Grammar section

We usually report someone’s words a long time after they were said. In this case the introductory verb is in the past simple and the tenses change as follows:

Observe the Sequence of Tenses:

	Simple	Perfect	Continuous	Perfect Continuous
Past	→		(→)
Present	↑	↑	↑	↑
Future	↓	↓	↓	↓
Future-in-the-Past

this, these → that, those (time expressions)	the day after tomorrow → two days later	the day before yesterday → two days before
today → that day tonight → that night this week → that week	here → there come → go	last → the previous / before last week – the week before, the previous week
tomorrow → the next day/the following day     following day	in (a week) → (a week) later	yesterday → the day before
next → the following / the next	now → then	ago → before

• When this/these are used in time expressions, they change to that/those. E.g. this week – that week; these days – those days

• When this/these are not used in time expressions, they change as follows:

1. They change to the when used as adjectives, that is, when they are followed by a noun. E.g. ‘ This film is boring,’ Clare told me. – Clare told me that the film was boring.

2. They change to it or they/them when used as pronouns, that is, when they are not followed by a noun. E.g. ‘ This is an unusual situation,’ Dad said – Dad said (that) it was an unusual situation.

• Certain modal verbs change in reported speech as follows:

will / shall – would can – could / would be able to (future reference)

may – might must – had to (obligation)

can – could shall – should (asking for advice / suggestion)

• Would, could, might, should, ought to, had better, used to and mustn’t do not change. Must does not change when it expresses a logical assumption. E.g. a) ‘I might talk to her,’ she said. - She said (that) she might talk to her. b) ‘You must be tired,’ Paul told Susan. - Paul told Susan (that) she must be tired.

• In Type1 conditionals tenses change in reported speech as follows: the present simple becomes past simple in the if-clause and will becomes would in the main clause. E.g. ‘If I have the time, I’ ll come round,’ Lisa said. - Lisa said (that) if she had the time, she would come round.

• Type 2 and Type 3 conditionals tenses do not change in reported speech. E.g. a) ‘If she knew, she would help us,’ Tony said. – Tony said (that) if she knew, she would help us. (Type 2) b) ‘If she had known, she would have helped us,’ Tony said. – Tony said (that) if she had known, she would have helped us. (Type 3)

• The verb tenses and time expressions change in reported speech:

a) when reporting someone’s words a long time after they were said (out-of-date reporting).

b) when we consider what the speaker says to be untrue. E.g. ‘I like Shakespeare’s plays a lot,’ he said to us. – He told us (that) he liked Shakespeare’s plays a lot, but he didn’t know the name of any.

• The verb tenses and time expressions either change or remain the same in reported speech:

a) when reporting someone’s words a short time after they were said (up-to-date reporting).

b) when reporting a general truth or law of nature. E.g. ‘The sun sets in the west,’ the teacher said. – The teacher said (that) the sun sets / set in the west.

c) when the reported sentence contains a time clause (in Past Simple / Continuous), the tenses of the time clause remain unchanged. E.g. ‘She came round to my house while I was doing my shopping,’ he said. - He said (that) she had come round to his house while he was doing his shopping.

We can use say and tell both in direct and reported speech.

• Tell is always followed by a personal object (e.g. told me): He told me, ‘I’m tired.’ - He told me (that) he was tired.

• Say is used with or without a personal object. When used with a personal object it is always followed by the proposition to (e.g. said to me): 1) He said, ‘I’m tired.’ – He said (that) he was tired. 2) He said to me ‘I’m tired.’ – He said to me (that) he was tired.

Say and tell are also used with the following expressions:

say	good morning/afternoon, etc.; something/nothing, etc., one’s prayers; so;. a few words
tell	the truth, a lie, a secret, a story, the time, the difference, smb one’s name; smb the way, one from another, one’s fortune

1. Fill in the gaps with say or tell in the correct tense:

a ) Katie 1) _____ Dave that she had met a set of twins at a party. ‘They looked exactly the same,’ she 2) _____ ‘I couldn’t 3) _____ the difference between them.’ ‘I’ve got a twin brother, too’ 4) _____ Dave. ‘Are you 5) _____ me the truth?’ asked Katie. ‘ 6) _____ me his name.’ ‘His name is Stephen,’ Dave 7) _____ her. ‘I’ll take you to meet him tomorrow.’

b ) ‘You never listen to me,’ Tara 1) _____Jim. ‘I 2) _____ good morning to you three times today and you didn’t answer,’ she 3) _____. ‘To 4) _____you the truth, it makes me really angry. Why don’t you listen to me?’ ‘Oh, hello Tara,’ 5) _____ Jim. ‘Did you just 6) _____ something?’

c ) ‘Claire 1) _____ me that she and John are getting married,’ 2) _____ Sue. ‘She 3) _____ that they’re going to have a big wedding with lots of guests.’ ‘That’ll be expensive,’ 4) _____ Tom. ‘I thought John 5) _____ that they couldn’t afford a big wedding.’ ‘Well that’s what Claire 6) _____ me,’ 7) _____Sue. ‘I don’t think she would 8) _____ a lie.’

