We use reported speech when PRESENT SIMPLE PAST SIMPLE Personal pronouns change to the

we want to reproduce what PRESENT CONTINUOUS PAST CONTINUOUS third person singular or plural, except
somebody says or said. When PAST SIMPLE PAST PERFECT when the speaker reports his own
we report what somebody said PAST CONTINUOUS PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS words:
in the past we have to change PRESENT PERFECT PAST PERFECT
the tense(s) we use in PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS I like your new bike, Mary told him
reported speech. These tenses PAST PERFECT PAST PERFECT Mary told him that she liked his new
usually go one step back into PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS bike.
the past. SIMPLE FUTURE(will) PRESENT CONDITIONAL (would) I have never been to the zoo, I said
Ex: I feel tired, he said. PRESENT CONDITIONAL(would) PERFECT CONDITIONAL (would have) to my friend.
He said that he felt tired. CAN COULD I told my friend that I had never been
MAY MIGHT to the zoo.

We do not need to change the

tense if the reporting verb is in
Time/place references are also changed in reported speech: the present, or if the original In reported statements we often use
TODAY THAT DAY statement was about something the verbs say and tell. We use
NOW THEN that is still true: 'say' when there is no indirect object:
YESTERDAY THE DAY BEFORE Mary wants to go to the disco, He said that he was tired.
TOMORROW THE NEXT DAY Peter says. Always use 'tell' when you say who
NEXT WEEK/MONTH THE FOLLOWING WEEK/MONTH was being spoken to (i.e. with an
Peter says that Mary wants to go indirect object):
LAST WEEK/MONTH THE WEEK/MONTH BEFORE
to the disco. He told me that he was tired.
AGO BEFORE Marys boyfriend lives in Paris, When we use say with an indirect
THIS (TIME) THAT Sue told me. object we must use the preposition
THIS/THAT / + NOUN THE + NOUN to before the indirect object:
HERE THERE Sue told me that Marys He said to me that she was very
boyfriend lives in Paris. happy to be with him.

Put the following statements into reported speech. Use the

introductory verb in the past. Then, match the sentences with the
right picture.

1. Mary and Paul are going to get married next week, Jim said.

2. If Mum has time, she will make a cake for your birthday, she said.

3. I often ask my father to help me with my homework, Bill said.

4. He spent the afternoon reading before his wife arrived, Mary said.

5. Im very happy because I have just got my driving license, I said.

6. We have been shopping this afternoon, my friends said.

7. If she accepts me, we will get married in June, Peter told me.

8. Dave says he loves playing computer games, my brother told me.

9. I cant go to the party. Ive got a terrible headache, Jim said.

10. Bills father gets angry when his son arrives late, they said.

11. She doesnt like doing the housework. She says it is boring, I said.

12. John got a big present for his last birthday!, his brother said.

13. My father must travel a lot because hes a salesman, she said.

14. Hes got the biggest nose I have ever seen, Marta said.

15. If he drives so fast, he will have an accident, his friend said.

16. He studied very hard and got an excellent mark, his teacher said.

17. I want to be a basketball player when I grow up, Tim said.

18. There are three people waiting at the bus stop, she said.

I like apples --- Pedro said he liked apples
Susan is playing soccer pedro said she was playing soccer