Indirect Speech

Indirect Speech
If you have a sentence in Direct Speech, try to follow our 5 steps to put the sentence
into Reported Speech..
1. Define the type of the sentence (statement, questions, command)

2. What tense is used in the introductory sentence?
3. Do you have to change the person (pronoun)?
4. Do you have to backshift the tenses?
5. Do you have to change expressions of time and place?
Type 1: Statement
Direct Speech Indirect / Reported Speech

Susan: “Mary works in an office.” Susan says (that) Mary works in an office.
Susan said (that) Mary worked in an office.
Jessica: "I am going to clean the room." Jessica said (that)...
Peter: "Rachel has never been to Paris." Peter said (that)...
Type 2: Questions
Situation 1: without question word (Yes/No question)
Susan: “Does Mary work in an office?” Susan asks if/whether Mary works in an office.
Susan asked if/whether Mary worked in an
office.
Lily: "Did you watch the latest film?" Lily wanted to know...
Mark: "Has John arrived?" Mark wondered...
Mandy: "Can I help you?" Mandy asked...
* the word “ask” in the indirect speech can be replaced by “want to know”, “wonder”
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Situation 2: with question word
Peter: “When do you play football?” Peter asked me when I played football.
Justin: "What are you doing?" Justin wanted to know...
Ronald: "Where does Maria park her Ronald wondered...

car?"
Betty: "When did you come?" Betty asked...
* the word “ask” in the indirect speech can be replaced by “want to know”, “wonder”
Type 3: Command
There is no backshift of tenses with commands/requests, no matter which tense
is used in the introductory sentence. You only have to change the person and shift
expressions of time/place.
- affirmative commands → to + infinitive

Dad: “Do your homework.”
Dad told me to do my homework.
Jessica: "Write a text message!" Jessica...
Anna: "Open the window!" Anna...
* the word “tell” in the indirect speech can be replaced by “advise”, “ask”.
- negative commands → not + to + infinitive

Teacher: “Don't talk to your friend.” The teacher told me not to talk to my friend.
Teacher: "Don't forget your homework!"
Jamie: "Don't eat so much junk food!"
* the word “tell” in the indirect speech can be replaced by “advise”, “ask”.
Backshift of tenses in indirect speech

Simple Present
Simple Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Present Progressive
Past Progressive
Present Perfect Progressive
Past Perfect Progressive
Auxiliaries, Modals
will
can
may
Shifting/Conversion of expressions of time and place

this that
these those
here there
now then
today that day
yesterday the day before
tomorrow the next / following day
ago before
last weekend the weekend before / the previous weekend
next week the following week
Exercises - Indirect Speech
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) ____________________________________________
.
9. Alice: "I spent all my pocket money on Monday."

Alice complained (that) _____________________________________________
.
10. David: "John had already gone at six."

David said (that) __________________________________________________
.
11. Mandy: "Are the boys reading the book?"

Yesterday Mandy asked me
_________________________________________.
12. Jason: "Who gave you the laptop?"
Yesterday Jason wanted to know _____________________________________
.
13. Robert: "Is Tim leaving on Friday?"

Yesterday Robert asked me _________________________________________
.
14. Daniel: "Will it rain tomorrow?"

Yesterday Daniel asked me _________________________________________
.
15. Jennifer: "Where do you play football today?"

Yesterday Jennifer wanted to know ___________________________________
.
16. Nancy: "Why didn't Nick go to New York last summer?"

Yesterday Nancy wanted to know _____________________________________
.
17. Barbara: "Must I do my homework this afternoon?"

Yesterday Barbara asked me ________________________________________
.
18. Linda: "Did Max fly to London two weeks ago?"

Yesterday Linda wanted to know
_____________________________________.
19. Grandmother: "Where are my glasses?"

Yesterday Grandmother asked me ____________________________________
.
20. A man: "When does the train to Liverpool leave?"

Yesterday a man asked me _________________________________________
.
21. Kathy: "He can speak Spanish."

