Indirect Speech or Reported

Speech
Peter Smith is telling Mr. Chung a story:
Yesterday I discovered a mouse in a bag of rice you
sold me. I bought the rice last week, and I even used
some of it. While I was cooking dinner last night, I
discovered the mouse in this bag here. Have you ever
found mice in your rice, Mr. Chung? Dont worry , Mr.
Chung, this one was alive. My sons pet mouse escaped
from its cage two days ago and it probably got hungry.
Its back in its cage now and we gave it some rice today.
Will you give me two bags of rice, please? Im going to
invite all my friends to dinner tomorrow.
How does Mr. Chung tell this story to his wife?
Ex.
Mr. Chung told her wife (that) he had discovered in a bag
of rice that Peter Smith has sold to him
Direct speech v/s Indirect speech
There are two ways of relating what a person has said: direct
and indirect.
In direct speech, we repeat the original speakers exact words:
He said, I have lost my umbrella
In indirect speech, we give the exact meaning without
necessarily using the speakers exact words:
He said he had lost his umbrella
When we turn direct speech into indirect, some changes are
usually necessary.
.
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
Present simple
She said, "It's cold."
Past simple
She said it was cold
Present continuous
She said, "I'm teaching English online."
Past continuous
She said she was teaching English online.
Present perfect simple
She said, "I've been on the web since 1999
Past perfect simple
She said she had been on the web since 1999.
Present perfect continuous
She said, "I've been teaching English for
seven years."
Past perfect continuous
She said she had been teaching English for
seven years.
Past simple
She said, "I taught online yesterday."
Past perfect
She said she had taught online yesterday.
Past continuous
She said, "I was teaching earlier."
Past perfect continuous
She said she had been teaching earlier.
Past perfect
She said, "The lesson had already started
when he arrived."
Past perfect
NO CHANGE - She said the lesson had
already started when he arrived.
Past perfect continuous
She said, "I'd already been teaching for five
minutes."
Past perfect continuous
NO CHANGE - She said she'd already been
teaching for five minutes.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech
will
She said, "I'll teach English online tomorrow."
would
She said she would teach English online
tomorrow
can
She said, "I can teach English online."
could
She said she could teach English online.
must
She said, "I must have a computer to teach
English online."
had to
She said she had to have a computer to teach
English online.
shall
She said, "What shall we learn today?"
should
She asked what we should learn today.
may
She said, "May I open a new browser?"
might
She asked if she might open a new browser.



Expressions of time if reported on a different day


this (evening) that (evening)
today yesterday
these (days) those (days)
now then
(a week) ago
(a week) before
last weekend the weekend before last /
the previous weekend
here there
next (week) the following (week)
tomorrow the next/following day
A) Replace each quoted statement with a sentence
using indirect speech.

He said, I dont know what happened.~
He said he didnt know what have happened
She said, I went to the beach
She said she had gone to the beach
He said, I have had a toothache during these days
He said he had had a toothache during those days
She said, Ill write him a prescription.
She said she would write him a prescription
They said, We are going to the cinema.
They said they were going to the cinema


He said You must do your homework
He said he had to to his homework
The teacher said They are at the library now
The teacher said they were at the library then (or at that
moment)
B) Rewrite the following sentences to create direct
speech as the example.

Example: Mary said, she didnt know why the car had
hit her.
I dont know why the car hit me

She said that she had gone to the dentist the day before.
She said I went to the dentist yesterday
Susan said her parents were clever scientists.
Susan said My parents are clever dentist
They said they had gone swimming with their friend.
They said We have gone swimming with our friends or
We went swimming with our friends
She said she went to the museum every day.
She said I go to he museum every day
They said they were going to the supermarket.
They said We are going to the supermarket
She said that the doctor would give her some pills.
She said The doctor will give me some pills

Reported Questions
With reported questions, we use statement word order
and NOT question word order.


Statement word order Question word order
They asked us where the
station was
They asked us where was
the station?
I asked him what we could
do
I asked him what could we
do?
She asked me where I
lived
She asked me where did I
live?
Yes/ No Questions
We use if/whether and statement word order.

Direct Speech Reported Speech

Is London very big? He asked me if London
was big
Do you play chess? She asked me wheter I
played chess
Did your father go abroad
last year?
He asked me if my
father had gone abroad last
year.
Wh- questions
We use the same questions word and statement word
order.
Direct Speech Reported Speech

Who are you talking to? He asked me who I was
talking to.
When did you arrive? She asked me when I
had arrived.
How much money have you
got?
She asked me how much
money I had got.
Request
Request is to ask (a person) to do something.
We use asked + person + verb in infinitive. Ex. To (do)
Direct Speech Reported Speech


Please carry this for me,
please.
She asked me to carry it
for her.
Can you open the window
please?
He asked me to open the
window
Please dont be late? The teacher asked us not
to be late.
C) Rewrite the questions in reported speech.

1. Will the flight be delayed?
Jill wanted to know if/whether the flight would be delayed

2. Where have you been all night?
My parents wanted to know where I had been all night

3. Will I pass my exam?
Mark wondered If/whether I would pass my exam
4 Did you remember the invitations?
Sue asked me If/whether I had remembered the invitations.

5 How long have you been learning German?
Karl wondered how long I had been learning German

6. Could you buy some eggs?
My mother asked me to buy some eggs

7. Could you open the window please?
The teacher asked him to open the window
Reporting verbs
Verbs like say and explain are followed by that + clause.
Ex.
He said that the film was one of the best hed ever
seen.
She explained that she couldnt come because she
had work to do

Verbs like offer, refuse and agree are followed by the
infinitive with to.
Ex.
My mother offered to lend me some money
She refused to tell me her name
I agreed to go with them

Verbs like ask, order, invite, tell and persuade are
followed by an object +infinitive with to.
Ex.
My father asked my sister to help him choose a present
for my mother.
The policeman ordered them to stop.
My grandparents invited me to have lunch with them
Our teacher told us to concentrate more.
My friends persuaded me to go to the concert with them.

Finally, verbs like suggest and apologise for are followed
by a noun or a gerund.
Ex.
He apologised for the noise / making a noise.
She suggested a walk / going for a walk

D) Rewrite the sentences in reported speech. Use the
correct form of the verbs from the box.

Explain - order - offer invite - beg persuade- agree - apologise for

Put down your gun, Paul.
The police officer ordered Paul to put down his gun.

1. I could help you with that math problem if you want"
Tom offered to help me with that math problem

2. I couldnt come because I was ill
Peter explained that he couldnt come because he had
been ill
3. Mom, please, let me go. I promise I'll be back before
midnight!
Lisa begged to go to the party.

4. Yeah, of course. I will give you the money.
He agreed to give him/her the money

5. "I am very sorry for having insulted you in that way"
- She apologised for having insulted him/her in that way.
- She apologised for the insult.
6. I want you go to my weeding
She invited him/her to her weedding

7. I have to go to the meeting. My boss insisted in that
My boss persuaded me to go to the meeting.