English Grammar Exercises - Verbs and Tenses: Reported speech (1)

Exercise 1

Find the incorrect sentences.

a Sue told me she enjoys last night’s party.

b Carol asked what the time was.

c Keith said he can hear me but there was a funny noise on the line.

d Bill said I speak French. He’s lived in Toulouse for five years.

e They asked if we’d be at home.

f The man asked me what was my name.

g He said me he loved me.

h I called Mick last Saturday. He said he’d seen Pete yesterday.

i Tom asked where did I live.

j The kids said they were happy.

Exercise 2

Complete the reported speech.

a ‘I’m going to Hull tomorrow.’ (said on Friday)

Hilary said she was going to Hull ………………. . (reported on Tuesday)

b ‘Bordeaux is in south-west France.’

Tony told me ………………. in south-west France.

c ‘How old are you?’

Mr Jones asked ………………. .

d ‘We can’t find our cat !’ (said on Saturday)

The children said they ………………. cat. (reported on Sunday)

e ‘Do you read poetry?’

Julio asked me ………………. poetry.

Exercise 3

Rewrite the sentences as reported speech. Imagine you’re reporting them a week later.

a ‘I’ll be at the office tomorrow.’	He said ……………….
b ‘Has Martin sent the letter?’	I asked ………………. the letter.
c ‘Mars is called the Red Planet.’	She told us ………………. the Red Planet.
d ‘Do you prefer red or white wine?’	He asked her ………………. red or white wine.
e ‘Where’s the hospital?’	They asked us ……………….
f ‘The President has been shot!’	She said ……………….
g ‘We went to John’s house yesterday.’	He told me ……………….
h ‘When did you get back?’	She asked me ……………….
i ‘Do chickens have teeth?’	The child asked ………………. teeth.
j ‘This mobile can’t be working.’	He said ……………….

Exercise 4

Complete the sentences. Use one word in each space.

a James ………………. me he was nervous.

b My son asked me ………………. I dreamt in colour.

c Ian asked me where the post office ……………….

d My dad said he ………………. call me at ten but he didn’t.

e Natalie ………………. she felt unwell.

f The twins told us they couldn’t find ………………. school uniforms.

g Colette asked if I’d seen Adam the day ……………….

h Help! I told you I ………………. swim!

i Ben said he ………………. marry me. The wedding’s planned for June next year.

j Jill asked me ………………. old I was.

Answers

Read the note to find out why.

a she enjoys she’d enjoyed -> A

b correct -> F

c can could -> B

d I speak he spoke/speaks -> C, A

e correct -> G

f what was my name what my name was -> F

g He said me He told me/He said -> E

h yesterday the day before -> D

i where did I live where I lived -> F

j correct -> A

a the following/next day. -> D

b (that) Bordeaux was/is -> A

c how old I was/am. -> F

d couldn’t find their -> B, C

e if/whether I read -> G

a (that) he’d be at the office the following/next day.

b if/whether Martin had sent

c (that) Mars was/is called

d if/whether she preferred/prefers

e where the hospital was/is.

f (that) the President had been shot.

g (that) they’d been to John’s house the day before/the previous day.

h when I’d got back.

i if/whether chickens had/have.

j (that) the mobile couldn’t be working.

a told b whether/if c was/if

d would e said f their g before

Notes

Usually go back a tense when you report speech.

Change can to could and will to would in reported speech.

Change the pronouns when you report speech.

Change words like today, tomorrow, etc. if the time period has changed.

Always put a personal direct object or someone’s name after tell. Never put a personal direct object after say.

Use normal word order (subject + verb) to report questions with a question word. Don’t use do and don’t, did and didn’t.

Use if or whether to report yes/no questions.

Review

Reported speech

Reporting statements

– When you report speech, you usually need to go back a tense.

‘I’m hungry.’ She said she was hungry.

‘We’ve been to Rome.’ They said they’d been to Rome.

Note that the past perfect doesn’t change. It remains past perfect. Note also that you can use that in reported speech or you can leave it out.

Zack told me (that) he’d fallen over. Belinda said (that) she was hungry.

– If the situation is still true, it isn’t always necessary to go back a tense. However, you’ll always be right if you go back a tense so if you’re in doubt, change the present to the past.

‘The earth is round.’ The teacher said that the earth is/was round.

– You change can to could and will to would in reported speech.

‘I can/can’t see you!’ He said he could/couldn’t see me.

‘I’ll/l won’t call you.’ She said she’d/she wouldn’t call me.

– You usually need to change the pronouns when you report speech.

‘We can’t find our toys.’ They said they couldn’t find their toys.

– Words like today, tomorrow, next Saturday, next year, etc. also change if the time period has changed.

‘We’re going to France today.‘ (said on Tuesday)

They said they were going to France that day. (said on Saturday)

– Always put a personal direct object or someone’s name after tell. Never put a personal direct object after say.

Peter told me/Ann he was happy. NOT Peter told he was happy.

Peter said he was happy. NOT Peter said me he was happy.

Reporting questions

– When you’re reporting questions with a question word (who, what, where, when, whose, how), you use normal word order: subject + verb. Don’t use do and don’t, did and didn’t.

‘Where are you?’ She asked me where I was. NOT where was I.

‘Where do you live?’ She asked me where I lived. NOT where did I live.

– When you’re reporting yes/no questions, you use if or whether.

Second and third conditionals

Reported speech (2)