Kathy told us (that) he ______________________________________________
.
22. Lucy: "The train didn't arrive on time."

Lucy said to Gerry (that) the train
_____________________________________.
23. Emma: "I'm sitting on the chair."

Emma said (that) she
______________________________________________.
24. Nick: "Walter doesn't eat meat."
Nick told us (that) Walter
___________________________________________.
25. Holly: "Abby and Nathan will travel to Alaska."

Holly remarked (that) Abby and Nathan ________________________________
.
Answer Key:
1. Emily said (that) their teacher would go to Leipzig the next day.
2. Helen told me (that) she had been writing a letter the day before.
3. Robert told me (that) his father had flown to Dallas the year before.
4. Lisa said (that) Tim had gone to the stadium an hour before.
5. Patricia said (that) her mother would celebrate her birthday the following
weekend.
6. Michael said to me (that) he was going to read a book that week.
7. Jason and Victoria told me (that) they would do their best in the exams the
next day.
8. Andrew remarked (that) they hadn't eaten fish two days before.
9. Alice complained (that) she had spent all her pocket money on Monday.
10. David said (that) John had already gone at six.
11. Yesterday Mandy asked me if the boys were reading the book.
12. Yesterday Jason wanted to know who had given me the laptop.
13. Yesterday Robert asked me if Tim was leaving on Friday.
14. Yesterday Daniel asked me if it would rain today.
15. Yesterday Jennifer wanted to know where I played football.
16. Yesterday Nancy wanted to know why Nick hadn't gone to New York the
summer before.
17. Yesterday Barbara asked me if she had to do her homework that afternoon.
18. Yesterday Linda wanted to know if Max had flown to London two weeks
before.
19. Yesterday Grandmother asked me where her glasses were.
20. Yesterday a man asked me when the train to Liverpool left.
21. Kathy told us (that) he could speak Spanish.
22. Lucy said to Gerry (that) the train hadn't arrived on time.
23. Emma said (that) she was sitting on the chair.
24. Nick told us (that) Walter didn't eat meat.
25. Holly remarked (that) Abby and Nathan would travel to Alaska.
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Indirect Speech

1. Define the type of the sentence (statement, questions, command)

Direct Speech Indirect / Reported Speech

Peter: "Rachel has never been to Paris." Peter said (that)...

Mark: "Has John arrived?" Mark wondered...

Mandy: "Can I help you?" Mandy asked...

Justin: "What are you doing?" Justin wanted to know...

Ronald: "Where does Maria park her Ronald wondered...

Betty: "When did you come?" Betty asked...

- affirmative commands → to + infinitive

Anna: "Open the window!" Anna...

- negative commands → not + to + infinitive

Jamie: "Don't eat so much junk food!"

Backshift of tenses in indirect speech

Shifting/Conversion of expressions of time and place

1. Emily: "Our teacher will go to Leipzig tomorrow."

2. Helen: "I was writing a letter yesterday."

3. Robert: "My father flew to Dallas last year."

4. Lisa: "Tim went to the stadium an hour ago."

5. Patricia: "My mother will celebrate her birthday next weekend."

6. Michael: "I am going to read a book this week."

8. Andrew: "We didn't eat fish two days ago."

9. Alice: "I spent all my pocket money on Monday."

10. David: "John had already gone at six."

11. Mandy: "Are the boys reading the book?"

13. Robert: "Is Tim leaving on Friday?"

14. Daniel: "Will it rain tomorrow?"

15. Jennifer: "Where do you play football today?"

16. Nancy: "Why didn't Nick go to New York last summer?"

17. Barbara: "Must I do my homework this afternoon?"

18. Linda: "Did Max fly to London two weeks ago?"

19. Grandmother: "Where are my glasses?"

20. A man: "When does the train to Liverpool leave?"

21. Kathy: "He can speak Spanish."

22. Lucy: "The train didn't arrive on time."

23. Emma: "I'm sitting on the chair."

25. Holly: "Abby and Nathan will travel to Alaska."

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