TUTORING

Reported Speech
(Solutions Pre-Intermediate, 3rd edition)
Grammar Guide:
1. Reported Speech - Statements
- To report what somebody else said.
- ‘That’ can be used to introduce reported speech, but we often omit it.
- There are necessary changes when we convert direct speech to reported speech.
1.1. Change of Tense:
Direct Speech Reported Speech
Present Simple Past Simple
 ‘I don’t like insects,’ Ron said.  Ron said (that) he didn’t like insects.
Present Continuous Past Continuous
 ‘He’s wearing a red hat,’ Mandy  Mandy said (that) he was wearing a red
said. hat.
Present Perfect Past Perfect
 ‘I’ve sent the email,’ she said.  She said (that) she had sent the email.
Past Simple Past Perfect
 ‘We ate spaghetti and salad for  John said (that) they had eaten
dinner,’ said John. spaghetti and salad for dinner.
will / won’t would / wouldn’t
 ‘I will wash the car later,’ he said.  He said (that) he would wash the car
later.
can’t / can’t could / couldn’t
 ‘I can’t go out with you,’ Sue said.  Sue said (that) she couldn’t go out with
me.
may might
 ‘I may not be able to meet you at the  Kevin said (that) he might not be able
airport,’ Kevin said. to meet me at the airport.
must had to
 ‘You must bring your ID card,’ he  He said (that) I had to bring my ID
said. card.

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 1.2. Change of Pronouns and Possessive adjectives:
Depending on the speaker and context.
E.g. ‘You’re drinking my coke,’ he told us.
 He told us (that) we were drinking his coke.
Direct Speech Reported Speech
I he / she
we they
you I / We
my his / her
your my / our
our their
me him / her
us them

1.3. Change of Time and Place words

Direct Speech Reported Speech

here there
this that
these those
now then / at that moment
today / tonight that day / that night
yesterday the day before / the previous day
a week ago a week earlier
last Monday the Monday before
tomorrow the next day / the following day
next week the next week / the following week

1.4. Reporting verbs

tell say
(mentioning the hearer) (not mentioning the hearer)
tell + object + (that) said + (that)
‘Mike, I’m hungry,’ said Kate. ‘Mike, I’m hungry,’ said Kate.
 Kate told Mike (that) she was hungry.  Kate said (that) she was hungry.
(don’t use ‘to’ with tell.) (use ‘to’ if we want to mention the hearer.)
Kate told Mike (that) she was hungry.  Kate said TO Mike (that) she was hungry. 
Kate told TO Mike (that) she was hungry. X Kate said Mike (that) she was hungry. X

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2. Exercises:
Exercise 1: Complete the sentences with said or told.
1. Ruth ___________ her friend the secret code.
2. Jason ___________ that he had seen a man outside the building before the robbery.
3. Mum ___________ Dad that she had forgotten to post the letter.
4. The police ___________ that this was a murder investigation
5. The woman ___________ that she had seen a terrible crime.
6. Dad ___________ me that the man had robbed a post office in the city centre.
7. Gemma ___________ that she had been ill for a few days.
8. The woman ___________ the police that the man was wearing a balaclava.

Exercise 2: There is one mistake in each reported statement. Circle the mistake and correct it
in one word.
1. ‘I’m staying in a hotel tonight.’
He said he was staying in a hotel the night. ______________________
2. ‘There is a lot of crime in the area.’
Mel said there had been a lot of crime in the area. ______________________
3. ‘My brother visited last week.’
Gary said his brother had visited the week ago. ______________________
4. ‘Reece is meeting us outside the cinema.’
The girls said that Reece was meeting us outside the cinema. ______________________
5. ‘I don’t want to watch this crime documentary.’
Jenny said she didn't want to watch this crime documentary. ______________________

Exercise 3: Look at the quotes and complete the reported statements.

1. Sarah: ‘We’ve been to Paris three times.’
Sarah said they __________________ to Paris three times.
2. John: ‘I can’t help you tonight.’
John said he __________________ me that night.
3. Pat: ‘The girls will meet you at the café.’
Pat said the girls __________________ me at the café.
4. Sue: ‘I can identify the criminal.’
Sue said she __________________ the criminal.
5. Joe: ‘The police haven't caught the robbers.’
Joe said the police __________________ the robbers.
6. Mark: ‘I won't finish all my homework.’
Mark said he __________________ all his homework.

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 Exercise 4: Rewrite the direct speech as reported speech.
1. Eyewitness (he): ‘I haven’t seen anything unusual this morning.’
The eyewitness said (that) he hadn’t seen anything unusual that morning.
2. Police officer: ‘We arrested the suspect a week ago.’
_______________________________________________________________________
3. Reporter: ‘The police need more witnesses to contact them.’
_______________________________________________________________________
4. Robber (she): ‘I’m climbing in through the window because I’ve forgotten my key.’
_______________________________________________________________________
5. Detective: ‘The attack happened outside the restaurant, just after midnight.’
_______________________________________________________________________
6. Criminals: ‘The prison warden can’t keep us in prison forever.’
_______________________________________________________________________
7. Victim (he): ‘I will wait here until the police arrive.’
________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 5: Workbook exercises (8D # 1 page 89, Solutions Pre-intermediate)

Read the direct speech and complete the reported speech.
1. ‘I haven’t told the police about the vandalism,’ said Adrian.
Adrian said that ____________________________________________ the vandalism.
2. ‘I can’t find my passport,’ said Julia.
Julia said that she __________________________________________ passport.
3. ‘I’ll be at the park at 7 o’clock,’ said Daniel.
Daniel said that ____________________________________________ 7 o’clock.
4. ‘Somebody has stolen my new bike,’ said Joanna.
Joanna said that ___________________________________________ new bike.
5. ‘My dad will lend me some money for the train,’ said Tina.
Tina said that ______________________________________________ the train.
6. ‘I can speak French, but I can’t speak Spanish,’ said Sara.
Sara said that _____________________________________________ Spanish.
7. ‘I’ve invited all of my friends to a barbecue at my house,’ said Michael.
Michael said that ___________________________________________ house.
8. ‘I won’t tell anybody about the surprise party,’ said Anna.
Anna said that _____________________________________________ surprise party.

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Answer key:
Exercise 1:
1. told 2. said 3. told
4. said 5. said 6. told
7. said 8. told

Exercise 2:

1. the  that
2. had been  was
3. ago  before
4. us  them
5. this  that
Exercise 3:
1. had been 2. couldn’t help 3. would meet
4. could identify 5. hadn’t caught 6. wouldn’t finish

Exercise 4:

2. The police officer said (that) they had arrested the suspect a week earlier.
3. The reporter said (that) the police needed more witnesses to contact them.
4. The robber said (that) she was climbing in through the window because she’d forgotten
her key.
5. The detective said (that) the attack had happened outside the restaurant, just after
midnight.
6. The criminals said (that) the prison warden couldn’t keep them in prison forever.
7. The victim said (that) he would wait there until the police arrived.
Exercise 5: (Workbook 8D # 1 page 89, Solutions Pre-intermediate)

1. Adrian said that he hadn’t told the police about the vandalism.
2. Julia said that she couldn’t find her passport.
3. Daniel said that he would be at the part at 7 o’clock.
4. Joanna said that somebody had stolen her new bike.
5. Tina said that her dad would lend her some money for the train.
6. Sara said that she could speak French, but she couldn’t speak Spanish.
7. Michael said that he had invited all of his friends to a barbecue at his house.
8. Anna said that she wouldn’t tell anybody about the surprise party.

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