2. Fill in the gaps with the correct pronoun or possessive adjective.

1. James said, ‘My boss wants me to go to London tomorrow.’ – James said ______ boss wanted ______ to go to London the following day. 2. Mary said, ‘I’m waiting for my son to come out of school.’ – Mary said ______ was waiting for ______son to come out of school. 3. George said, ‘I’ve taken out insurance for my mum’s property.’ – George said _____ had taken out insurance for …. mum's property. 4. Julie said, ‘I need you to help me with the shopping.’ – Julie said ______ needed ______ to help ______ with the shopping. 5. John said, ‘I’d like to take you out to dinner’ – John said ______’d like to take ______ out to dinner. 6. Helen said to Jane, ‘I think your new haircut is lovely.’ – Helen said to Jane that ______ thought ______ new haircut was lovely.

3. Yesterday you meet a friend of yours, Steve. You haven’t seen him for a long time. Later that day you told another friend what Steve said to you.

1. I’m living in London. Steve said_____________________________ 2. My father isn’t very well. Steve said__________________________________ 3. Rachel and Mark are getting married next month. Steve said______________________________ 4. My sister has had a baby. Steve said _________________________ 5. I don’t know what Frank is doing. Steve said______________________________ 6. I saw Helen at a party in June and she seemed fine. Steve said________________________________ 7. I haven’t seen Diane recently. Steve said _________________________________ 8. I’m not enjoying my job very much. Steve said______________________________ 9. You can come and stay at my place if you’re ever in London. Steve said_______________________________ 10. My car was stolen a few days ago. Steve said__________________________ 11. I want to go on holiday, but I can’t afford it. Steve said ________________________________ 12. I’ll tell Chris I saw you. Steve said _____________________________________

4. Somebody says something to you which is the opposite of what they said earlier. Complete the answers.

1. A: That restaurant is expensive. B: Is it? I thought you said it was cheap. 2. A: Sue is coming to the party tonight. B: Is she? I thought you said ________________ 3. A: Sarah likes Paul. B: Does she? I thought you said ________________ 4. A: I know lots of people. B: Do you? I thought you said ________________ 5. A: Jane will be here next week. B: Will she? I thought you said ________________ 6. A: I’m going out this evening. B: Are you? I thought you said ________________ 7. A: I can speak a little French. B: Can you? I thought you said ________________ 8. A: I haven’t been to the cinema for ages. B: Haven’t you? I thought you said _________________________

5. Complete the sentences with say or tell in the correct form. Use only one word each time.

1. Ann ________ goodbye to me and left. 2. _______ us about your holiday. Did you have a nice time? 3. Don’t just stand there! ________ something! 4. I wonder where Sue is. She ______ she would be here at 8 o’clock. 5. Dan _______ me that he was bored with the job. 6. The doctor _____ that I should rest for at least a week. 7. Don’t _______ anybody what I _______. It’s a secret just between us. 8. ‘Did she _______ you what happened?’ ‘No, she didn’t ________ anything to me.’ 9. Gary couldn’t help me. He ______ me to ask Caroline. 10. Gary couldn’t help me. He ______ to ask me.

6. Turn the following sentences into reported speech.

1. Robin said, ‘These biscuits taste delicious.’ 2. ‘I can’t see you this afternoon because I’ve got a lot to do,’ Ann told me. 3. She came into the room holding some papers in her hand, ‘I found these while I was tiding the desk drawers.’ 4. Fiona said, ‘That picture was painted by my great-grandfather.’ 5. ‘Those were good times for my family,’ my granddad said. 6. ‘I received a parcel this morning, but I haven’t opened it yet,’ Tom said. 7. ‘You mustn’t do that again,’ Mum said to Bob. 8. ‘These shoes are worn out. You’d better throw them away,’ Mum said to me. 9. He said, ‘I’m going to the station.’ 10. Tina said, ‘You should exercise more.’ 11. They said, ‘We had booked the room before we left.’ 12. Tom said, ‘This meal is delicious.’ 13. ‘I’ve won the competition,’ she said to her friend. 14. ‘We’ve decided to work harder next term,’ they told us. 15. Jill said, ‘I’ll take advantage of the opportunity.’ 16. She said to him, ‘We’ve been invited to the wedding.’ 17. She told me, ‘My relatives must leave tomorrow.’ 18. ‘They’ve gone out for the evening,’ Jessie said to me. 19. They said, ‘We may visit Joe tomorrow.’ 20. She said, ‘I can meet you on Tuesday.’ 21. Keith said, ‘There is a letter for you on the table.’

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