say?
• You: She says that…………….
• Helen: My parents went with me.
• Gareth: What does she say?
• You: She says that……………
• Helen: We spent three days in London.
• Gareth: What does she say?
• You: She says that…………
• Helen: London is a multicultural place.

• Tom: We have a national park here.
• Sue: What does he say?
• You: He says that……………….
• Tom: We went there yesterday.
• Sue: What does he say?
• You: He says that…………………
• Tom: It was great.
• Sue: What does he say?
• You: He says that……………………
• Tom: I'd love to go there again.
• Sue: What does he say?
• You: He says that……………….
• Tom: The teachers at my school are very nice.
• Sue: What does he say?
• You: He says that………………
• Tom: My English has improved.
• Sue: What does he say?
• You: He says that…………………….
Rewrite the sentences in reported speech. Change pronouns and time expressions where necessary.
1. She said, "I am reading."
→ She said that…………….
2. They said, "We are busy."
→ They said that……………….
3. He said, "I know a better restaurant."
→ He said that………………
4. She said, "I woke up early."
→ She said that……………
5. He said, "I will ring her."
→ He said that……………
6. They said, "We have just arrived."

→ She said…………………
Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note the change of pronouns and tenses.
1. "Where is my umbrella?" she asked.
→ She asked…………….
2. "How are you?" Martin asked us.
→ Martin asked us……………
3. He asked, "Do I have to do it?"
→ He asked………………….
4. "Where have you been?" the mother asked her daughter.
→ The mother asked her daughter………………
5. "Which dress do you like best?" she asked her boyfriend.
→ She asked her boyfriend……………
6. "What are they doing?" she asked.
→ She wanted to know……………
7. "Are you going to the cinema?" he asked me.
→ He wanted to know……….
8. The teacher asked, "Who speaks English?"
→ The teacher wanted to know…………
9. "How do you know that?" she asked me.
→ She asked me……………
10. "Has Caron talked to Kevin?" my friend asked me.
→ My friend asked me……………
Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note the change of pronouns and tenses.
1. "What's the time?" he asked.
→ He wanted to know………….
2. "When will we meet again?" she asked me.
→ She asked me………….
3. "Are you crazy?" she asked him.
→ She asked him…………
4. "Where did they live?" he asked.

9. "Take off your shoes," she told us.
→ She told us……………
10. "Mind your own business," she told him.
→ She told him……………………
Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note the change of pronouns in some sentences.
1. "Don't touch it," she said to him.
→ She told him…………
2. "Don't do that again," he said to me.
→ He told me………………
3. "Don't talk to me like that," he said.
→ He told her………………
4. "Don't repair the computer yourself," she warned him.
→ She warned him……………
5. "Don't let him in," she said.
→ She told me…………….
6. "Don't go out without me," he begged her.
→ He begged her………
7. "Don't forget your bag," she told me.
→ She told me…………
8. "Don't eat in the lab," the chemistry teacher said.
→ The chemistry teacher told his students………….
9. "Don't give yourself up," he advised her.
→ He advised her………….
10. "Don't hurt yourselves, boys," she said.
→ She told the boys……………
Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note the change of pronouns in some sentences.
1. She said, "Go upstairs."
→ She told me……………
2. "Close the door behind you," he told me.
→ He told me…………

7. "Where have you spent your money?" she asked him.
→ She asked him……………
8. "I never make mistakes," he said.
→ He said……………….
9. "Does she know Robert?" he wanted to know.
→ He wanted to know……………….
10. "Don't try this at home," the stuntman told the audience.
→ The stuntman advised the audience……………
Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note whether the sentence is a request, a statement or a
question and whether you have to change the tenses or not.
1. "I was very tired," she said.
→ She said……………
2. "Be careful, Ben," she said.
→ She told Ben…………
3. "I will get myself a drink," she says.
→ She says………………
4. "Why haven't you phoned me?" he asked me.
→ He wondered………………
5. "I cannot drive them home," he said.
→ He said………………
6. "Peter, do you prefer tea or coffee?" she says.
→ She asks Peter………………
7. "Where did you spend your holidays last year?" she asked me.
→ She asked me………………
8. He said, "Don't go too far."
→ He advised her……………….
9. "Have you been shopping?" he asked us.
→ He wanted to know………………
10. "Don't make so much noise," he says.
→ He asks us……………