Indirect / Reported Speech

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

Reported Speech

• Reported speech = Indirect Speech
• Direct Speech: ​

    Something is said directly, sentence is between inverted commas "..."​

      Direct: June said, "It is my car."

      Indirect: June said that it was her car.

Fixed change in tenses 

Direct speech: present simple --> reported speech past simple

Direct speech: past simple --> reported speech: past perfect

Know your tenses!!!  

We don't change the tense when: 

1) the reporting verb (say, tell, ask, etc) is in the present or present perfect

2) reporting a verb in the past perfect or would, could, should or had better

Changes in words referring to time!!

Today =>On that day 

 Now =>Then 

Tomorrow=> the day after / the following day

Yesterday = > the day before / the preceding day 

Two days ago => Two days before / the preceding days 

Four months ago=> Four months before / the preceding 4 months 

Last Monday morning => The Monday morning before/ the preceding Monday in the morning

Next week=> the week after / the following week

Two days later => In two days                              Two years later => In two years

A month later => In a month

Changes in words referring to people!!

e.g.: 

I --> he / she               we --> they

Direct speech: I will go there

Indirect/reported: She said (that) she would go there

Changes in words referring to places!!

This => that   

These =>those

Here => there 

Jim said, "I work here every day."

1. Jim said that he works here every day."
2. Jim said that he works there every day."
3. Jim said that he worked here everyday."
4. Jim said that he worked there everyday."

"He will come tomorrow".
She told me that he ________ tomorrow.

1. will come the day after
2. will come tomorrow
3. would come the day after
4. would come tomorrow

"I can see the clouds.".
He told me that she ________ the clouds.

1. can see
2. could see
3. can saw
4. could saw

"My mother is taking the bus to work tomorrow".
He told me that his mother ________ the bus to work the day after.

1. is taking
2. was taking
3. will take

Julie: I want to go out.
INDIRECT SPEECH

1. Julie said that I want to go out
2. Julie said that she want to go out.
3. Julie said that she wanted to go out.
4. Julie said that she had wanted to go out.

My cousins: We worked all night.
INDIRECT SPEECH

1. My cousins said that we worked all night.
2. My cousins said they had worked all night.
3. My cousins said they worked all night.

Turn into indirect speech:
Peter asked John: "Why are you so late?"

1. Peter asked to John why he so late was
2. Peter asked John how late he was
3. Peter asked John when he was late
4. Peter asked John why he was so late

Turn the sentence to indirect speech:
''Where is your sister?'' she asked me.

Turn the sentence to indirect speech:
''Have you seen enough?'', they asked me.

Turn the sentence to indirect speech:
''I never make mistakes'', he said.

Change to reported speech
Fien: "I am watching Netflix."

"I have been watching you", the man whispered.

had to

the next day

they

in two days' time

this week

last night

'must' changes to _____ in reported speech.

'tomorrow' changes to ______ in reported speech.

The personal pronoun 'we' changes to _______ in reported speech.

'the day after tomorrow' changes to ______ in reported speech.

the night before, Thursday night

that week, last week

Rewrite to reported speech:
'I can't find my hairbrush.'

1. Gemma said I couldn't find my hairbrush.
2. Gemma said she can't find her hairbrush
3. Gemma said she couldn't find her hairbrush

Rewrite in reported speech:
"I have a toothache."

1. He said that I had a toothache.
2. He said that he has a toothache.
3. He said that he had a toothache.
4. he said that you have a toothache

Rewrite to reported speech:
Julie: "I want to go out."

1. Julie said that I want to go out
2. Julie said that she want to go out.
3. Julie said that she wanted to go out.
4. Julie said that she had wanted to go out.

Reported speech of this sentence.
Tom "I slept in this morning"

1. Tom said that he slept in that morning
2. Tom said that he had slept in that morning
3. Tom said that he wanted to sleep in this morning
4. Tom said that I had slept in that morning

Rewrite to reported speech:
"Are you tired?"

1. He asked if I am tired
2. He asked if I was tired
3. He asked am I tired?
4. He asked if you are tired.

Reported speech: Original sentence in the past simple, reported _________.

1. past simple
2. past perfect
3. past continuous

For reported speech, if the original sentence is in the present simple, you use ___________ in reported speech.

1. Present simple
2. Past simple
3. Past continuous
4. Past perfect

I understand how the Reported Speech works.
I can use it!

1. Yes
2. No
3. Almost