Joy English
Joy English
← Back to the lesson

Joy English · Level B2 · Reported speechjoy-english.com

Reported speech

Name:Date:

Report other people's statements, questions and requests, and know when the tense changes.

Choose the reported form

Choose the correct option to complete each reported sentence.

  1. Hana ___ me that she was feeling better.
    • a) told
    • b) said
    • c) asked
  2. "I'm tired," said Leo. Leo said that he ___ tired.
    • a) has been
    • b) were
    • c) was
  3. "Where do you live?" She asked me where ___.
    • a) did I live
    • b) I lived
    • c) do I live
  4. "Can you help me?" Omar asked me ___ help him.
    • a) that I can
    • b) could I
    • c) if I could
  5. "Don't touch the oven." My dad told me ___ the oven.
    • a) not to touch
    • b) not touching
    • c) don't touch
  6. "We'll finish the project tomorrow." They said they ___ finish the project the next day.
    • a) will
    • b) would
    • c) had
  7. "I bought a new laptop last week." Ana said she ___ a new laptop the week before.
    • a) has bought
    • b) had bought
    • c) buys
  8. Which sentence is correct?
    • a) He said me that he was busy.
    • b) He told that he was busy.
    • c) He told me that he was busy.

Complete the reported sentences

Read the direct speech and complete the reported sentence. Type one to three words.

  1. "I'm cooking dinner," Jo said when I phoned her yesterday. Jo said she ___ dinner.
  2. "I've lost my wallet," said Kemal. Kemal said he ___ his wallet, but he found it an hour later.
  3. "Do you like spicy food?" Priya asked me ___ spicy food.
  4. "Please close the window." The teacher asked us ___ the window.
  5. "I'll send you the photos tomorrow." Sam said he ___ me the photos the next day.
  6. "We're leaving tomorrow," Ali said on Sunday. On Sunday, Ali said they were leaving the ___ day.
  7. The guide ___ (say / tell) us that the castle was closed.
  8. "Where did you buy that jacket?" Nina asked me where I ___ that jacket.

Answer key

Choose the reported form

  1. a) toldTell is followed by a person (me). Say is not.
  2. c) wasAm moves back to was in reported speech after said.
  3. b) I livedReported questions use statement word order (subject + verb), with no do or did.
  4. c) if I couldYes/no questions are reported with if or whether, and can moves back to could.
  5. a) not to touchNegative orders are reported with tell + person + not to + infinitive.
  6. b) wouldWill moves back to would, and tomorrow becomes the next day.
  7. b) had boughtThe past simple often moves back to the past perfect, and last week becomes the week before.
  8. c) He told me that he was busy.Tell needs a person as its object. Say does not take a person directly.

Complete the reported sentences

  1. was cookingThe conversation was yesterday, so the present continuous moves back to the past continuous: was cooking.
  2. had lost / 'd lostThe situation is no longer true, so the present perfect moves back to the past perfect: had lost.
  3. if I liked / whether I liked / if I like / whether I likeYes/no questions are reported with if or whether and statement word order. Like can stay in the present if it is still true.
  4. to closeRequests are reported with ask + person + to + infinitive.
  5. would send / 'd sendThe time has changed to the next day, so will moves back to would.
  6. next / followingIn reported speech, tomorrow usually becomes the next day or the following day.
  7. toldThere is a person after the gap (us), so we need tell. In the past it is told.
  8. had bought / 'd bought / boughtReported questions use statement word order. The past simple can move back to had bought or stay as bought.

Joy English · free English practice · https://joy-english.com/grammar/reported-speech